Welcome to the APE Lab!
Ayers Psychology & Evolution Lab
About the APE Lab
We study the behavioral manifestations of genetic conflict - or how the genes we inherit from our parents “fight” with each other and the impact that this conflict has on behavior and psychological processes. You can learn more about some of the nuances in genetic conflict here. Specifically, we are interested in how understanding how these “disagreements” at the genetic level influence the ways individuals grow, develop, behave, and, ultimately, influence their social relationships during their lives including maternal-fetal relationships, familial and affinal (in-law) relationships, and friendships and rivalries.
Dr. Jessica D. Ayers
Director and PI
Dr. Jessica D. Ayers is an Evolutionary Social Psychologist and the director of the APE Lab at Boise State University. As an undergraduate, Dr. Ayers realized that she was interested in one simple question: why do people act the way they do? Her interest in this question led Dr. Ayers to earn her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Anthropology and her M.A. in Experimental Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Arizona State University.
Find out more about Dr. Ayers at www.jessicadayers.org or @JessicaDAyers
APE Lab members Spring 2024
Left to right: Mary (Grace) Duskey, Erin Pooley, Madelyn Cardwell, Izzy O'Farrill, Dr. Ayers
Recent APE lab publications
For more of what we do, you can check out our lab publications, SciComm pieces, and blogs!
How do you build the perfect friend? Evidence from two forced-choice decision-making experiments
Published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships in April 2024. Find out more here.
What do genes have to do with psychology? They likely influence more than you realize.
SciComm piece published in The Conversation that discusses ways in which researchers have been studying the psychological effects of genetic conflict without realizing it. Read more here.
APE lab blog
Read more about the independent projects our RAs have been working on.
Student Resources
Here are some resources for students interested in the lab.
APA formatting cheat sheet (7th edition)
Please refer to this cheat sheet to learn the basics of AP style.
PSYC 431 site
ee some of the work that students have completed in Dr. Ayers's PSYC 431 Social Psychology course.
Join the APE Lab!
If you are interested in joining the APE Lab as a research assistant, please reach out to Dr. Ayers directly with any questions. You can also read more about the APE Lab culture and values in the APE Lab manual.
If you are ready to apply, please download the application below and send it to Dr. Ayers directly.
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