Jennifer MacCormack

Jennifer MacCormack is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the intersection of social psychology, affective science, and psychophysiology, particularly exploring how bodily states influence emotional and social processes.

• Research Areas: Social Psychology, Affective Science, Psychophysiology
• Lab: Virginia Affect & Introspection Laboratory
• Contact: maccormack@virginia.edu | 240H Gilmer Hall

Research Interests
MacCormack investigates how interoception (sensing internal bodily states) shapes emotional experiences, social judgments, and health behaviors. Key themes include:

• Interoceptive contributions to stress responses and emotion regulation
• Neurophysiological mechanisms of risk-taking and prosocial behavior
• Age-related changes in affective processing and bodily signaling
• Impact of social contexts on physiological and emotional outcomes
• Interdisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, psychology, and health science

Publication Trends
Her recent work emphasizes psychophysiological methods to study emotion-cognition interactions, with a focus on interoception, aging, and social stress. Neuroimaging studies, pharmacological interventions, and dynamical systems modeling are common methodologies.

Collaborative Networks
Her affiliation with the University of Virginia and leadership of the Virginia Affect & Introspection Laboratory suggest integration into interdisciplinary research teams exploring affective science and health psychology.