Benjamin Giguère
I am an associate professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph. Broadly speaking, I conduct research that aims to further our understanding of the role of socio-cultural influences on human motivation and behavior, particularly in the contexts of health-related behaviors, immigration and biculturalism, as well as intergroup relations.
For the most part, my research examines: (a) some of the social cognitive processes through which individuals derive identities and norms from socio-cultural groups, (b) the impact of group membership on human motivation, particularly with regards to the acquisition and maintenance of functional and dysfunctional behaviors, and (c) approaches to change group processes that foster social dysfunction. These interests have led to projects illustrating the powerful influence of socio-cultural groups on a range of behaviors (e.g., binge drinking, addictive-impulsive behaviours, physical activity, procrastination, political demonstration) and on mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress).
Selected Publications
Vaswani*, M., Safdar, S., Newby-Clark, I. R. & Giguère, B. (in press). Canadian Identity Attenuates the Negative Impact of Familial Rejection on Psychological Distress. International Journal of Intercultural Relations
Vaswani*, M., Alviar*, L., & Giguère, B. (2020). Can cultural identity clarity protect the well-being of Latino/a Canadians from the negative impact of race-based rejection sensitivity? Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26, 347-355. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000302
Giguère, B., Beggs*, R. T., & Sirois, F. M. (2019). Social cognitive approaches to health. In K O’Doherty & D. Hodgetts (Eds), The SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Psychology. London, UK: Sage.
Cassidy, S., Dimova, R., Giguère, B., Spence, J. R., & Stanley, D. J. (2019). Failing Grade: 89% of Introduction to Psychology Textbooks That Define Statistical Significance Do So Incorrectly. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 2, 233-239.
Shifrin*, A. & Giguère, B. (2018). Using group identity and norms to explain prosocial behavior in anonymous online environments. Journal of Interpersonal Relations, Intergroup Relations and Identity, 11, 90-104.
Sirois, F. M. & Giguère, B. (2018). Giving in when feeling less good: The role of affect for procrastination in the face of social temptations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57, 404-427.
Giguère, B., Sirois, F. M., & Vaswani*, M. (2016). Delaying things and feeling bad about it? A norm based approach to understanding procrastination. In T. A. Pychyl & F. M. Sirois (Eds.), Perspectives on Procrastination, Health, and Well-Being. Toronto, Canada: Elsevier.
Giguère, B., Lalonde, R. N., & Taylor, D. M. (2014). Drinking too much and feeling bad about it? How group identification moderates experiences of guilt and shame following norm transgression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40, 617-632, doi: 10.1177/0146167214521836.
Lalonde, R. N., Cila, J., Lou, E., & Giguère, B. (2013). Delineating Groups for Cultural Comparisons in a Multicultural Setting: Not all Westerners Should be Put into the Same Melting Pot. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 45, 296-304.
Giguère, B., Lalonde, R. N., & Jonsson, K. (2012). The influence of traditions on motivated collective actions: A focus on Native land reclamation. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 44, 182-191.
Lou, E., Lalonde, R. N., & Giguère, B. (2012). Making the decision to move out: Bicultural young adults and the negotiation of cultural demands and family relationships. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43, 663–670.
Wohl, M. J. A., Giguère, B., Branscombe, N. R., & McVicar, D. N. (2011). One day we might be no more: Collective angst and protective action from potential distinctiveness loss. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 289-300.
Giguère, B. & Lalonde, R. N. (2010). Why do student strike? Direct and indirect determinants of participation in collective actions. Political Psychology, 31, 227-247.
Giguère, B., Lalonde, R. N., & Lou, E. (2010). Living at the crossroads of cultural worlds: The experience of normative conflicts by second generation youths. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 14-29.
Giguère, B. & Lalonde, R. N. (2009). The effects of social identification on individual effort under identity threat and regulatory depletion. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 12, 195-208.
* denotes supervised students