Mike Corcoran, MAIOP, PhD

Affiliated Programs

• Psychology (BA)

Education

• PhD, Social Psychology (2020)
  University of Missouri (MO)
• MA, Industrial/Organizational Psychology (2015)
  West Chester University (PA)
• BA, Psychology
  Widener University (PA)

About Me

I am a proud first-generation college graduate and Widener grad. I earned my B.A. in Psychology from Widener, which is where my interest in psychology was spurred, and it has grown ever since. After graduating from Widener, I earned my M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from West Chester University.  I then went on to complete his PhD in Social and Personality Psychology under the advisement of Ken Sheldon at the University of Missouri (Mizzou).  My research interests and pedagogy reflect my varied background and experiences: diverse with applications in both theoretical and applied areas.

My pedagogy focuses on inclusiveness, engagement, and empowerment. My classroom is treated as an inclusive community space built through common goals of learning, applying, and becoming better each day.  It is a space where students are engaged through multiple methods, through personally relevant topics, through enthusiasm; and it is a space where students are empowered to become better learners, to find their love of psychology, and to channel their personal voice and experience.

I engage students in psychological theory and research by incorporating concepts and topics they find personally interesting. I foster and encourage students to take a critical eye to the information they are consuming and developing the skills to think and act "like a social scientist".  In this way, we always bring research findings, theory, and concepts into the real world: bridging coursework to their lives. This teaching and mentoring style facilitates students finding their personal path, whether that be an applied focus, a research focus, or something entirely different!

In my free time, I love working out, cooking and baking, engaging in artistic pursuits, watching movies, reading books, debating frivolous topics, spending time with family, and playing with my dog named Maple. La vita è bella.

Research Interests

• Well-being
• Goals, goals selection, and effective goal pursuit
• Antecedents and consequences of motivation
• Arrogance
• Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction
• Psychological Health and functioning
• Self-Determination Theory
• Research methodology 

Media Expertise

• Goals
• Motivation
• Well-being
• Happiness
• Social Psychology
• Personality
• Self-determination Theory
• Psychological needs
• Arrogance

Publications

• Sheldon, K.M., Goffredi, R., & Corcoran, M. (2021).  The glow still shows: Effects of facial masking on perceptions of Duchenne versus social smiles, Perception.
• Sheldon, K.M. & Corcoran, M., Sheldon, M. (2021). Duchenne smiles as honest signals of chronic positive mood, Perspectives on Psychological Science.
• Sheldon, K.M. & Corcoran, M., Titova, L. (2020).  Supporting one’s own autonomy may be more important than feeling supported by others, Motivation Science.
• Sheldon, K.M., Corcoran, M., & Prentice, M. (2019). Pursuing eudaimonic functioning versus pursuing hedonic well-being: The first goal succeeds in its aim, whereas the second does not. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(3), 919-933.