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 Fall 2023
Left to right: Dr. Ayers, Madelyn Cardwell, Erin Pooley
APE Lab members Spring 2023
Left to right: Conner Avila, Glenn Reese, Zoe Lister, Madelyn Cardwell, Caley Lynch, Abigail Elliott, Megan Hughes, Dr. Ayers
Not pictured: Elyse Englestadter
APE Lab members Fall 2022
Left to right: Dr. Ayers, Abigail Elliott, Madelyn Cardwell, Ranya Al-Mandawi, Megan Hughes
Not pictured: Megan Kirtner, Stela NinaRecent Lab Publications
Here are some of the recently published lab research projects. Please see Dr. Ayers' Google Scholar profile for a complete list of her publications.
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.
How genetic conflict theory can inform studies of human nature
Published in Perspectives on Psychological Science in February 2024.
COVID-19 and friendships: Agreeableness and neuroticism are associated with more concern about COVID-19 and friends' risky behaviors
Published in Personality and Individual Differences in October 2023.
Competitive scenarios increase competition in women: A meta-analysis
Published in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences in early 2023.
A factor analytic examination of women's and men's friendship preferences
Published in Personality and Individual Differences in February 2023.
Recent Lab SciComm
Here are some of our recent science communication (SciComm) publications from the lab.
Friendship research is getting an update – and that’s key for dealing with the loneliness epidemic
SciComm piece published in The Conversation that discusses why more research on friendship is needed to address loneliness.
Pregnancy is a genetic battlefield – how conflicts of interest pit mom’s and dad’s genes against each other
SciComm piece published in The Conversation that discusses what genetic conflict is.
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.
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.
Email
Lab manual
Application
