Megan L. Strain
Advisor: Dr. Donald Saucier
Description of Research
My primary research interest focuses on the effects of humor in social situations. More specifically, I am interested in the effects of disparagement (e.g., sexist, anti-gay, ethnic) humor on individuals’ acceptance of discrimination toward the group targeted by the humor. I am also interested in other broad areas of social psychology, such as system justification, and the justification suppression model of prejudice.
Representative Publications
Strain, M. L., Hockett, J. M., & Saucier, D. A. (Submitted October 2012). Precursors to rape: Pressuring behaviors and rape proclivity. Violence Against Women.
Strain, M. L., Hockett, J. M., & Saucier, D. A. (Submitted March 2012). The serious side of rape humor: College students’ responses to jokes, metaphors, and scenarios involving rape. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research.
Strain, M. L., Sonnentag, T. L., & Saucier, D. A. (Submitted, March 2012). Relief and redemption: Undergraduates’ responses to the death of Osama bin Laden. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy.
Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (In progress). The effects of exposure to anti-gay humor on individuals’ tolerance of sexual prejudice. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research.
Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (In progress). Sexist humor in Facebook profiles: Like or dislike? Humor: International Journal of Humor Research.
Saucier, D. A., Veenendaal, A. L., Smith, S. J. & Strain, M. L. (In progress). Effects and perceptions of repeated exposure to ethnic humor in an academic setting. HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research.
Representative Presentations
Hockett, J. M., Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2012). Rape myths, rape scripts, and actual rape scenarios: Differences in how rape victims are perceived. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Klein, M., Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2012). “That’s terrible!”: Sexist humor in social situations. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Sonnentag, T. L., Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2012). Relief and redemption: Undergraduates’ responses to the death of Osama bin Laden. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2012). Sexist humor in Facebook profiles: Like or dislike? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2011). Effects of exposure to anti-gay humor on individuals’ tolerance of discrimination. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2011). Effects of exposure to anti-gay humor on individuals’ tolerance of discrimination. Poster presented by invitation at the Humor Preconference at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Strain, M. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2010). Social vigilantism and assertion of religious beliefs: Predicting belief defense and dissemination. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Strain, M. L. (2006). Why we judge: The relationship between openness, religiosity, and religious judgmentalism. Poster presented at the spring meeting of the Nebraska Psychological Association.
Teaching Experience
Classes Taught:
- Psychology of Humor, Spring 2012
- Psychology of Women, Fall 2011
- Health Psychology, Summer 2011
- General Psychology, Spring 2010-Spring 2011
- Introduction to Women’s Studies, Fall 2009-Spring 2010
Teaching Assistant (TA) assignments:
- Advanced Psychological Research Methods, Spring 2012
- Psychology of Language, Spring 2012
- Advanced Social Psychology, Fall 2011
- Multicultural Psychology, Spring 2011
Education
B.S. - Psychology - Nebraska Wesleyan University, 2006
M.S. - Psychology - Kansas State University, 2010
E-mail me : mstrain@ksu.edu