Jamie Arndt

Jamie Arndt is a Professor at the University of Missouri, affiliated with the College of Arts and Science and the Department of Psychological Sciences. He serves as Senior Associate Dean and leads the Existential Motivation Lab, where he explores the intersection of mortality awareness, meaning-seeking, and social behavior.

Research Interests: Arndt’s work bridges existential philosophy and empirical psychology, focusing on how awareness of death (Terror Management Theory) shapes aggression, prejudice, health decisions, and cultural identity. He investigates existential isolation, metaphorical framing in health communication, and the interplay between defensive processes and creativity. His research spans social, personality, and health psychology.

Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize metaphor-based interventions in health behavior, demographic shifts in policy attitudes, and existential isolation’s impact on well-being. Collaborations with students like T. Jimenez and P.J. Helm highlight interdisciplinary approaches to mortality cognition and social dynamics.

Labs & Teams: The Existential Motivation Lab at Missouri Center for Addiction Research and Engagement explores theoretical and applied questions through experimental social psychology, mentoring graduate students and fostering cross-departmental research partnerships.