Basic and Applied Cognitive and Social Psychology “ME” Lab

Carrie DiMatteo, PhD

Dr. DiMatteo’s “ME” lab conducts research rooted in a basic question in social cognition: Why do we think about ourselves when we interact with others?

The ME lab focuses on self-focused attention, which means paying attention to yourself (your thoughts, feelings, and how you are coming across) during social situations. We look at how this inward focus relates to self-consciousness, self-esteem, and social anxiety. We also study how relational threats and bolsters to the self, intending to make people feel good or bad about the self, might interact with people’s focus of attention on the self.

One way we study self-focus is by examining the words people use, specifically in people’s use of self-focused pronouns (e.g., I, me, my). In the context of social media, using simple technology, we can observe how people navigate social networking sites, what they choose to post, and how they respond to others. This helps us understand how people think about themselves while interacting online.

By measuring how people present, monitor, and think about themselves during everyday interactions, the ME Lab hopes to better understand the role of self-focus in social interactions and mental health. Sometimes, and for some people, focusing on yourself can promote good self-esteem and healthy relationships. At other times, and for some others, too much self-focus can make it harder to feel good and connect well with others.