Phuong-Le

Principal Researcher Phuong Le

Email | Personal Website

EDUCATION

MA and PhD, Psychology, The Ohio State University
BA, Psychology & Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (International Studies), University at Buffalo, State University of New York

BACKGROUND

Phuong is a Principal Researcher and Mindworks Chief Scientist at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology at The Ohio State University, and B.A. in Psychology and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (International Studies) from SUNY Buffalo.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Phuong is a social psychologist who specializes in the science of motivation and goal pursuit, with an eye towards providing actionable recommendations for leaders to enhance motivation and performance. Her research examines how people motivate themselves and others to obtain valued goals, focusing on three major questions:

  1. How do people pursue their long-term goals in the face of immediate obstacles?
  2. What mental tools do people have to navigate the challenges during goal pursuit?
  3. How can motivation science be leveraged for motivating and regulating others?

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

  1. Le, P.Q., Scholer, A.A., & Fujita, K. (2024). The role of conflict representation in abstinence and moderation in self-control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 126(6), 947–977. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000381
  2. Fujita, K., Le. P.Q., Scholer, A.A., & Miele, D.B. (2024). The metamotivation approach: Insights into the regulation of motivation and beyond. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 18(2), Article e12937. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12937
  3. Le, P.Q., & Fujita, K. (2025). Matching construal level to regulatory scope in persuasion. In J.D. Teeny, A. Luttrell, and R.E. Petty (Eds.), The Handbook of Personalized Persuasion: Theory and Application. Taylor & Francis, Routledge.