Wilbert Law

Research Interests

I am interested in the study of human motivation. My current research interests include the co-occurrence of approach and avoidance motivation; the development of implicit and explicit achievement motives and goals; the impact of extrinsic pursuits and materialism on interpersonal relationships; duty internalization across cultures; and the internalization of religious beliefs.

Publications/Manuscripts in preparation

• Law, W., & Weinstein, N. (in preparation). The deleterious effect of extrinsic aspirations on romantic relationship.
• Hacker, K., Weinstein, N., & Law, W. (in preparation). What makes for good sex? Need-satisfying relationships promote intrinsic motivated and satisfying sexual experiences.
• Law, W., Montes, G., Hightower, D.A., Lotyczewski, B.S., & Halterman, J.S. (in preparation). A new questionnaire for assessing children's social-emotional development: the parent-child rating scale.
• Weinstein, N., & Law, W. (under review). When money matters, people don't: Wealth goals promote an instrumental and non-valuing orientation to others.
• Law, W., Elliot, A.J., Murayama, K. (under review). The effect of perceived competence on the association between persormance-approach and performance-avoidance goals.
• Friedman, R., Moller, A. C., Fryer, J. W., Zahn, I., Law, W., Acuff, R. D., Niesta, D., Murayama, K., Meier, A. M., Jelstad, B., & Elliot, A. J. (2009). Achievement goals in the context of the hierarchical model of approach-avoidance achievement motivation. In A. Kaplan, S. Karabenick, & E. De Groot (Eds.), Culture, self, and motivation: Essays in honor of Martin L. Maehr (pp. 111-134). New York: Information Age Publishers.
• Chiu, C-y., Mallorie, L., Keh, H-t., & Law, W. (2009). Seeing culture in multicultural space: Joint presentation of cultural images increases ingroup attribution of culturally typical psychological characteristics, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 40, 282-300.

Presentations

• Chair, "On the issue of high correlation between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals". Symposium for the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April, 2011.
  
• Law, W. Maniaci, M.R., Reis, H.T. (2012 January). Food sharing increases trust. Poster will be presented at the 13th annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego,CA
  
• Law, W., Elliot, A.J., & Murayama, K. (2011 April). The role of perceived competence and response format on the relationship between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA
  
• Law, W., Hacker, K., & Weinstein, N. (2011 January). The deleterious effect of extrinsic aspirations on relationship outcomes. Poster presented at the 12th annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX
• Law, W., & Elliot, A. J. (2011, April). A longitudinal study of the intergenerational transmission of fear of failure. Poster submitted for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, April 2011.
• Hacker, K., Law, W., & Weinstein, N. (2010, May). When work interferes with love: extrinsic and intrinsic goals as predictors of satisfaction in romantic relationships. Poster presented at the 4th International Self-Determination Theory Conference, Ghent, Belgium.
• Fryer, J. W., Elliot, A. J., & Law, W. (2010, March). Classroom context, achievement goal stability, and academic performance. Invited talk; University of Maryland, Department of Human Development; College Park, MD
• Law, W., Anson, J. M., Zahn, I., Lanoye, A., & Deci, E. L. (2010, January). Why do people hold religious beliefs? The perspective of Self-Determination Theory and Terror Management Theory. Poster presented at the 11th annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Les Vagas, NV
• Fryer, J. W., Elliot, A. J., & Law, W. (2009, April). The effect of classroom context on achievement goal stability and change. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA
• Law, W., & Elliot, A. J. (2009, February). The effect of perceived competence on the correlation between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals. Poster presented at the 10th annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Tampa, FL
• Law, W., & Elliot, A. J. (2008, February). Perceived competence as a moderator of the correlation between approach and avoidance achievement goals. Poster presented at the 9th annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Albuquerque, NM
• Law, W., & Chiu, C. Y. (2006, May). “The role of analogical thinking, multicultural experience, and openness to experience in creativity.” Poster presented at the annual University of Illinois Psychology Honors Fair, Champaign, IL

Courses Taught

• CSP 161 Social Psychology and Individual Differences - Summer 2010, Summer 2011
• CSP 219 Research Methods in Psychology - Summer 2008
• CSP 264 Industrial and Organizational Psychology - Summer 2008

Professional Honors and Awards

• 2011 - Conference Travel Award, American Educational Research Association
• 2011 - Finalist of Paul Pintrich Memorial Award, American Educational Research Association
• 2010 - Helen & Vincent Nowlis Award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring, University of Rochester

Additional Information

Full curriculum vitae available upon request.

I was the Graduate head Resident (GHR) for Residential Life, University of Rochester from 2009-2011.

I worked at Children's Institute as a graduate research associate from 2008-2010.

If you want to know more about being a GHR or working at Children's Institute, feel free to contact me.