Jennifer S. Davis, B.A.
jsdavis@nmsu.edu
Phone: 850-322-7177
Fax: 505-646-6212
New Mexico State University
Department of Psychology
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003
Curriculum Vitae
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Area of study: Social Psychology
Emphasis: Evolutionary Psychology, Emotions, Signaling
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Education:
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B.A., Psychology, 2004, Florida State University
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M.A., Social Psychology, Expected 2008, New Mexico State University
Advisor: Dr. Timothy Ketelaar
Research Lab: Emotion & Social Decision-Making Lab
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Research Interests:
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Emotional Signaling. Emotional displays may be one way to communicate social information to others,
especially those with whom we share a genetic fate. I am currently investigating the role of facial displays
of emotion such as disgust and fear as kin-directed signals. I suspect these displays preferentially communicate
fitness-enhancing information about threat or contamination to genetic kin over non-kin. I have also been involved
in a project investigating facial displays of emotion as signals of social status in a content analysis
of advertisements (see poster ).
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Behavioral Signaling. Additionally, I am investigating public displays of affection (PDA) in romantic dyads as signals
to third-parties. PDA's may communicate strategic information such as social status, mate value, or mate-guarding intentions to
signal "eavesdroppers," and thus may vary as a result of the signaler's motivation and the presence of an audience.
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Emotions as Adaptations.
I believe emotions evolved to guide behavior in functional ways. They may alert people to the potential beneficial or
detrimental consequences of their decisions and behavior. In addition, I am interested in the level of processing at
which emotions operate, particularly how they bias cognition and ultimately influence decision-making.
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Additional Interests. Human evolution, comparative psychology, emotional utility, game theory.
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Selected Publications and Presentations:
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Davis, J.S., Ketelaar, T., and Jonason, P. (2007).
Differences in facial emotions in folk vs. elite
advertisements. Poster presented at the Evolutionary Psychology pre-conference at the 2007
Annual Conference of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Memphis, Tennessee.
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Teaching Experience:
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- Introduction to Psychology - TA, Spring 2007
- Emotions and Cognition - TA, Spring 2007
- Introduction to Psychology - TA, Fall 2006
- Evolutionary Psychology - TA, Fall 2006
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