Members

Principal Investigator

David Rast, III, Director

David is an assistant professor of social psychology and leadership at the University of Alberta. David has two primary lines of research drawing extensively on social identity and self-categorization theories, as well as related subtheories. First, he is interested in understanding how leaders elicit or incite social and organizational change by going against their group’s norms. Second, he is interested in understanding how leaders can bridge profound intergroup divisions to build a unified no identity and achieve a joint goal. Other lines of research are related to these two themes, exploring the processes and implications of political identity, minority influence, deviance, intergroup cooperation/conflict, leader rhetoric, and organizational behavior. David’s work is generously supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

David completed his PhD and Master’s at Claremont Graduate University (USA) during which time he was a Predoctoral Research Fellow for the U.S. Army Research Institute’s Leader Development Research Unit at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas (USA). Prior to joining the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta in 2015, he was an assistant professor at the University of Sheffield’s Institute of Work Psychology (UK). David currently serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Consulting Editor for Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, and is appointed to the Editorial Boards of Self and Identity and the Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology. In 2018, David was elected as a Fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology.

Download CV (pdf)

Lab Manager

Dhanika Purmanan is a fourth-year Honors Psychology student. She is interested in the domain of social psychology, specifically group dynamics and autocratic leadership. After completing her degree, she plans to pursue medical school.

Graduate Students

Angela Ma is in the fourth year of her PhD program at the University of Alberta. She is interested in the ability of leaders to promote social identity change in their group. Her current research focuses on the impact of leader rhetoric on what followers perceive as normal within their groups. Angela completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, and she is continuing in the graduate program after successfully defending her Master’s thesis, Divide and Conquer: Effects of Highlighting Sub-Group Divisions on Leader Support from the Majority.

• Ma, A. C., Rast, D. E. III, & Wohl, M. J. A. (2025, February). When leaders apologize: The influence of leader prototypicality on public support for Tim Cook in the wake of the Apple Batterygate scandal. Poster accepted for presentation at the 26th annual conference for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Denver, CO, USA.
  Ma, A. C. & Wohl, M. J. A. (2024, February). An apology for all of us: Effects of prototypicality in perpetrator group’s support for a leader following intergroup apology. Poster accepted for presentation at the 25th annual conference for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Diego, CA, USA.
  Kincaid, K. M., Ma, A. C., Rast III, D. E., & Hogg, M. A. (2024).That’s my autocrat: Self-uncertainty elevates support for autocratic leadership during Canada’s Freedom Convoy. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12414
• Ma, A. C., Rast, D., Gaffney, A. M. (2023, February). Setting the standard: Leaders changing perceived norms within groups. Poster accepted for presentation at the 2023 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Group Processes and Intergroup Relations (GPIR) pre-conference, Altanta, GA, USA.
• Ma, A. C., Rast, D. E. III., & Gaffney, A. M. (2022, June) Setting the standard: Leaders changing perceived norms within groups [data blitz presentation]. 2022 Canadian Psychological Association Social & Personality preconference, Calgary, AB, Canada.
• Ma, A. C., Rast, D. E. III., & Gaffney, A. M. (2022, February). “Our” values: Effects of leader rhetoric on perceptions of multiculturalism. Poster accepted for the 23rd annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP).

Kathryn Kincaid is a PhD student in Social Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her research interests center on marginal, unexpected, and non-prototypical leadership. She is particularly interested in the effects of social identity complexity and uncertainty on support for autocratic leaders. She previously earned her Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Alberta and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Education, and Spanish from Butler University (Indianapolis, United States).

• Anjewierden, B., Kincaid, K., Gaffney, A. M., & Rast, D. E. III (forthcoming). Uncertainty and social identity. In K. Vail, D. Van Tongeren, B. Schlegel, J. Greenberg, L. King, & R. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of the Science of Existential Psychology.
  Kincaid, K. M., Ma, A. C., Rast III, D. E., & Hogg, M. A. (2024). That’s my autocrat: Self-uncertainty elevates support for autocratic leadership during Canada’s
• Freedom Convoy. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12414
• Ouyang, Y., Kincaid, K. M., Rast, D. E. III, Gaffney, A. M., & Hogg, M. A. (2024). Incumbency and uncertainty: When prototypical leaders lose their advantage. Journal of Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2024.2325420.
• Kincaid, K. & Rast, D. E. III (2023). Social identity theory. In G. R. Goethals, S. T. Allison, & G. J. Sorenson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Leadership Studies (2nd ed.) SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071840801
• Kincaid, K. & Rast, D. E. III (2019). Hogg, Michael A. In V. Zeigler-Hill & T. K Shackelford (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1756-1

Yunzhu Ouyang is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on unconventional leadership (e.g., non-prototypical leaders, female leaders, etc.), group processes, and social change. Specifically, her research delves into the ways leaders can garner support and drive group changes through managing their rhetoric, particularly during times of uncertainty. Yunzhu received her Master’s degree in General Psychology at Arizona State University (USA).

• Ouyang, Y., Rast, D. E. III, & Gaffney, A. M. (2023, February). Need for a distinct identity: Effects of social identity rhetoric, group entitativity, and group identification on leader effectiveness [Poster presentation]. Twenty-fourth annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, GA, United States.
• Ouyang, Y., Rast, D. E. III, Gaffney, A. M., & Razvan H. (2022, February). Leadership preferences during uncertain times: The use of social identity rhetoric in international relations [Poster presentation]. Twenty-third annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Francisco, CA, United States.
• Ouyang, Y., Rast, D. E. III, Hackett, J. D., & Hohman, Z. P. (2020). The American south: Explorations on southern attachments and personal values. Journal of Social Psychology. doi: 10.1080/00224545.2019.1629866

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Dilnaz Mansurova is a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Arts, majoring in Psychology. She is deeply curious about intragroup trust, particularly towards the leader, and the relationship between uncertainty, group identity, and autocratic leadership. Once she completes her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification.

Ella Neuman is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in political science. She is interested in political psychology, counselling psychology, and forensic psychology. After completing her BA, Ella plans on pursuing graduate studies in either counselling psychology or forensic psychology.

Kriza Begnaen is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in both psychology and sociology. He is interested in social psychology, especially when it comes to looking at demographic minorities. Kriza plans to pursue a masters degree in counselling psychology after he completes his undergraduate degree.

Mohammed Ali is a fifth-year undergraduate psychology specialization student in the faculty of science. He is interested in developing his research skills and the links between psychology and leadership and is hoping to pursue a master’s degree in psychology and enter the field of clinical psychology. 

Morgan Benterud is a fourth-year honors undergraduate student majoring in psychology. She is interested in social psychology and interpersonal relationships. After completion of her undergraduate degree, she plans to pursue a masters and possibly PhD in clinical psychology.

Mya Gaudet is a third-year Psychology student with a keen interest in social psychology, particularly exploring relationships and group interactions. Mya plans to pursue a master’s and a PhD in clinical psychology, with the goal of working with diverse communities in the future.

Olivia Staub is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology. She is interested in social psychology, specifically topics connected to social influence, group dynamics, and self-identity. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Olivia plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical or counselling psychology. 

Omar Wazed is a first year Masters of Economics student. He has a passion for exploring the intricate workings of the human mind and behavior. Omar plans to further his studies with a Master of Science in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, aspiring to become a Clinical Psychologist, Psychological Researcher, or an Urban Planner.

Yami Patel is a fourth year psychology major with a sociology minor, in the Bachelor of Arts. She is interested in social psychology, with a focus on how marginalized and underrepresented groups can emerge to be unconventional leaders and what that would change for society. In the future she plans on attending graduate school for counselling, clinical or forensic psychology.

Akila Edirisinghe is a fourth year psychology and computing science student. He is interested in social psychology particularly topics like intergroup group dynamics, cohesion and development. He is planning to attend graduate school to possibly pursue a masters in social psychology.

Harshita Gonella is a recent B.Sc. Psychology graduate from the University of Alberta, with a minor in Biology and a Research Certificate in Science. She is particularly interested in social psychology, identity theory, cultural psychology, and developmental psychology, and how these domains inform our understanding of the mental health of marginalized and vulnerable populations. Harshita plans to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.

Isabelle Bourque is a fifth-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in biological sciences. She is interested in social psychology, leadership dynamics, and health communication. In the future, Isabelle intends to pursue a career in healthcare.

Ishita Parikh is in her last year of completing her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, with a minor in Biological Sciences. Her interests include modification of human and animal behaviour, as well as exploring how social persuasion leads to conformity. After completing her degree, she plans to pursue graduate studies in psychology and enter the field of research and teaching.

Affiliate Lab Members

We actively collaborate with a number of scholars and researchers at other universities around the world. This is a brief list of people with whom we have active and on-going research collaborations.

Richard J. Crisp is a professor of psychology and Head of the Department at Durham University (UK). Rich has published widely on diversity, multiculturalism, prejudice, stereotyping, social cognition and intergroup contact.

Amber M. Gaffney is an assistant professor of psychology at Humbodlt State University (USA). Her research focuses on minority influence, group polarization, leadership, and attitude change from a social identity and self-categorization perspective.

Steffen Giessner is a professor of organizational behavior and change at the Rotterdam School of Management (Netherlands). His primary research topics are employee support during organizational merger, follower’s perceptions of leadership, antecedents of leader behavior, and non-verbal communication of power.

Justin D. Hackett is an associate professor of psychology at California University of Pennsylvania (USA). His research interests include political psychology, social change, social influence, social engagement and sense of community.

Michael A. Hogg is a professor of social psychology at Claremont Graduate University (USA). Mike’s research focuses on group processes, intergroup relations and the self-concept. His is closely associated with social identity theory, and he is considered the leading world expert on the social identity and self-categorization theories.

Georgina Randsley de Moura is a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent (UK). Her research is principally in the areas of leadership, innovation and what happens when group members break rules or norms. Her research focuses intra-and intergroup dynamics and social psychology in organizations.

Daan van Knippenberg is the Joseph F. Rocereto Professor of Management at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business (USA). Daan’s work closely associated with the organizational application of social identity theory. He has published extensively on topics such as leadership, diversity, team cognition, and creativity.