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Tara Lesick

Graduate Student

Education

Anticipated 2025

Florida State University

Ph.D. Social Psychology

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

May 2021

M.A. General Experimental Psychology

December 2018

William Peace University

B.A. Psychology and Pre-Law

Publications

Lesick, T. L., & Zell, E. (2023). Race-ethnicity and the big-fish-little-pond effect in the                  United States. Social Psychological Bulletin, 18, 1–15.                                   

          https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.10261

Zell, E., Stockus, C. A., Lesick, T. L., & Sedikides, C. (2023). Self-enhancement and                      physical health: A meta-analysis. British Journal of Social Psychology, 62(1),                        583–599. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12577

Zell, E., & Lesick, T. L. (2022). Big five personality traits and performance: A quantitative              synthesis of 50+ meta-analyses. Journal of Personality, 90(4), 559–573.                                https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12683

Zell, E., & Lesick, T. L. (2022). Big five personality traits and performance: A quantitative              synthesis of 50+ meta-analyses. Journal of Personality, 90(4), 559–573.                                https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12683

Zell, E., & Lesick, T. L. (2022). Ignorance of history and political differences in perception            of racism in the United States. Social Psychological and Personality Science,                     13(6), 1022–1031. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506211056493

Hawkins, H-C, C., Lesick, T. L., & Zell, E. (2021). Implicit self-esteem following a romantic            partner’s success: Three replications and a meta-analysis. Personal Relationships,              29(1), 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12408

Lesick, T. L., & Zell, E. (2021). Is affirmation the cure? Self-affirmation and

European Americans’ perception of systemic racism. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 43(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2020.1811092

Zell, E., & Lesick, T. L. (2021). Taking social comparison to the extremes: The huge fish

tiny pond effect in self-evaluations. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(6), 1030–1038. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620956535

Conference Presentations

Lesick, T. L., & March, D. S. (April, 2024). Guilt and sentencing of Black and White                         suspects is influenced by perceptions of bias in the criminal justice system. Paper             presented at the annual Florida State University Psychology Graduate Research               Day. Tallahassee, FL.

Edelman, J., Lesick, T. L., & March, D. S. (April, 2024). Does perceived harm depend on               the race of the agent?. Paper presented at the annual Florida State University                   Undergraduate Research Day. Tallahassee, FL.

Gullesserian, M., March, D. S., Lesick, T. L., Olivett, V. O., & Maranges, H, M. (April,                     2024). View from the right: Political orientation and the automatic association                   between Black and physical threat. Poster presented at the annual Florida State               University Undergraduate Research Day. Tallahassee, FL.

Lesick, T. L., & March, D. S. (February, 2024). Race and physical threat in the criminal                   justice system. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for                           Personality and Social Psychology. San Diego, CA.

Gullesserian, M., March, D. S., Lesick, T. L., Olivett, V. O., & Maranges, H, M. (February,                2024). View from the right: Political orientation and the automatic association                    between Black and physical threat. Poster presented at the annual meeting of                  the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. San Diego, CA.

Lesick, T. L., & March, D. S. (April, 2023). The impact of skin tone and facial features on               emotion categorization. Poster presented at the annual Florida State University               Psychology Graduate Research Day. Tallahassee, FL.

Anastasia, N., Lesick, T. L., & March, D. S. (April, 2023). Examining how pain perception               is impacted by race of the aggressor. Poster presented at the annual Florida                     State University Undergraduate Research Symposium. Tallahassee, FL.

Lesick, T. L., & March, D. S. (February, 2023). Race categorization of emotive faces                      depends on the features of a face. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the            Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Atlanta, GA.

Lesick, T. L., Maranges, H. M., & March, D. S. (April, 2022). Political orientation

          moderates dangerous vs. negative associations with Black vs. White. Poster                      presented at the annual Florida State University PSY Graduate Research Day.                    Tallahassee, FL.

Lesick, T. L., Maranges, H. M., & March, D. S. (February, 2022). Political Orientation

Moderates Dangerous vs. Negative Associations with Black vs. White. Poster to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. San Francisco, CA.

Lesick, T. L., Maranges, H.M., & March, D. S. (October, 2021). Political Orientation

Moderates Dangerous vs. Negative Associations with Black vs. White. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Southeastern Social Psychology. Online.

Lesick, T. L., & Zell, E. (February, 2021). Race-ethnicity and the big-fish-little-pond effect.

Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Online.

Lesick, T. L., & Zell, E. (October, 2020). Is affirmation the cure? Self-affirmation and

European Americans' perception of systemic racism. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Social Psychology. Online.

Zell, E., & Lesick, T. L. (February, 2020). The huge fish tiny pond effect in self-evaluations.

Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. New Orleans, LA.

Lesick, T. L., & Zell, E. (October, 2019). Self-affirmation and perception of racism. Poster

presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Southeastern Social Psychology. Johnson City, TN.

Experience

Research

Research Mentees

Jude Edelman

Undergraduate honors thesis student 

Fall 2023-Spring 2024

​

Nova Anastasia

Undergraduate research opportunity program student

Fall 2022-Spring 2023

​

David Ackart

Undergraduate honors thesis student

Fall 2022-Spring 2023

​

Bernadyne Thelemaque

Undergraduate honors thesis student

Fall 2021-Spring 2022

Teaching

Instructor, Florida State University

PSY3213C Research Methods: Summer 2024, Fall 2024

Instructor, Florida State University

PSY2012 General Psychology: Fall 2023, Spring 2024

Instructor, Florida State University

PSY3213C Research Methods Lab: Fall 2022, Spring 2023

Guest Lecturer, Florida State University

SOP 3004 Social Psychology: Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

Teaching Assistant, Florida State University

PSY2012 General Psychology: Summer 2023

PSY3213 Research Methods: Summer 2023

PSB4400 Neuroscience Methods: Spring 2022

PSY4930 Intimate Relationships: Spring 2022

SOP 3004 Social Psychology: Fall 2021, Spring 2022

CLP 4143 Abnormal Psychology: Fall 2021

Departmental Assistant, Florida State University

SONA Systems: Fall 2021-Summer 2022

Teaching Assistant, UNC Greensboro

PSY 211 Statistics in Behavioral Science Research: Fall 2020

PSY 609 Statistical Methods in Psychology I: Fall 2020

PSY 121 General Psychology: Fall 2019, Spring 2020

Tutor, William Peace University

Pre-Law and Psychology courses: Spring 2016-Fall 2018

Graduate Research Assistant, Florida State University

March Research Lab, Dr. David March

August 2021-Present

Graduate Research Assistant, UNC Greensboro

Self and Social Perception Lab, Dr. Ethan Zell

August 2019-May 2021

Social Cognition Lab, Dr. Brittany Cassidy

Spring 2020-May 2021

Honors and Awards

Congress of Graduate Students Presentation Grant ($250/semester)

Fall 2021-Spring 2024

Awarded to selected graduate students who are presenting their research at conferences

PIE Teaching Training Recognition

Fall 2021

Recognition only to those who completed the PIE Teaching Conference and demonstrated dedication to teaching

SPSP Diversity Graduate Travel Award ($500)

Fall 2021

Awarded only to members of an underrepresented group in social/personality psychology

Jack Brigham Graduate Student Research Award ($500)

Spring 2022

Awarded to one social psychology graduate student per year based on the quality of the proposed project and the importance of the funds to conduct the project

Ermine M. Owenby Travel Award ($500)

Spring 2023

Awarded to approximately 10 graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences to support women who are presenting their research at conferences

Omicron Delta Kappa Member

Fall 2017-present

Invitations only to those in the top 35% of their class and demonstrate leadership

Alpha Chi National Honor Society Member

Spring 2016-present

Invitations only to those ranked in the top 10 percent of students on campus

William Peace University Marshal

Spring 2016-Spring 2017

Invitations only to the top five members of the sophomore and junior class based on

cumulative GPA

Master's in Four Competition Finalist

Spring 2023

Nominated based on a Master’s thesis 4-minute presentation aimed to effectively explain the research to a non-specialist audience

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Materials Grant ($500)

Spring 2023

Awarded to UROP mentors who support, train, and work with student research assistants through every step of the psychology research process.

PIE Teaching Associate Assistantship ($3,900)

Fall 2023-Spring 2024

Awarded only to members of an underrepresented group in social/personality psychology

Other

Professional Affiliations

Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

Association for for Psychological Science (APS)

Society of Southeastern Social Psychologists (SSSP)

Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)

Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP)

Departmental Service

Diversity in Psychology Organization of Graduate Students Member

Fall 2023-Present

General Psychology Book Committee

Spring 2023

Graduate Student Panel

Spring 2022, Spring 2023

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Mentor

Fall 2022-Spring 2023

Ad hoc reviews, Social Psychological and Personality Science, Affective Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Spring 2022-Fall 2023

Graduate Student Association Representative 

Fall 2020-May 2021

Norman Anderson Travel Award Committee Member

Spring 2020-May 2021

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