Kirsten A. Lesage
ABOUT ME
With over 10 years of research experience, I've dedicated my career to understanding how culture and society influence individuals' attitudes and behaviors. My experiences range from managing multi-million dollar international studies to extracting actionable insights on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I adopt a mixed-methods approach in my study designs, employing both quantitative and qualitative research techniques where appropriate. Collaboration is at the heart of my approach, integrating diverse perspectives and lived experiences to ensure that every piece of research is adequately nuanced, meaningful, and actionable.
WORK EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Developmental Psychology
University of California, Riverside
2020
M.A., Psychology
University of California, Riverside
2016
B.A., Psychology (Honors), Spanish
Northwestern College
2013
Research Associate
Pew Research Center
11/2023 -- Present
Research Project Manager
Veris Insights
05/2022 -- 11/2023
Postdoctoral Research Associate & Project Manager
Boston University
09/2020 -- 05/2022
Doctoral Researcher
University of California, Riverside
09/2014 -- 08/2020
Instructor & Teaching Assistant
University of California, Riverside
06/2015 -- 08/2019
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
In my academic research, I explored how the cultural context shapes how individuals reason and explain the world around them, and how beliefs and attitudes form and change or remain stable. I took a lifespan perspective in much of this work by examining how both children and adults think.
I employed both quantitative and qualitative methods as well as a variety of research designs and techniques to answer research questions, including: longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, experimental and observational studies, focus groups, semi-structured qualitative interviews, surveys, and cognitive tasks.
Selected Publications
Lesage, K.A., & Richert, R.A. (2021). Can God do the impossible? Anthropomorphism and children's certainty that God can make impossible things possible. Cognitive Development. (PDF)
Richert, R.A.,* Weisman, K., Lesage, K.A., Ghossainy, M.E., Reyes-Jaquez, B., & Corriveau, K.H.* (2022). Belief, culture, & development: Insights from studying the development of religious beliefs and behaviors. Advances in Child Development and Behavior. (PDF)
Lesage, K.A., Ghossainy, M.E., Richert, R.A. & Corriveau, K.H. (2023, In-Press). Social learning and religion. In J. Tehrani, J. Kendal & R. Kendal (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Cultural Evolution.