My current research interests broadly focus on the interplay of motivational and cognitive processes. Our laboratory is currently focusing on the role of counterfactual thought in self-evaluation, in particular how these thoughts can be used to protect self-esteem or motivate self-improvement. We are also examining the motivational bases for self-handicapping and personality differences in the use of this self-protective strategy.

Other areas of research and interest include biases in counterfactual thinking, procrastination, planning and goal pursuit, and judgment and decision making.

Primary Interests:

Attitudes and Beliefs
Causal Attribution
Emotion, Mood, Affect
Gender Psychology
Health Psychology
Intergroup Relations
Judgment and Decision Making
Motivation, Goal Setting
Personality, Individual Differences
Self and Identity
Social Cognition

Attitudes and Beliefs
Causal Attribution
Emotion, Mood, Affect
Gender Psychology
Health Psychology
Intergroup Relations

Judgment and Decision Making
Motivation, Goal Setting
Personality, Individual Differences
Self and Identity
Social Cognition

Research Group or Laboratory:

Motivation and Cognition Laboratory
Interactive Map

Journal Articles:

Crawford, M. T., & McCrea, S. M. (2004). When motivations meet mutations: Attitudes bias counterfactual thought. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 65-74.
Hirt, E. R., Devers, E. E., & McCrea, S. M. (2008). I want to be creative: Exploring the role of hedonic contingency theory in the positive mood - cognitive flexibility link. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 214-230
Hirt, E. R., & McCrea, S. M. (2009). Man smart, woman smarter?: Getting to the root of gender differences in self-handicapping. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 260-274.
Hirt, E. R., McCrea, S. M., & Boris, H. I. (2003). 'I know you self-handicapped last exam': Gender differences in reactions to self-handicapping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 177-193.
Hirt, E. R., McCrea, S. M., & Kimble, C. R. (2000). Public self-focus and sex differences in behavioral self-handicapping: Does increasing self-threat still make it 'just a man's game?' Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 1131-1141.
Liberman, N., Trope, Y., McCrea, S. M., & Sherman, S. J. (2007). The effect of level of construal on the temporal distance of activity engagement. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 143-149.
McCrea, S. M. (2008). Self-handicapping, excuse-making, and counterfactual thinking: Consequences for self-esteem and future motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 274-292.
McCrea, S. M. (2007). Group and self-serving biases in counterfactual thought. European Journal of Social Psychology, 37, 1256-1271.
McCrea, S. M., & Hirt, E. R. (2011). Limitations on the substitutability of self-protective processes: Self-handicapping is not reduced by related-domain self-affirmations. Social Psychology, 42, ##-##.
McCrea, S. M., & Hirt, E. R. (2009). Match madness: Probability matching in prediction of the NCAA basketball tournament. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39, 2809-2839.
McCrea, S. M., & Hirt, E. R. (2001). The role of ability judgments in self-handicapping. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 1378-1389.
McCrea, S. M., Hirt, E. R., Hendrix, K. L., Milner, B.J., & Steele, N. L. (2008). The Worker scale: Developing a measure to explain gender differences in behavioral self-handicapping. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 949-970.
McCrea, S. M., Hirt, E. R., & Milner, B. J. (2008). She works hard for the money: Valuing effort underlies gender differences in behavioral self-handicapping. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 292-311.
McCrea, S. M., Liberman, N., Trope, Y., & Sherman, S. J. (2008). Construal level and procrastination. Psychological Science, 19, 1308-1314.
Nuñez, N., McCrea, S. M., & Culhane, S. E. (in press). Jury decision making research: Are researchers focusing on the mouse and not the elephant in the room? Behavioral Sciences and Law.

Other Publications:

Gollwitzer, P. M., Wieber, F., Myers, A. L., & McCrea, S. M. (2010). How to maximize implementation intention effects. In C. R. Agnew, D. E. Carlston, W. G. Graziano, J. R. Kelly (Eds.), Then a miracle occurs: Focusing on behavior in social psychological theory and research. (pp. 137-161). New York: Oxford Press.
Hirt, E. R., & McCrea, S. M. (2002). Positioning self-handicapping within the self-zoo: Just what kind of animal are we dealing with here? In J. P. Forgas & K. D. Williams (Eds.). The Social Self: Cognitive, Interpersonal, and Intergroup Perspectives. (pp. 97-126). New York: Psychology Press.
McCrea, S. M., Myers, A. L., & Hirt, E. R. (2009). Self-handicapping as an anticipatory self-protection strategy. In E. Lamont (Ed.). Social Psychology: New Research. (pp. 31-53). Hauppuage, NY: Nova Science.

Courses Taught:

Advanced Social Psychology
Introduction to Social Psychology
Motivation
Psychology of the Self
Research Methods in Psychology
Self-Regulation
Social Judgment

Advanced Social Psychology
Introduction to Social Psychology
Motivation
Psychology of the Self

Research Methods in Psychology
Self-Regulation
Social Judgment

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Sean McCrea
Department of Psychology
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, WY 82071
United States

Phone: (307) 766-6149
Fax: (307) 766-2926