ABOUT ME

I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, with joint appointments in the Mind & Body Lab and the Polarization and Social Change Lab. I received my PhD in Political Science from Stanford in 2024 and my BA from Dartmouth College in 2018, where I was valedictorian of my graduating class.​ Click here for a copy of my CV.

My career has followed a somewhat unconventional path. While my doctorate is in political science, I learned over the course of my training that the methodologies and theories used to examine interesting questions in the social sciences are applicable across fields. I also learned that the best research is a product of both skill and passion, and I have charted a path that allows me to study the topics that I care most about. In my current work, I therefore use surveys and experiments to study attitudes, beliefs, and behavior in two key areas: athlete/health psychology and political psychology. I also develop interventions focused on changing key outcomes in these two domains.

My research has been published or is forthcoming at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS Nexus, Science, the American Journal of Political Science, and Political Science Research and Methods, among others, and has received coverage in a variety of major media outlets. My book, Campus Diversity: The Hidden Consensus, was published at Cambridge University Press in 2020. 

 Outside of my work in the social sciences, I am a competitive triathlete, endurance coach, and podcaster—experiences which drive my interest in athlete and health psychology. For triathlon coaching inquiries, please visit https://www.theendurancedrive.com/.​

You can contact me at kpc14@stanford.edu or kclayton91496@gmail.com.