Dr. Penelope Lockwood

RESEARCH

Penelope Lockwood is interested in individuals’ responses to social comparisons, comparisons to better-off and worse-off others. In particular, she has focused on the ways in which people can be motivated by positive role models, individuals who have achieved stellar success, and negative role models, individuals who have experienced failure in some domain. Dr. Lockwood is also examining social comparisons in the context of romantic relationships, looking at how individuals respond when one partner in a marriage is more successful than the other partner. In ongoing studies, Dr. Lockwood is examining comparisons across relationships, and the extent to which dating and married individuals are motivated or demoralized by examples of very successful or unsuccessful couples. Finally, in a new line of research, Dr. Lockwood is examining motivation to engage in pro-environmental behaviour.