Research

I am a quantitative social scientist whose research is primarily rooted in sociology of gender, criminal justice, and social psychology. I study the process through which people use culturally shared knowledge and assumptions, such as gender norms, to structure their understanding of and reaction to the situation, often in ways that may be harmful to already disadvantaged groups. I am passionate about leveraging my skills in social science research to positively impact society.

Research Interests

Social Psychology

In my work, I use identity theories such as status characteristics theory and affect control theory to better understand how social characteristics shape interaction and perception.

Gender

My research focuses on conceptions of masculinity and femininity, their associations with certain roles, behaviors, and cultural objects, and how gender frames expectations for and understandings of interaction.

Criminal Justice

Much of my work focuses on a criminal justice context, including projects that analyze dynamics in jury deliberation and conceptions of female victims of gendered violence and social control.

Publications

Hasenour, Kiersten and Lynn Smith-Lovin. Forthcoming June 2025. "Affect Control Theory: A Formal Theory of Identity, Action and Emotion." Handbook of Social Psychology, edited by L. Walker and G. Peterson. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Rawlings, Craig, Edgar Cook, Kiersten Hasenour, E.K. Maloney, and Lynn Smith-Lovin. 2024 "Are Victims Virtuous or Vilified? The Stories We Tell Ourselves (and Each Other)". Annual Review of Sociology 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-030222-032739.

Hasenour, Kiersten. 2023. "Juror Gender and Influence in a Domestic Violence Trial." Social Sciences and Humanities Open 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100745.