The Spark Lab is directed by Dr. Anastasia (Stacey) Makhanova, assistant professor of psychological science at the University of Arkansas.

We are an interdisciplinary lab. Our research combines the experimental and methodological strengths of social psychology with assessments of biological processes borrowed from endocrinology, immunology, as well as research on animal behavior. We often use evolutionary theory to generate research questions and use a variety of sociocognitive measures to test our predictions.

Our research focuses on the links between social perception (of spouses and of strangers) and endocrinological processes.