Michael H. Pasek, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology · University of Illinois Chicago

I'm an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago, where I direct the Belief, Identity, and Group Relations Lab.

As a social psychologist, I study intergroup relations with a particular focus on the ways in which religion — as both a group membership and a system of beliefs — shapes moral decision-making, socio-political attitudes, and behavior across group boundaries. I also study political division and intergroup conflict more broadly, with an emphasis on how psychological insights can be translated into real-world tools to advance social change and promote equality.

My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation; published in journals such as Psychological Science and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; and featured in outlets including The New York Times. I earned my Ph.D. in social psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and my B.A. from Bates College.

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Focus areas — Research

Psychology of religion

How people understand their religious identities and beliefs, and how religion shapes moral decision-making, socio-political attitudes, and intergroup relations.

Intergroup relations

How group identities — religious, racial, political, and beyond — shape prejudice, conflict, and cooperation, including the conditions that sustain or reduce division.

Political psychology

How social psychological factors drive political conflict and erode pluralistic democratic norms.

Translational science

Bridging laboratory findings and real-world impact — working across sectors to reduce intergroup conflict and promote social change.