Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Brandon J. Schmeichel

Brandon J. Schmeichel

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  • SPN Mentor

Brandon Schmeichel (rhymes with "cycle") has broad interests in personality and social psychology, with a particular interest in self-control. Many of his experiments test a strength model that views self-control as a finite resource (akin to willpower) that is subject to short-term depletion. His research also examines motivation, emotion, self-esteem, and working memory.

Primary Interests:

  • Emotion, Mood, Affect
  • Motivation, Goal Setting
  • Self and Identity
  • Social Cognition

Research Group or Laboratory:

Journal Articles:

  • Gailliot, M. T., Baumeister, R. F., DeWall, C. N., Maner, J. K., Plant, E. A., Tice, D. M., Brewer, L. E., & Schmeichel, B. J. (2007). Self-control relies on glucose as a limited energy source: Willpower is more than a metaphor. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 325-336.
  • Gailliot, M. T., Schmeichel, B. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2006). Self-regulatory processes defend against the threat of death: Effects of self-control depletion and trait self-control on thoughts and fears of dying. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 49-62.
  • Harmon-Jones, C., Schmeichel, B. J., Mennit, E., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2011). The expression of determination: Similarities between anger and approach-related positive affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 172-181.
  • Schmeichel, B. J. (2007). Attention control, memory updating, and emotion regulation temporarily reduce the capacity for executive control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136, 241-255.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., & Demaree, H. A. (2010). Working memory capacity and spontaneous emotion regulation: High capacity predicts self-enhancement in response to negative feedback. Emotion, 10, 739-744.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., Gailliot, M. T., Filardo, E., McGregor, I., Gitter, S., & Baumeister, R. F. (2009). Terror management theory and self-esteem revisited: The roles of implicit and explicit self-esteem in mortality salience effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 1077-1087.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., Harmon-Jones, C., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2010). Exercising self-control increases approach motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 162-173.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., & Martens, A. (2005). Self-affirmation and mortality salience: Affirming values reduces worldview defense and death-thought accessibility. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 658-667.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., & Vohs, K. D. (2009). Self-affirmation and self-control: Affirming core values counteracts ego depletion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 770-782.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., Vohs, K. D., & Baumeister, R. F. (2003). Intellectual performance and ego depletion: Role of the self in logical reasoning and other information processing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 33-46.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., Volokhov, R., & Demaree, H. A. (2008). Working memory capacity and the self-regulation of emotional expression and experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 1526-1540.
  • Vohs, K. D., Baumeister, R. F., Schmeichel, B. J., Twenge, J. M., Tice, D. M., & Nelson, N. M. (2008). Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 883-898.
  • Vohs, K. D., & Schmeichel, B. J. (2003). Self-regulation and the extended now: Controlling the self alters the subjective experience of time. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 217-230.

Other Publications:

  • Baumeister, R. F., Schmeichel, B. J., & Vohs, K. D. (2007). Self-regulation and the executive function: The self as controlling agent. In A. W. Kruglanski & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Social Psychology: Handbook of Basic Principles (2nd ed., pp. 516-539). New York: Guilford Press.
  • Schmeichel, B. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2004). Self-regulatory strength. In R. F. Baumeister & K. D. Vohs (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 84-98). New York: Guilford Press.

Courses Taught:

  • Advanced Research in Social Psychology
  • Seminar in Social Psychology: Self-Control
  • Social Psychology

Brandon J. Schmeichel
Department of Psychology
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843-4235
United States of America

  • Phone: (979) 845-2097
  • Fax: (979) 845-4727

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