Mike Prentice PhD
Publications

Articles, chapters, and reports

Research on moral motivation, values and well-being, goal pursuit, digital interventions, and people's experiences with AI. For citation metrics and full texts, see Google Scholar and ResearchGate.

ª co-lead authors  ·  * work with student advisees

Published and in press 31

  • conditional acceptance
    Prentice, M.Bildung as becoming a self: Trait, self-determination theory, and behaviorist perspectives on character formationScandinavian Journal of Educational Research (70th anniversary issue)
  • 2026
    Furr, R. M., Prentice, M., Hawkins Parham, A., Hartley, A. G., & Fleeson, W.Is doing good good enough? A motivation, action, sacrifice, and temptation (MAST) view of moral praiseworthinessPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin doi:10.1177/01461672241273243
  • 2024
    Lieder, F., Chen, P. Z., Prentice, M., *Amo, V., & Tosic, M.Gamification of behavior change: A mathematical principle and a field experimentJMIR Serious Games doi:10.2196/43078
  • 2024
    Wirzberger, M.ª, Lado, A.ª, Prentice, M., Oreshnikov, I., Passy, J.-C., Stock, A., & Lieder, F.Optimal feedback improves behavioral focus during self-regulated computer-based workScientific Reports, 14, 3124 doi:10.1038/s41598-024-53388-3
  • 2023
    Fleeson, W. R., Furr, R. M., Jayawickreme, E., *Luke, D., Prentice, M., Reynolds, C. J., & Parham, A. H.Consensus, controversy, and chaos in the attribution of characteristics to the morally exceptionalJournal of Personality doi:10.1111/jopy.12867
  • 2023
    *Amo, V., Prentice, M., & Lieder, F.A gamified mobile app that helps people develop the metacognitive skills to cope with stressful situations and difficult emotions: Formative assessment of the Insight AppJMIR Formative Research, 7, e44429 doi:10.2196/44429
  • 2023
    Lieder, F., & Prentice, M.Life improvement scienceIn F. Maggino (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (2nd ed.). Springer doi:10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_104681
  • 2023
    Lieder, F., Prentice, M., & Corwin-Renner, E.An interdisciplinary synthesis of research on understanding and promoting well-doingSocial and Personality Psychology Compass, 16, e12704 doi:10.1111/spc3.12704
  • 2022
    Furr, R. M., Prentice, M., Hawkins, A., & Jayawickreme, E.Development and validation of the Moral Character QuestionnaireJournal of Research in Personality doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104228
  • 2021
    *Luke, D., Prentice, M., & Fleeson, W.Dynamic processes underlying individual differences in moral behaviorIn J. F. Rauthmann (Ed.), The Handbook of Personality Dynamics and Processes (pp. 1183–1207). Academic Press doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-813995-0.00046-7
  • 2020
    Jayawickreme, E., Prentice, M., & Fleeson, W.Morality as a basic psychological need: Preliminary evidenceIn Virtues and Virtue Education in Theory and Practice: Are Virtues Local or Universal? (pp. 101–116). Routledge doi:10.4324/9780429343131
  • 2020
    Prentice, M., Jayawickreme, E., & Fleeson, W.An experience sampling study of the momentary dynamics of moral, autonomous, competent, and related need satisfactions, moral enactments, and psychological thrivingMotivation and Emotion, 44, 244–256 doi:10.1007/s11031-020-09829-3
  • 2019
    Sheldon, K. M., & Prentice, M.Self-determination theory as a foundation for personality researchersJournal of Personality, 87, 5–14 doi:10.1111/jopy.12360
  • 2019
    *Lüders, A., Prentice, M., & Jonas, E.Refugees in the media: Exploring a vicious cycle of thwarted needs, confirmatory information seeking, and group-based defenses in receiving culturesEuropean Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 1471–1479 doi:10.1002/ejsp.2580
  • 2019
    Prentice, M., Fleeson, W., & Jayawickreme, E.Integrating whole trait theory and self-determination theoryJournal of Personality, 87, 56–59 doi:10.1111/jopy.12417
  • 2019
    Sheldon, K. M., Corcoran, M., & Prentice, M.Pursuing eudaimonic functioning versus pursuing well-being: The first goal succeeds in its aim, whereas the second does notJournal of Happiness Studies, 20, 919–933 doi:10.1007/s10902-018-9980-4
  • 2019
    Sheldon, K. M., Prentice, M., & Osin, E.Rightly crossing the Rubicon: Evaluating goal self-concordance prior to selection helps people choose more satisfying goalsJournal of Research in Personality, 79, 119–129 doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2019.03.001
  • 2019
    Pierrakos, O., Prentice, M., Silvergate, C., Lamb, M., *Demaske, A., & *Smout, R.Reimagining engineering ethics: From ethics education to character education2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) Proceedings, 1–9 doi:10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028690
  • 2019
    Prentice, M., Jayawickreme, E., Hawkins, A., Hartley, A., Furr, R. M., & Fleeson, W.Morality as a basic psychological needSocial Psychological and Personality Science, 10, 449–460 doi:10.1177/1948550618772011
  • 2019
    Sanderson, R.ª, Prentice, M.ª, Wolf, L., Kasser, T., Weinstein, N., & Crompton, T.Strangers in a strange land: The impact of perceptions of others' values on civic engagement and cultural estrangementFrontiers in Psychology, 10, 559 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00559
  • 2018
    Prentice, M., Kasser, T., & Sheldon, K. M.Openness to experience predicts intrinsic value shifts after deliberating one's own deathDeath Studies, 42, 205–215 doi:10.1080/07481187.2017.1334016
  • 2017
    Hayes, J., Prentice, M., & McGregor, I.Giving in and giving up: Accommodation and fatalistic withdrawal as alternatives to primary control restorationIn M. Bukowski et al. (Eds.), Coping with Lack of Control in a Social World (pp. 116–132). Routledge doi:10.4324/9781315661452-14
  • 2016
    Agroskin, D., Jonas, E., Klackl, J., & Prentice, M.Inhibition underlies the effect of high need for closure on cultural closed-mindedness under mortality salienceFrontiers in Psychology, 7, 1583 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01583
  • 2016
    Schüler, J., Sheldon, K. M., Prentice, M., & Halusic, M.Do some people need autonomy more than others? Implicit dispositions toward autonomy moderate the effects of felt autonomy on well-beingJournal of Personality, 84, 5–20 doi:10.1111/jopy.12133
  • 2015
    McGregor, I., Hayes, J., & Prentice, M.Motivation for aggressive religious radicalization: Goal regulation theory and a personality × threat × affordance hypothesisFrontiers in Psychology, 6, 1325 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01325
  • 2015
    Prentice, M., & Sheldon, K. M.Priming effects on cooperative behavior in social dilemmas: Considering the prime and the personJournal of Social Psychology, 155, 163–181 doi:10.1080/00224545.2014.977763
  • 2015
    Sheldon, K. M., Prentice, M., & Halusic, M.The experiential incompatibility of mindfulness and flow absorptionSocial Psychological and Personality Science, 6, 276–283 doi:10.1177/1948550614555028
  • 2014
    Nash, K., Prentice, M., Hirsh, J. B., McGregor, I., & Inzlicht, M.Muted neural response to distress among securely attached peopleSocial Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 9, 1239–1245 doi:10.1093/scan/nst099
  • 2014
    Prentice, M., & McGregor, I.Anxiety and the approach of idealistic meaningIn A. Batthyany & P. Russo-Netzer (Eds.), Meaning in Existential and Positive Psychology (pp. 205–220). Springer doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0308-5_12
  • 2014
    Prentice, M., Halusic, M., & Sheldon, K. M.Integrating theories of psychological needs-as-requirements and psychological needs-as-motives: A two process modelSocial and Personality Psychology Compass, 8(2), 73–85 doi:10.1111/spc3.12088
  • 2013
    McGregor, I., Prentice, M., & Nash, K.Anxious uncertainty and reactive approach motivation (RAM) for religious, idealistic, and lifestyle extremesJournal of Social Issues, 69, 537–563 doi:10.1111/josi.12028

Under review and in revision 6

  • In revision
    Prentice, M.Morality as a basic psychological need: Evidence, phenomenology, and a process model
  • Under review
    Henestrosa, H., Anders, G., Ivan, I. V., Ehrhardt, N., Faller, A. C., Hampel, N., Luther, T., Sarigül, B., Prentice, M., Utz, S., & Wickelmaier, N.Data descriptor for the HMC data set: The evolution of AI perceptions and usage
  • Under review
    *Iwama, G., Weber, F., Prentice, M., & Lieder, F.Development and validation of a goal characteristics questionnaire
  • Under review
    Kari, A., Prentice, M., & Sheldon, K. M.Moral cognitive intelligence: Building morality in cognitive architecture rather than applying governance from without
  • Under review
    Prentice, M., *González Cruz, H., & Lieder, F.A brief existential reflection shifts people's goals toward contribution and relationships and away from self-focused goals
  • In revision
    Prentice, M., Sheldon, K. M., & Kasser, T.Values, situational need construals, and well-being: Relative intrinsic to extrinsic values predict seeing more opportunities for satisfaction

In preparation 2

  • In prep.
    Prentice, M., & Ehrhardt, N.The Big Five and AI perceptions: How personality dimensions shape trust, emotional responses, and acceptance of AI tools
  • In prep.
    Prentice, M., Sandstrom, G., Rentfrow, J., Kosinski, M., & Stillwell, D.Social assortment by music preferences: Evidence for preference homophily in large social networks

Technical reports 3

  • 2021
    Lieder, F., Prentice, M., & Corwin-Renner, E.Toward a science of effective well-doingMax Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
  • 2016
    Common Cause FoundationPerceptions matter: The Common Cause UK values surveyCommon Cause Foundation, London
  • 2016
    Filardo, E.-A., Prentice, M., Febbraro, A. R., Blais, A.-R., Fraser, B., & Spiece, R.Social and behavioural correlates to effective problem solving in meta-teamsDefence Research and Development Canada, Toronto (TR 2010-184)