Penelope Lockwood

Penelope (Poppy) Lockwood completed a BA in English Literature and History at Western University and an MA in English Literature at Queen’s University before going on to complete a PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Waterloo, where she studied under the supervision of Ziva Kunda.

Her research focuses on 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. She has also examined comparisons in the context of close relationships, including comparisons between romantic partners. Her most recent research deals with comparisons in the context of social media.