Yanine Hess

Yanine Hess is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Purchase College. Her research focuses on how interpersonal motivations and perceptions are influenced by relationship beliefs, belonging needs, and social information sources. She leads the Interpersonal Motivations and Perceptions (IMP) Lab, emphasizing experimental and social-cognitive methodologies. Hess earned her BA from New York University and her MA and PhD from the University of California, Davis.

Her research interests include social cognition, social rejection, system-justifying beliefs, and the psychological mechanisms underlying belonging and identity. The IMP Lab prioritizes rigorous research practices and undergraduate collaboration. Hess has published widely on topics such as construal level theory, actor-observer biases, and the consequences of social exclusion.

• Education:
  • BA, New York University
  • MA and PhD, University of California, Davis

Hess has received multiple awards, including the Faculty Merit Research Award and the Dee and Robert Topol Faculty Development Award. Her work bridges theoretical contributions with practical insights into interpersonal dynamics and social behavior. She teaches courses on psychological perspectives of the self, social cognition, and research methods.