This research area includes two complementary research programs that investigate the individual in its relationships with others. The first program studies the elaboration and understanding of influence processes that target cognitive or behavioral change. This program is interested in processes of change involving others as a source of influence, with the rationale that individuals are constantly influenced (consciously or not) by factors, sometimes trivial, that drive them to adopt new beliefs and/or new behaviors.
The second program studies norm-regulated behaviors through the determinants of their perception, their production and their consequences. This program is interested in these behaviors directed towards others that are liable to have consequences, positive or negative, for this other person and for collective functioning.
Research Program 1: Social influence, change, and behavior
This research program studies the influence processes that impact – implicitly or explicitly – individual beliefs, and in turn, individual behaviors. Conversely, it also studies influence processes that impact behavior, leading to a change in preexisting beliefs. The broad notion of “beliefs” encompasses behavioral beliefs (attitudes), normative beliefs (descriptive and injunctive norms), and control beliefs (perceived locus of control, self-efficacy). This program investigates fields such as submission without pressure, persuasion, cognitive priming, nudges, predictive behavior modeling, and theoretical models of behavior change. The goal is both to imagine, test and experiment influence tools so as to better understand the psychological mechanisms they involve, with a fundamental research perspective; and to answer current societal problems (prevention, public health, environment…) with an applied research perspective.
Research Program 2: Norm, identity, deviance: judgement, belief, behavior
This research program studies normative regulations and transgressive behaviors (deviance), by examining processes that contribute to their perception, enactment, consequences and sanction. Our theoretical framework includes the construction of beliefs and social judgments, within- and between-groups relationships, descriptive and injunctive norms, the mechanisms of violence from the point of view of the offender and the victim, models of social acceptability and formal or informal social control. Our work calls upon a broad conception of norms, including explicit norms as formalized in laws and regulations (formal norms), and tacit or informal norms that emerge as social expectations in groups, communities or societies. Our research relies on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and investigates areas of societal interest such as issues of migration, prejudice, conflicts between groups, prevention of violence, and problems of mental health that stem from being a victim of violence.