Dr. Geoff MacDonald

RESEARCH

Geoff MacDonald is interested in interpersonal rejection. He tries to use basic concepts about how we regulate physical behaviour to understand how we regulate social behaviour. For example, he's argued that emotional pain like hurt feelings involves the activation of physical pain mechanisms. Recent evidence has even suggested that Tylenol can reduce hurt feelings. We also know that physical behaviour is regulated by perceptions of threats and rewards so he's started applying this framework to social behaviour. For example, hurt feelings appear to make people feel vulnerable and thus see both more threat and more reward in social interaction. MacDonald has also started examining specific forms of rejection such as criticism and ridicule to see how factors such as social status and culture affect responses to social exclusion. The work on culture also extends to romantic relationships and examines the influence that perceptions of family approval of the relationship have on one's feelings about a romantic partner.