Our Lab
Dr. Nikki Legate
Nikki is an associate professor in psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL, and has been a faculty member at Illinois Tech since 2014. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Rochester in 2014.
Nikki studies motivation and well-being using self-determination theory focusing on two primary questions: How can we promote resilience and well-being in individuals from historically excluded groups? And, how can we motivate people to care about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? This research shows that accepting and supportive others (parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, teachers, healthcare providers) are critical to the health and well-being of individuals with a stigmatized identity and motivational DEI approaches that inspire - versus force- a personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are more effective in the short- and long-term.
She has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. At Illinois Tech she teaches undergraduate courses in Prejudice and Stigma, Human Sexuality, Psychology of Gender, Research Methods, and Introduction to Psychology. Nikki is passionate about bringing out the “bright side” of humanity and promoting health equity in her research, teaching, and clinical work.
Website: www.nikkilegate.com
Faculty Webpage: https://www.iit.edu/directory/people/nicole-legate
Email: nlegate@iit.edu
Selected Publications
^Legate, N. & ^Weinstein, N., Motivation Science Can Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Trainings (in press). Perspectives on Psychological Science.
^Legate, N. & ^Weinstein, N., Graham, L., & Plater, M. (2023). Anti‐bias training and perceived force climate: Links with prejudiced attitudes in United Kingdom policing. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. Advance online publication https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2682
^Weinstein, N., & ^Legate, N., Graham, L., Zheng, Y., Plater, M., *Al-Khouja, M., & Moller, A. (2022). The role of perceived autonomy-supportive communications for motivating prejudice reduction and avoiding defiant backlash within the police force workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Advance online publication https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.1295
^Psychological Science Accelerator Self-Determination Theory Collaboration (2022). A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(22), e2111091119.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2111091119
Selected coverage
*Luxon, A. & Legate, N., & Weinstein, N. (2022). Fluctuations in goal pursuits and health in a lesbian, gay, and bisexual sample across a two-week diary study. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity 9(3), 370–382. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000462
Itzchakov, G., Weinstein, N., & Legate, N., Amar, M. (2020). Can high quality listening reduce speakers’ prejudice? Evidence that it can, by promoting non-defensive introspection. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 91, 104022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2020.104022
Legate, N., Weinstein, N. & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). Parenting strategies and adolescents’ cyberbullying behaviors: Evidence from a preregistered study of parent–child dyads. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48, 399-409.
Du Bois, S. N., Guy, A. Legate, N.(2018). Testing the partnership-health association among African American men who have sex with men. Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships, 4, 33-51.
Legate, N., Ryan, R. M. & Rogge, R. D. (2017). Daily autonomy support and sexual identity disclosure predicts daily mental and physical health outcomes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 860–873.
Legate, N., DeHaan, C. R., Weinstein, N., & Ryan, R. M. (2013). Hurting you hurts me too: The psychological costs of complying with ostracism. Psychological Science, 24, 583-588.
Legate, N., Ryan, R. M., & Weinstein, N. (2012). Is coming out always a “good thing”? Exploring the relations of autonomy support, outness and wellness for lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 145-152.
Principal Investigator
Alexandria Luxon
Alexandria is a sixth year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL. She received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the Towson University in 2016. Alexandria primarily conducts research with LGBTQ+ individuals, investigating how sexual and gender minority identities relate to psychopathology. She has also conducted research on OCD and Hoarding Disorder. Additionally, Alexandria has taught multiple classes as an adjunct professor or a teaching assistant, these include statistics and introduction to psychology. Alexandria is currently on internship at the Milwaukee VA. Expected graduation is August 2024.
Graduate Students
Vardha Anil Kharbanda
Vardha is a second year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at Illinois Institute of Technology. She was born and raised in New Delhi, India. Drawing from an interdisciplinary background and extensive psychology training, Vardha's approach is characterized by mindfulness and a deep appreciation for multicultural perspectives. Her unwavering passion lies in advocating for the mental health of minority communities.
As a first-generation graduate student, Vardha intimately understands the challenges faced by minorities in academia. This personal insight fuels their commitment to reshaping existing literature, making it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of underserved populations. Her overarching goal is to collaborate with students, behavioral health providers, and experts from diverse disciplines to ensure that high-quality mental health care and education are accessible to all individuals.
Megan Dunn
Megan is a sixth year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. candidate at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL. Megan primarily conducts research examining the longitudinal impact of autonomy support and relatedness on adult mental health among marginalized populations. She is also interested in social-justice oriented research, drawing primarily from the lens of cultural humility. Megan is currently completing her internship at the VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center. Expected graduation is August 2024.