Lauren Ministero received a BA with high honors in psychology as well as journalism and new media from The University at Buffalo. She is currently a 5th year PhD student studying social psychology at The University at Buffalo. Her research interests include compassion, mindfulness, goal pursuit, and the self. A central question that guides Lauren’s work is: What personal and situational factors facilitate responding to victims of suffering, and how do these factors simultaneously impact the self? Previous research demonstrates that compassion predicts helping behavior as well as distress and avoidance. In her research, Lauren examines which components of compassion are truly predictive of helping, and how mindset can affect goal pursuit processes, tipping the scales in favor of pursuing prosocial goals. Additionally, she investigates how factors such as empathy and mindfulness influence how the self is expressed. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys yoga, exercise, and plant-based cooking.
