Zoë Francis PhD
Beliefs and Self-Control Lab
University of the Fraser Valley
About Me
“I find I get my energy from doing the things I love… If you do the things you love, you don’t get tired!”
- Trevor Noah demonstrating a "non-limited" theory of willpower during an interview on the The Late Show
I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley. I completed my undergraduate at the University of Alberta with Dr. Pete Hurd, followed by my PhD at the University of Toronto with Dr. Michael Inzlicht. In addition to teaching and conducting research at UFV, I am an associate editor at the British Journal of Psychology, play in chess tournaments, and continue to improve my gymnastics skills.
BaSC Lab Research
Our research centres on two topics: (i) self-regulation, including goal pursuit and mental fatigue, and (ii) people's lay theories or folk beliefs. Many of my publications are on the intersection of these two topics, on a concept known as "willpower theories". Willpower theories are the beliefs that people hold about whether their self-control runs out with use or whether it sustains itself. I've explored the role of willpower theories in a variety of contexts, from how these beliefs predict health-related behaviours (snacking, physical activity) to how they are associated with the support of one's romantic partner. The BaSC lab has also studied lay beliefs on other topics (e.g., perceptions of friendship, disability) and conducts research on other aspects of self-regulation (e.g., goal pursuit strategies, cognitive associations).
We use a variety of methodologies for our research, including experimental designs (both in-lab and online), experience sampling methodologies, development and validation of new questionnaires, and analysis of online data (most recently from Reddit). Transparency, replication, pre-registration, and open science are also important to the lab's research; students have participated in man multi-lab studies and other collaborative research projects.