People

Sophie Wohltjen

Principal Investigator

Sophie is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She completed her post-doctoral research in the Psychology department at UW-Madison working with Paula Niedenthal. She received her Ph.D. from the Psychological and Brain Sciences department at Dartmouth College, where she worked with Thalia Wheatley. Her unaccredited skills include sewing, singing, and undoing knots in necklaces.

Daniel Adams

Ph.D. Student

Daniel is a first-year PhD student in the Experimental Psychology Program with a concentration in social psychology. He graduated from Randolph College in 2026 with a B.A. in Psychology. His research interests include understanding the mechanisms that facilitate and characterize positive social interactions. He is also interested in how differing social identities shape social interactions and how these differences can be overcome. Outside of the lab, Daniel enjoys photography, browsing library shelves, spending time with friends, and playing with his excessively clingy cats.

Reese Chadwick

Ph.D. Student

Reese is a first-year Experimental Psychology PhD student with a focus in Social Psychology. Her research examines how people integrate facial cues in social cognition and decision-making. She is particularly interested in the ways that facially communicated signals like gaze and emotion shape interpersonal judgments. To study these questions, she uses eye tracking and behavioral measures across stimulus modalities (static vs. dynamic images) and social contexts (dyadic vs. group interactions). Reese's research is situated within her broader interest in how the social and cognitive mechanisms underlying interpersonal judgment shift across the lifespan, and how those changes influence social outcomes like connectedness, wellbeing, relationship quality, and decision-making.

Riley Brenczewski

Undergraduate Student · Senior

Riley is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She is interested in focusing on Social Psychology, particularly how intrinsic character traits and actions influence the ways in which individuals perceive, interact with, and treat one another within their social environments. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her cat.

Ella Edge

Undergraduate Student · Junior

Ella is a junior majoring in Psychology on the Pre-Medicine track. She loves to learn about social and evolutionary psychology. She's especially interested in how people synchronize with one another in social settings, and how our social lives impact our mental and physical health. Ella also enjoys reading, painting, traveling, and hiking with friends.

Eliana Eller

Undergraduate Student · Senior

Eliana is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She is deeply interested in forensic psychology, specifically focusing on how nonverbal communication, facial expressions, and emotional data can inform behavioral assessment and clinical interventions. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, weightlifting, and hanging out with her friends.

Jaden Musgrave

Post-baccalaureate Research Assistant

Jaden graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2026 with a B.A. in Psychology. His research interests involve understanding the mechanisms underlying implicit biases, intergroup relations, and prejudice. As a whole, he is interested in how people come to evaluate objects in their environment without their awareness or intent. Outside of the lab, Jaden enjoys rock climbing, outdoor recreation, and discussing art in all its creative forms.

Katie Stinson

Undergraduate Student · Junior

Katie is a Junior majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in pre-health professions. She is primarily interested in how mental health and neurodiversity affect people’s behavior. In the future she would like to pursue a career in research focused on studying the treatment of mental health disorders. Outside of school Katie enjoys drawing, playing video games, and line dancing at the Cotton Eyed Joe.

Max

Max is an eight year old golden retriever. She was born in rural New Hampshire, but these days you can find her on the porch or by the door to the porch, where she likes to sit and ask to go on the porch. Her research interests include the social dynamics of why the cats are getting pets and she isn't.

Slink

Abraham Slinkoln is a one year old cat, though her mother more often calls her a chicken for no real reason. Her research interests lie in understanding the relationship between pushing objects off of tables and human anger displays.

Tubbs

Harriet Tubbman is Slink's sister and bonded best friend. She enjoys sneaking off to the kitchen at midnight to eat kibble in the dark. Her research interests are water and why it tastes so much better when it's in a toilet or bathtub.