Merced Experimental Social and Health (MESH) Psychology Laboratory

We aim to understand health decision making and behavior through a social psychological lens. Most of our work occurs at the intersection of health decision making and behavior (e.g., screening, sunscreen use) and the self (e.g., self-perception), and typically focuses on understanding how people prepare for and respond to bad news.

 

People in the MESH lab

Principal Investigator: Jennifer L. Howell, PhD

Dr. Jennifer Howell is an assistant professor of health psychology at the University of California, Merced. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, and her MS and PhD with a focus in Social Psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

Her research focuses on the intersection of social psychology and health. She is particularly interested in how processes surrounding the self (e.g., defensiveness, social comparison) influence health decision-making and behavior.

More about Dr. Howell and her vita are available here.

Trainees

Jacky Hua

www.jacquelinehua.com

Jacky Hua received her B.A. in psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Currently, she is a PhD candidate working with Dr. Jennifer Howell in the Merced Experimental Social and Health (MESH) Psychology Lab. Her first line of research focuses on psychosocial factors that influence health decision-making, such as the decision to avoid learning one's disease risk. In her second line of research, Jacky examines health communication and how factors such as goal-setting within a communication context can benefit physician-patient interactions. When she is not conducting research, Jacky enjoys running, playing the guitar, and cooking.

Email Jacky
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Angela Johnson

Angela Johnson started the PhD program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2018. She earned her B.A. in psychology and M.A. in psychological research at Texas State University - San Marcos. Her research interests focus on promoting healthy behavior change, specifically looking at the social and environmental factors involved in food decision making and exercise behavior.

Email Angela

Bianca Hinojosa

Bianca Hinojosa started the Ph.D. program in Health Psychology at the University of California, Merced in 2019. She earned her B.A. in psychology at George Fox University and M.A. in experimental psychology at California State University, Fresno. Her research interests focus on social psychology and health, specifically looking at reactions to implicit bias.

Email Bianca

William Meese

Will started the PhD program in Health Psychology at University of California, Merced in 2020. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from Reed College in 2013 where he conducted independent research on stereotype threat. Will worked with an interdisciplinary team studying mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol dependence. As a mental health practitioner at UCLA Health Semel Institute, Will worked with patients struggling with anorexia nervosa. Will is interested in understanding health disparities by conducting research that asks how psychological threats to the self influence self-regulation of health behavior.

Email Will

Undergraduate Students

Dr. Howell's MESH Lab, Fall 2020

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From top to bottom & left to right:
Row 1: Angela Johnson (PhD Student), Dr. Jennifer Howell (PI), Jacky Hua (PhD Student), Bianca Hinojosa (PhD Student)
Row 2: Evelyn Rodarte, Allan Contreras, Cassie Lopes, Sheemrun Ranjan
Row 3: Kelly Le, Téa Pussey, Shreya Desai, William Meese (PhD student), Michael Vang
Row 4: Michael Vang, Giovani Alvarado, Kendra Kiser, Jose Olivo
Row 5: Mirna Cardenas Diaz, Angelica Castillo, Hannah Dillon, Emely Cruz 
​Not Pictured: Grace Segura
 

Join the MESH lab

Graduate Students


I am NOT currently accepting graduate students (to begin in the 2020-2021 or the 2021-2022 school years).

Details for those wishing to start Fall 2022: Applicants interested in joining the lab should submit their materials to the UCM graduate program http://graduatedivision.ucmerced.edu/prospective-students/how-apply.
Visit: http://psychology.ucmerced.edu/graduate-program for more information on applying.
I encourage interested applicants to email me (howell@ucmerced.edu) with questions.

Undergraduate Students


I recruit new students to work in my lab each semester. Research assistants are responsible for running participants in studies, helping with the development of study materials, piloting study materials, and entering and proofing data. As students advance, there can also be opportunities for lab management positions and individual or small-group research.

Undergraduates interested in working in my lab should send me (howell@ucmerced.edu) and Angela Johnson (ajohnson98@ucmerced.edu) an email with their application form (link below) attached. The earlier the better!

I have four criteria in selecting undergraduate research assistants:

1. I require a two-semester commitment (Fall and Spring, or Spring and Fall; We may want volunteers over the summer, but it does not count toward the two semester commitment).
2. Must be outgoing and extraverted.
3. Must be willing to work in the lab up to 8 hours per week (actual hours will vary throughout the semester) and attend a 1-hour weekly lab meeting (The lab meeting is at 10am on Fridays).
4. Must have completed introductory psychology with a B or better


Please note that we make decisions at the end of each semester for the next semester. So, if you apply early in the semester, it may be a little while before we make our decisions. To check on the status of your application, you can email Bianca Hinojosa (bhinojosa3@ucmerced.edu)