My research is focused on three questions: To what ends do individuals strive in the world? How do people's goals structure their understanding of that world? What beliefs, values, and strategies characterize successful goal-striving?

I am particularly interested in the mechanisms of successful self-regulation -- in what contexts, with what strategies (and in pursuit of what kinds of goals) do people feel committed, expend effort, engage in active coping, experience enjoyment and interest, and persist, particularly in the face of challenge or difficulty?

Primary Interests:

Emotion, Mood, Affect
Judgment and Decision Making
Motivation, Goal Setting
Person Perception
Social Cognition

Emotion, Mood, Affect
Judgment and Decision Making
Motivation, Goal Setting

Person Perception
Social Cognition

Books:

Moskowitz, G. B., & Grant, H. (Eds.). (2009). The psychology of goals. New York: Guilford Press.

Journal Articles:

Cesario, J., Grant, H., & Higgins, E. T. (2004). Regulatory fit and persuasion: Transfer from "feeling right." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(3), 338-404.
Foerster, J., Grant, H., Idson, L. C., & Higgins, E. T. (2001). Success/failure feedback, expectancies, and approach/avoidance motivation: How regulatory focus moderates classic relations. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37(3), 253-260.
Grant, H., & Dweck, C. S. (2003). Clarifying achievement goals and their impact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 541-553.
Grant, H., & Higgins, E. T. (2003). Optimism, promotion pride, and prevention pride as predictors of well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(12), 1521-1532.
Spiegel, S., Grant, H., & Higgins, E. T. (2004). How regulatory fit enhances motivational strength during goal pursuit. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34(1), 39-54.

Other Publications:

Grant, H., & Dweck, C. S. (1999). Content vs. structure in motivation and self-regulation. In R. Wyer (Ed.), Advances in Social Cognition, Volume 12. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Courses Taught:

Goals and Self-Regulation
Motivation
Social Psychology
Statistical Analysis of Psychological Data
Theories in Social Psychology

Goals and Self-Regulation
Motivation
Social Psychology

Statistical Analysis of Psychological Data
Theories in Social Psychology

Heidi Grant Halvorson
Department of Psychology
Lehigh University
17 Memorial Drive East
Bethlehem, PA 18015-3068
United States

Phone: (610) 758-5638
Fax: (610) 758-6277