I’m a researcher at the Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University.

I obtained MSc in Biology and MA in psychology at Jagiellonian University. In 2022 I defended my Ph.D. in psychology under the supervision of prof. Malgorzata Kossowska (Jagiellonian University).

My research is related to various aspects of motivated behaviors (including activism), and in my Ph.D. project, I explored cognitive dissonance in the environmental context. I enjoy reading about evolution, genetics, and physics.

marta.maj@uj.edu.pl

Projects

Current projects

  1. From apathy to violent extremism: Motivational foundations of political engagement. GRIEG grant awarded to Katarzyna Jaśko from the National Centre for Science (2021-).
  2. BIOUNCERTAINTY. ERC Starting Grant (805498) awarded to Tomasz Żuradzki, PhD (position: 2019-20; collaboration: 2021-).

Past projects

  1. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on engagement in solving collective problems. A grant awarded to Katarzyna Jaśko from the National Centre for Science (2020-21).
  2. Theory of goal commitment. OPUS grant (2015/19/B/HS6/01253) awarded to Katarzyna Jaśko from the National Centre for Science (2016-21).
  3. Zmiana zachowania i inne strategie redukcji dysonansu poznawczego w kontekście troski o środowisko. [Behavioral change and other strategies of cognitive dissonance reduction in the context of environmental concern]. Grant for young researchers sponsored by the Faculty of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University (DSC grant) (2020-21).
  4. Ważność wartości i orientacja na działanie, a wysiłek w redukcji dysonansu w sytuacji hipokryzji. [Relation of value importance and action orientation with effort in dissonance reduction in the situation of induced hypocrisy]. Grant for young researchers sponsored by the Faculty of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University (DSC grant) (2018-19).
  5. (Nie)spójni – niezagrożeni: abstrakcyjne wartości uniwersalnym buforem dla zagrożeń. [(In)consistent – unthreatened: Abstract values as a buffer for threats of different kinds]. Grant for young researchers sponsored by the Faculty of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University (DSC grant) (2017-18).

Publications

Papers in English

  1. Westgate, E. C., Buttrick, N., Lin, Y., El Helou, G., Agostini, M., Bélanger, J. J., Gützkow, B., Kreienkamp, J., Abakoumkin, G., Khaiyom, J. H. A., Ahmedi, V., Akkas, H., Almenara, C. A., Atta, M., Bagci, S. C., Basel, S., Kida, E. B., Bernardo, A. B. I., Chobthamkit, P., … Leander, N. P. (2023). Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affected risky public health behaviors across 116 countries. Emotion.
  2. Keng, S. L., Stanton, M. V., Haskins, L. B., Almenara, C. A., Ickovics, J., Jones, A., Grigsby-Toussaint, D., Agostini, M., Bélanger, J. J., Gützkow, B., Kreienkamp, J., Lemay, E. P., Jr, vanDellen, M. R., Abakoumkin, G., Abdul Khaiyom, J. H., Ahmedi, V., Akkas, H., Atta, M., Bagci, S. C., Basel, S., … Leander, N. P. (2022). COVID-19 stressors and health behaviors: A multilevel longitudinal study across 86 countries. Preventive medicine reports, 27, 101764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101764
  3. Jasko, K., Grzymala-Moszczynska, J., Maj, M., Szastok, M., & Kruglanski, A. (2020). Making Americans Feel Great Again? Personal Significance and Reactions to the Results of the 2016 US Election. Political Psychology, 41(4), 717-736. doi:10.1111/pops.12647
  4. Jasko, K., Szastok, M., Grzymala-Moszczynska, J., Maj, M., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2019). Rebel with a Cause: Personal Significance from Political Activism Predicts Willingness to Self-Sacrifice. Journal of Social Issues. doi:10.1111/josi.12307
  5. Maj, M., & Kossowska, M. (2015). Prejudice toward outgroups as a strategy to deal with mortality threat: Simple reaction with a complex foundation. Theoria at Historia Scientiarum: An International Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, 12, 15-28. doi: 10.12775/ths.2015.002. Full text available here