My Research

I research effective and accurate self-expression.

Here is some of my research on accurate personality expression:

Should you heed the advice to just be yourself in a job interview?

Mignault, M. C., Kerr, L. G., & Human, L. H. (2023). Just be yourself? Effects of an authenticity manipulation on expressive accuracy in first impressions. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 14(5), 562-571. doi: 10.1177/19485506221101000

Can you tell if your teammates are seeing your true self?

Mignault, M. C., Heyman, J. L., Biesanz, J. C., & Human, L. J. (2022). On Being and Feeling Transparent: Examining Expressive Accuracy Awareness in First Impressions of Personality and Links to Well-Being. Journal of Research in Personality, 96, 104185. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104185.

How do you need to be understood by others to feel understood?

Mignault, M. C.*, Tissera, H.*, Human, L. H., & Lydon, J. E. (in press). Being Understood and Feeling Understood: Examining the Role of Personality and Emotion Perceptions in Others’ Felt Understanding. Journal of Research in Personality.

Do you reveal your true self during Zoom meetings as much as in-person meetings?

Mignault, M. C., Tissera, H., & Human, L. H. (in preparation). Perceiving Others Through a Screen: Are First Impressions of Personality Accurate And Positive Via Videoconferencing?

How does status influence what you reveal about yourself when networking?

Mignault, M. C. & Human, L. H. (in preparation). The Privilege of Good Targets: How Childhood Socioeconomic Status Relates to Accurate and Positive Personality First Impressions in Adulthood.

As part of my postdoc, I am now exploring how various types of self-expression play out in organizational contexts:

Who expresses effective boundaries at work?
Who is perceived as creative on a team?
Why do narcissists rock job interviews?
Can accurate self-expression interventions bolster businesswomen’s identity as entrepreneurs and persistence in their ventures?