2025–Present Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability
2025 Ph.D., Social Psychology, University of Colorado (CU) Boulder
2025 Certificate in College Teaching
2024 Certificate in Quantitative Methods for Behavioral Sciences
2022 M.A., Social Psychology, CU Boulder
2019 B.A., Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, CU Boulder
2013 B.S., Biology, minor in Religious Studies, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Peer Reviewed Journals Articles
Mulhinch, M. R., Grant, M. D., Pedersen, E. J., McCullough, M. E. (2025). Estimates of need, benefit, and personal connection explain monetary transfers to absolute strangers, identifiable needy others, and charitable organizations, Evolution and Human Behavior, 47(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2025.106820
Grant, M. D., Markowitz, D., Sherman, D. K., Flores, A., Dickert, S., Eom, K., Jiga-Boy, G., Kogut, T., Mayorga, M., Oonk, D., Pedersen, E. J., Pereira, B., Rubaltelli, E., Slovic, P., Vastfjall, D., & Van Boven, L. (2024). Ideological diversity of media consumption predicts COVID-19 vaccination. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-77408-4
Coverage: PsyPost, CU Boulder Today, Colorado Public Radio
Ramos, J., Grant, M. D., Flores, A., Pedersen, E. J., Dickert, S., Eom, K., Jiga-Boy, G., Kogut, T., Mayorga, M., Pedersen, J., Pereira, B., Rubaltelli, E., Sherman, D., Slovic, P., Västfjäll, D., & Van Boven, L. (2022). Structured reflection increases intentions to reduce other people’s health risks during COVID-19. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) Nexus, pgac218, https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac218
Grant, M. D., Flores, A., Pedersen, E. J., Sherman, D. K., Van Boven, L. (2021) When election expectations fail: Polarized perceptions of election legitimacy increase with accumulating evidence of election outcomes and with polarized media. PLoS ONE. 16(12): e0259473. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259473
Coverage: PsyPost, CU Boulder Today
Peer Reviewed Conference Proceedings
French, N. H. F., Fischer, P., Cook, C., Grant, M. D., Billmire, M., Hou, P., Beckman, C., Santana, F., Wu, S., & Kasischke, E. (2026). Mapping smoke from extreme fire events in space and time for assessing risk perception and response in northwestern United States communities. In D. X. Viegas & L. M. Ribeiro (Eds.), Advances on Forest Fire Research 2026. Peer-reviewed conference proceedings.
Coverage: Mirage News, SEAS News
Book Chapters
Grant, M. D., , Flores, A., Pedersen, E. J., & Van Boven, L. (2024). Social Judgment and Decision Making: A tale of diverging and converging literature. In Carlston, D. (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Cognition. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197763414.013.38
Grant, M. D., Santana, F., Beckman, C., Bell, S. A., French, N. M., Czerwinski, M., & Fischer, A. P. (in prep). Social norms predict engagement with protective behaviors during wildfire smoke events.
Santana, F., Grant, M. D., Milward, M., Beckman, C., Bell, S. A., French, N. M., Czerwinski, M., & Fischer, A. P. (in prep). The relationship between affective experience during wildfire smoke events and engagement with protective behaviors.
Grant, M. D., Ramos, G., & Van Boven, L. (in prep). The impact of consuming ideologically diverse news media on vaccination is partially mediated by social norms.
Grant, M. D., Elias, E., & Pedersen, E., McCullough, M. E., Correll, J. (in prep). A new approach to analyzing the ‘Who Said What?’ paradigm data using multilevel modeling.
Grant, M. D., Pedersen, E., McCullough (in prep). Tracking opportunities to develop cooperative relationships with needy others using the ‘Who Said What?’ paradigm.
Flores, A., Grant, M. D., Rubaltelli, E., & Van Boven, L. (in prep). Increasing ideologically diverse news consumption destabilizes the reinforcing news spiral and depolarizes beliefs about anthropogenic climate change.
Grant, M. D., Loria, R., Pedersen, E., McCullough, M. E. (in prep). Friendship formation and maintenance: A longitudinal study examining gratitude over time.
2025 Catalyst Grant
Graham Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan (award announcement, $15,000)
2025 Grant-in-aid Award
Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues (program website, $1,000)
2025 Jenessa Shapiro Research Award
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (program website, $1,000)
2024 Dosier-Muenzinger Predoctoral Research Fellowship
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CU Boulder ($5,000)
2024 Graduate School Dissertation Completion Fellowship
CU Boulder Graduate School (program website, $14,500)
2023 Graduate Student CARTSS Grant
Center for Advancing Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences (CARTSS, $1,200)
2025 Sheryl R. Young Memorial Fellowship (award announcement, $4,000)
CU Boulder Graduate School
2024 Graduate and Professional Student Government Travel Grant
CU Boulder Graduate School ($500)
2024 Dozier-Muenzinger Award for Outstanding Teaching
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CU Boulder ($3,000)
2024 Future Families Fellowship
CU Boulder Graduate School (program website, $2,500)
2023 Co-lead Graduate Student Fellowship
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CU Boulder (program website, $650)
2023 Graduate School Domestic Travel Grant
CU Boulder Graduate School ($450)
2023 Summer Institute in Social and Personality Psychology (SISPP)
Course: Psychology of Religion, Ohio State University
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (program website)
2019 Women in Affective Science Institute Undergraduate Fellowship
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CU Boulder (program website)
2019 Professional and Academic Conference Endowment Award
CU Boulder ($500)
Grant, M. D. & Van Boven, L. (2025, February) The impact of consuming ideologically diverse media consumption on affective polarization, belief in election legitimacy, and policy support. In M. D. Grant (Co-chair), Social psychology and contemporary policy issues: Reducing partisan division. Symposium conducted at the 2025 Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado.
Grant, M. D., Van Boven, L. (2024, August). The effect of consuming ideologically diverse news media on affective polarization and political attitudes. Paper presented at 2024 Compassion Week for Decision Research Lab, Eugene, Oregon.
Grant, M. D., Loria, R., Forster, D., McCullough, M., Lieberman, D., & Pedersen, E. J. (2024, February). Friendship formation and maintenance: A longitudinal study examining gratitude over time. In M. D. Grant (Chair), Examining the formation and maintenance of friendship through the evolutionary lens. Symposium conducted at 2024 SPSP Annual Convention, San Diego, California.
Grant, M. D., McCullough, M. E., & Pedersen, E. J. (2023, August). Tracking opportunities to develop cooperative relationships with needy others. Paper presented at 2023 Compassion Week for Decision Research Lab, Eugene, Oregon.
Grant, M. D., Loria, R., & Pedersen, E. J. (2023, June). Friendship formation and maintenance: A longitudinal study examining gratitude over time. Paper presented at 2023 Human Behavior and Evolutionary Society (HBES) Annual Convention, Palm Springs, California.
Grant, M. D., McCullough, M. E., & Pedersen, E. J. (2022, April). Tracking opportunities to develop cooperative relationships with needy others. Paper presented at 2022 Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS) Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Grant, M. D., McCullough, M. E., & Pedersen, E. J. (2021, August). Tracking opportunities to develop cooperative relationships with needy others. Paper presented at 2021 Compassion Week for Decision Research Lab, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Wadsworth, L., Loria, R., & Pedersen, E. J. (2021, July). Contaminated gratitude: How fear expressed by immigrants decreases host citizen willingness to welcome immigrants into their communities. Paper presented at 2021 NEEPS Conference, virtual.
Grant, M. D., McCullough, M. E., & Pedersen, E. J. (2021, July). Tracking opportunities to develop cooperative relationships with needy others. Paper presented at 2021 HBES Annual Convention, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Van Boven, L., & Pedersen, E. J. (2021, February). Trusting strangers: How attention influences willingness to trust novel others. In M. D. Grant (Chair), The role of attention in judgment and decision-making. Symposium conducted at the 2021 SPSP Annual Convention, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Ramos, J., Flores, A., & Van Boven, L. (2021, February). Introspection decreases risky behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paper presented at 2021 SPSP Judgment and Decision-Making Preconference, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Pedersen, E. J., & Van Boven, L. (2020, August). Trusting strangers: How attention influences trust in novel others. Paper presented at Compassion Week for Decision Research Lab, virtual.
Grant, M. D. (2019, April). How attention influences prosocial behavior. Paper presented at Ekstrand Memorial Mini-Convention, Boulder, Colorado.
“Social psychology and contemporary policy issues: Reducing partisan division”. SPSP. Denver, CO, February 2025 (with Riley Loria, Alexandra Flores)
“Examining the formation and maintenance of friendship through the evolutionary lens”. SPSP. San Diego, CA, February 2024 (with Riley Loria, Joseph Billingsley, Sean Reilly)
“The role of attention in judgment and decision making”. SPSP. Virtual, February 2021 (with Ian Krajbich, Jairo Ramos, Jennie Qu-Lee)
Grant, M. D. (2026, February). Signaling trustworthiness in public health communication to promote rural household wildfire smoke protective action in the Pacific Northwest. Talk presented at the Department of Psychology Health, Attitudes and Influence (HAIL; PI: Allison Earl, PhD) and Self and Social Insight (SASI; PI: David Dunning, PhD) Joint Lab Meeting, Ann Arbor, MI.
Grant, M. D. (2026, February). Lessons from an early career researcher in environmental health. Talk presented at the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Doctoral Student Seminar Series, Ann Arbor, MI.
Grant, M. D., Fischer, A. P. (2025, October). Signaling expert trustworthiness to promote household wildfire smoke preparedness. Talk presented at the SEAS Faculty Seminar Series: Postdoc Fellows Lightning Talks, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Grant, M. D. (2024, November 6) Political Polarization From the Perspective of Social Psychology. Talk presented at Psychology Club, CU Boulder, Boulder, Colorado.
†Vaughan, L., Grant, M. D., Beckman, C., & Fischer, P. (2027, February). Injunctive and descriptive social norms differntially predict wildfire smoke protective behaviors. Poster submitted to the SPSP Sustainability Psychology Preconference, virtual.
†Vaughan, L., Grant, M. D., Beckman, C., & Fischer, P. (2027, February). Injunctive and descriptive social norms differntially predict wildfire smoke protective behaviors. Poster submitted to SPSP, Philadelphia, PA.
Grant, M. D., (2026, June). Protecting health in a smoky future: Psychosocial drivers of wildfire smoke protective actions among rural household in the US Northwest. Poster presented at the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) Conference, Corvallis, OR.
Grant, M. D. & Van Boven, L. (2025, May). Ideologically diverse media consumption predicts COVID-19 and trust in science. Poster presented at the Association for Psychology Science (APS) Annual Convention, Washington, District of Columbia.
*Kim, J., Grant, M. D., & Van Boven, L. (2025, April). The effect of ideologically diverse news media consumption on elite affective polarization. Poster presented at CU Boulder Undergraduate Research Day, Boulder, Colorado.
*Nicault, P., Grant, M. D., & Van Boven, L. (2025, February). The effect of consuming diverse news media on climate change beliefs. Poster presented at the SPSP Sustainability Psychology Preconference, Denver, Colorado.
*Kim, J., Grant, M. D., & Van Boven, L. (2025, February). The effect of ideologically diverse news media consumption on elite affective polarization. Poster presented at the SPSP Political Psychology Preconference, Denver, Colorado.
*Amarala, H., Grant, M. D., & Van Boven, L. (2025, February). The effect of ideologically diverse news media consumption on COVID-19 vaccination. Poster presented at the SPSP Health Psychology Preconference, Denver, Colorado.
Grant, M. D., & Van Boven, L. (2024, October). Diverse sources depolarize choices: The effect of consuming greater ideological diversity of news media on a variety of politically charged attitudes and behaviors. Poster presented at the APS Annual Convention, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Pedersen, E. J., Ramos, J., & Van Boven, L. (2022, February). Competing adaptive roles of attention in goal assessment and cooperative behavior. Poster presented at the SPSP Evolutionary Psychology Preconference, San Francisco, California.
Grant, M. D., Ramos, J., Flores, A., Pedersen, E. J., & Van Boven, L. (2021, May). Introspection decreases risky behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presented at the APS Annual Convention, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Wadsworth, L., Loria, R., & Pedersen, E. J. (2021, February). Contaminated gratitude: How Americans perceive immigrant gratitude as insincere when paired with fear expression. Poster presented at the SPSP Evolutionary Psychology Preconference, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Wadsworth, L., Loria, R., & Pedersen, E. J. (2021, February). From stranger to friend: How attention influences trust in strangers. Poster presented at the Society for Judgment and Decision-Making (SJDM) Annual Convention, virtual.
Grant, M. D., Wadsworth, L., Forster, D., McCullough, M., Lieberman, D., & Pedersen, E. J. (2020, February). Gratitude and the formation and maintenance of friendships. Poster presented at the SPSP Annual Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Grant, M. D., Mrkva, K., & Van Boven, L. (2019, February). Effect of mere exposure on memory-based choice and stimulus-based choice. Poster presented at the SPSP Annual Convention, Portland, Oregon.
Grant, M. D., Mrkva, K., & Van Boven, L. (2018, May). Effect of mere exposure on memory-based choice and stimulus-based choice. Poster presented at Undergraduate Research Day, CU Boulder, Boulder, Colorado.
*for more detailed descriptions see Teaching and Mentoring tab
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan
Graduate Student Research Mentor (2025-Present)
Mentor for NextGen Psychology Scholar Program (2025)
Project SHORT (2026-Present)
University of Colorado Boulder - Boulder, Colorado
Instructor of Record
Introduction to Social Psychology (Fall 2023)
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Psychological Science I: Statistics (Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Fall 2021)
Psychological Science II: Introduction to Research Methods (Fall 2019)
Advanced Judgment and Decision-making Seminar (Fall 2020)
Introduction to Social Psychology (Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2021)
Advanced Research Methods (Spring 2020)
Introduction to Behavioral Genetics (Fall 2022)
Honors Student Mentor (2020-2021)
Undergraduate Student Research Mentor (2020-2025)
Graduate Student Peer Mentor (2020-2021, 2023-2024)
Undergraduate Learning Assistant
Biological Psychology (Spring 2019, Fall 2018)
Bunker Hill Community College - Boston, Massachusettes
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant: Introduction to Research Methods (Spring 2017)
Senior Achievement, Cultural competency and Engagement (ACE) Mentor (Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
Course ACE Mentor: Introduction to Computer Science (Summer 2016, Spring 2015, Fall 2015)
Early Career Advisory Board Member
Journal of Environmental Psychology (Appointment: 2026–2028; website)
Conference Planning Co-chair
SPSP Sustainability Psychology Preconference (2026–Present)
Compassion Week Conference (2020–2021)
Conference Planning Committee Member
SPSP Sustainability Psychology Preconference (2025–2026)
SPSP (main conference) Student Representative (2024–2025)
APA SEPCP Div. 34 (2025–2026)
APA SEPCP Div. 34 Virtual Conference (2025–2026)
Student Committee Member
SPSP Mentoring Events Chair (2024–2025)
Graduate Student Coordinator
Graduate Student Recruitment Week, Social Psychology Area, CU Boulder (2024)
HBES Advancing Diversity through Psychological and Anthropological Training (ADAPT) Program (2023–2025; website)
Compassion Group Monthly Collaborator Meetings, Decision Research Institute (2020–2021)
Mentor for Student Mentoring Events
SPSP (main conference) (2024, 2025)
Awards and Grants Reviewer
SPSP Conference Student Poster Awards (2023, 2025)
APS Conference Student RISE and Grant Awards (2025)
APS Conference Student Research Awards (2024)
SPSP Conference Poster Presenters (2023)
Journal Reviewer
Journal of Environmental Psychology, Climatic Change, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Scientific Reports, Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing, Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences
Professional Affiliations
APS, APA, SEPCP (APA Div. 34), Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Div. 2), SPSP (APA Div. 8), HBES, IASNR, SPSSI, Society for Behavioral Medicine