Dr. Jason Trent

Associate Professor of Psychology

Bio

Dr. Trent received his PhD in Social & Personality Psychology and runs the Social Psych and Technology (SPaT) Lab at Marist University. His most recent research interests include how different aspects of modern society (e.g., smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, consumerism, etc.) influence human behavior and well-being. Dr. Trent has previously been involved in research relating to first impression judgments, meaning in life, positive affect, and how trusting your intuition can influence how you view your world. He particularly enjoys working with students on research projects they are passionate about.


Education

PhD, Philosophy in Social/Personality Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia,
Columbia, MO, 2013
MA, Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, 2010
BA, Business Studies, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, NJ, 2005


Research Interests / Areas of Focus

Dr. Trent runs the Social Psych and Technology (SPaT) Lab at Marist University. His most recent research interests include how different aspects of modern society (e.g., smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, consumerism, etc.) influence human behavior and well-being. Dr. Trent has previously been involved in research relating to first impression judgments, meaning in life, positive affect, and how trusting your intuition can influence how you view your world. 


Selected Publications

* = Student collaboration 

Trent, J. & Ferguson, Y. (2021). How Ethnicity, Expression, and Study Design Influence First Impressions of Approachability. Psychological Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120909458 

Merenda, F., Trent, J., Rinke, C., & Buchanan, M. (2020). Understanding Citizen Satisfaction with the Police: Results from a Community Survey. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2020.1772784  

Sheldon, K. M., Corcoran, M., & Trent, J. (2020). The Face of Crime: Apparent Happiness Differentiates Criminal and Non-Criminal Photos. The Journal of Positive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1805500 

Merenda, F., Trent, J., & Rinke, C. (2020). Untangling the Role of Interactions in Police Satisfaction: Examining Direct and Indirect Contacts with the Police. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X20960790 

Heintzelman, S. J., Trent, J., & King, L. A. (2016). How would the self be remembered? Evidence for posthumous self-verification. Journal of Research in Personality, 61, 1-10. 

Heintzelman, S.J., Trent, J., & King, L.A. (2014). Revisiting Desirable Response Bias in Well-being Reports. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10, 167-178. 

Heintzelman, S.J., Trent, J., & King, L.A. (2013). Encounters with Objective Coherence and the Experience of Meaning in Life. Psychological Science, 24(6), 991-998.    

Trent, J., Lavelock, C.*, & King, L. A. (2013). Processing fluency, positive affect, and judgments of meaning in life. TheJournal of Positive Psychology, 8(2), 135-139. 

Trent, J. & King, L. A. (2013). Faith in Intuition moderates the relationship between positive affect and gender stereotyping. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 865-868. 


Selected Presentations

Trent, J., Levering, K., & Ferguson, Y. (2023, February). How Vaccine Status and Face Masks Influence Approachability Perceptions. Poster presented at the 24th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, GA.

Behuniak, A.* & Trent, J. (2023, February). The Effects of Mask Wearing and Participant Sex on Perceived Threat. Poster presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA. 

Milito, S.* & Trent, J. (2023, February). Mobilizing Individuals in a Digital World: Do Instagram Posts Influence Civic Engagement?. Poster presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA. 

Behuniak, A.*, Romano, R.*, & Trent, J. (2022, October). The Effects of Facial Expression and Participant Age on Perceived Honesty. Poster presented at the 62nd New England Psychological Association Meeting, Worcester, MA. 

Gibbons, P.* & Trent, J. (2022, March). The Relationship between Personality Traits and Appropriateness Ratings of Social Media Posts. Poster presented at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY. 

Trent, J., Levering, K., & Ferguson, Y. (2022, February). The Influence of Face Masks and Political Leaning on Perceptions of Approachability. Poster presented at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Francisco, CA. 

Barrett, M.* & Trent, J. (2021, November). The Impact of Tribalism on Morality and Political Views. Poster presented at the 62nd New England Psychological Association Meeting. [Virtual due to coronavirus.] 

Martillotti, R.* & Trent, J. (2021, March). Explicit and Implicit Biases: Analyzing Approachability in Black, East Asian, and White Men. Poster presented at the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association. [Virtual due to coronavirus.] 

Trent, J., Levering, K., & Ferguson, Y. (2021, February). How Gender and Study Design Impact First Impressions of Intelligence. Poster presented at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. [Virtual due to coronavirus.] 

Image of Doctor Jason Trent.

Contact Information

Academic School

School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Office

Dyson 3056

Email

jason.trent@Marist.edu

Phone

(845) 575-3000 ext. 2188