Dr. Hayes is a social-personality researcher, who examines how people respond to threat. His research program takes a three-pronged approach to understanding this topic:
1) Types of threat: His primary interest is in how people cope with the awareness of death, but he is also interested in other types of threat (e.g., failure, uncertainty, uncontrollability, meaninglessness, separation). Why are these circumstances threatening, and how do people react?
2) Emotional Reactions: What types of emotions are aroused by threat, and why? He is particularly interested in anxiety and depression, and the motivational dynamics that produce each of these negative emotions.
3) Defensive Responses: How do people attempt to reduce negative emotions aroused by threat? What are the consequences (psychological, social, societal) of engaging various types of defense. His most current research seeks to examine passivity and withdrawal-oriented reactions to threat (e.g., giving up following failure). He is also interested in how withdrawal may lead to suicide or a suicidal confrontation with the source of threat (e.g., lone-wolf terrorism, suicide bombing).
