PhD, Philosophy in Social/Personality Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia,
Columbia, MO, 2013
MA, Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, MO, 2010
BA, Business Studies, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, NJ, 2005

Dr. Trent's most recent research has focused on first impressions, specifically the characteristics of the raters and targets that contribute to these kinds of judgments. He has also been involved in research relating to meaning in life, positive affect, and how trusting your intuition can influence how you view your world. Dr. Trent's most recent interests include how different aspects of modern society (e.g., smartphones, social media, consumerism, etc.) influence human behavior.

* = Student collaboration 

Trent, J. & Ferguson, Y. (2021). How Ethnicity, Expression, and Study Design Influence First Impressions of Approachability. Psychological Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120909458 

Merenda, F., Trent, J., Rinke, C., & Buchanan, M. (2020). Understanding Citizen Satisfaction with the Police: Results from a Community Survey. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2020.1772784  

Sheldon, K. M., Corcoran, M., & Trent, J. (2020). The Face of Crime: Apparent Happiness Differentiates Criminal and Non-Criminal Photos. The Journal of Positive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1805500 

Merenda, F., Trent, J., & Rinke, C. (2020). Untangling the Role of Interactions in Police Satisfaction: Examining Direct and Indirect Contacts with the Police. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X20960790 

Heintzelman, S. J., Trent, J., & King, L. A. (2016). How would the self be remembered? Evidence for posthumous self-verification. Journal of Research in Personality, 61, 1-10. 

Heintzelman, S.J., Trent, J., & King, L.A. (2014). Revisiting Desirable Response Bias in Well-being Reports. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10, 167-178. 

Heintzelman, S.J., Trent, J., & King, L.A. (2013). Encounters with Objective Coherence and the Experience of Meaning in Life. Psychological Science, 24(6), 991-998.    

Trent, J., Lavelock, C.*, & King, L. A. (2013). Processing fluency, positive affect, and judgments of meaning in life. TheJournal of Positive Psychology, 8(2), 135-139. 

Trent, J. & King, L. A. (2013). Faith in Intuition moderates the relationship between positive affect and gender stereotyping. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 865-868. 

Trent, J., Levering, K., & Ferguson, Y. (2023, February). How Vaccine Status and Face Masks Influence Approachability Perceptions. Poster presented at the 24^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, GA.

Behuniak, A.* & Trent, J. (2023, February). The Effects of Mask Wearing and Participant Sex on Perceived Threat. Poster presented at the 94^th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA. 

Milito, S.* & Trent, J. (2023, February). Mobilizing Individuals in a Digital World: Do Instagram Posts Influence Civic Engagement?. Poster presented at the 94^th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA. 

Behuniak, A.*, Romano, R.*, & Trent, J. (2022, October). The Effects of Facial Expression and Participant Age on Perceived Honesty. Poster presented at the 62^nd New England Psychological Association Meeting, Worcester, MA. 

Gibbons, P.* & Trent, J. (2022, March). The Relationship between Personality Traits and Appropriateness Ratings of Social Media Posts. Poster presented at the 93^rd Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY. 

Trent, J., Levering, K., & Ferguson, Y. (2022, February). The Influence of Face Masks and Political Leaning on Perceptions of Approachability. Poster presented at the 23^rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Francisco, CA. 

Barrett, M.* & Trent, J. (2021, November). The Impact of Tribalism on Morality and Political Views. Poster presented at the 62^nd New England Psychological Association Meeting. [Virtual due to coronavirus.] 

Martillotti, R.* & Trent, J. (2021, March). Explicit and Implicit Biases: Analyzing Approachability in Black, East Asian, and White Men. Poster presented at the 92^nd Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association. [Virtual due to coronavirus.] 

Trent, J., Levering, K., & Ferguson, Y. (2021, February). How Gender and Study Design Impact First Impressions of Intelligence. Poster presented at the 22^nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. [Virtual due to coronavirus.]