Biography

In 2019, Connor (he/him) received his B.A. with Honors in Psychology from Westmont College. Connor is currently a PhD candidate in University of California, Santa Barbara's Psychological & Brain Sciences department, specializing in social psychology. At UCSB, Connor oversees his own laboratory based research projects as part of the Sherman Lab. Connor pursues rigorous laboratory research with the aim of developing sufficient process understanding to wisely apply psychological theory to improve the lives of others.

In addition to his academic pursuits, since 2016, Connor has worked as an independent research consultant. Connor has worked with organizations such as the Santa Barbara Police Department, the University of California, and the California State University.

When he's not working, Connor enjoys exploring beautiful Santa Barbara, trying new food, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Research Area

Connor Gibbs' research broadly addresses how we respond to various forms of transitions. More specifically, this plays out in Connor's two primary research programs:

• Structure, Control, & Culture: In one of his prominent lines of research, Connor investigates the interplay between perceived and experienced structure, feelings of control, and culture. By utilizing research on cultural variability, Connor explores how one's cultural values informs how people engage with and respond to changes in structure and control experiences.
• Military Veterans' Transition: Military veterans face significant challenges during their transition from military to civilian life. In a second line of research, Connor seeks to investigates the psychological processes at work during veterans' transition out of military service and leverages this understanding to develop methods of improving veterans' transition outcomes.

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