I am a social-educational psychologist and the director of the Motivation and Intercultural Relations (MIR) Lab, and a faculty member at the Department of Psychology, University of Victoria.

Background: I completed my Ph.D. in Psychology in 2019 (University of Alberta) and a postdoc at McGill (2020-2021).

Teaching:  I teach social psychology, cultural psychology, and psychology of migration at UVic (see here).

Research: My research interests are at the intersection of social/personality psychology, educational psychology, and applied linguistics, especially where they converge on motivation, identity, and intercultural communications. 

Award: My honours and awards include winning the AERA Wilbert J. McKeachie Early Career Award for Motivation in Education Research (2023) and the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning – Early Career Scholar Award (2024). My work has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council  (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), among others.

Editorial: I am on the editorial board for Journal of Educational Psychology, British Journal of Social Psychology,  International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Psychology of Language and Communication, and Social Psychology of Education.

Migration and Acculturation:

Lou, N. M. (in press). Course design for the psychology of migration: Intradisciplinary and experiential approach. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.  Preprint    Materials

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2024). Striving to reach the “native speaker standard”: A growth belief may mitigate some deleterious effects of social comparison in migrants. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 101, 101990.  Materials

Lou, N. M. (2021). Acculturation in a postcolonial context: Language, identity, cultural adaptation, and academic achievement of Macao students in Mainland China. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 85, 213–225.

Li, W-Q, Li, L. M.W., & Lou, N. M. (2022). Who moved with you? The companionship of significant others reduces movers’ motivation to make new friends. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 25(2), 319-335.

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2019). Sensitivity to language-based rejection in intercultural communication: The role of language mindsets and implications for migrants’ cross-cultural adaptation. Applied Linguistics, 40(3),478–505.

Identity, Prejudice, and Intergroup Relations:

Lou, N. M., Justus, B. J., & Schopper, I. (2025). Intersectional stereotypes of race and migration status: unfolding the societal double standards towards Asian international students in Canada. International Journal of Social Psychology, 02134748251335826.

Ivande, S. K., Schopper, I., & Lou, N. M. (2025). Integrated approach to perceived group discrimination and protective factors: Implications for well-being and academic outcomes among Asian university students in Canada. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 105, 102112.

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2023). “Your English is good for an immigrant”: Examining mixed effects of mindset messages on perceived linguistic potential of and blame attributions towards ESL migrants. Journal of Language and Social Psychology.

Lou, N. M, Noels, K. A., Kurl, S., Zhang, Y. S., & Leslie, H. (2022). COVID discrimination experience: Chinese Canadians’ social identities moderate the effect of personal and group discrimination on well-being. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.

Lou, N. M., Noels, K. A., Kurl, S., Zhang, Y. S., & Leslie, H. (in press). Chinese Canadians’ experiences of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism: Relations with identity, negative emotion, and anti-racism incident reporting. Canadian Psychology.

Haldane, C., Lou, N. M., Harley, J. M. (in press). Social-historical accounts of identity processes and resilience: Experiences of older and prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community. Journal of Homosexuality.

Chaffee, K. E., Lou, N. M, Noels, K. A., & Katz, J. (2019). Why don’t “real” men learn foreign languages? Masculinity threat and gender ideology suppress men’s language motivation. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2020). Mindsets about language learning and support for immigrants’ integration. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 79, 45–57.

Intercultural Communication and Language Learning:

Lou, N. M., Chaffee, K. E., & Noels, K. A. (2025). Beyond aptitudes and experiences: The unique role of mindsets in emotions in language classrooms. Learning and Individual Differences, 120, 102688.

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2020). Breaking the vicious cycle of language anxiety: Growth language mindsets improve lower-competence ESL students’ intercultural interactions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61,101847.

Lou, N. M., Chaffee, K. E., & Noels, K. A. (2021). Growth, fixed and mixed mindsets: Mindset system profiles in foreign language learners and their role in engagement and achievement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

Lou, N. M., & Noels, K. A. (2020). Mindsets matter for linguistic minority students: Growth mindsets foster greater perceived proficiency, especially for newcomers. Modern Language Journal, 104(4), 739-756.

Cross-Cultural Psychology: 

Cologna, V., Mede, N. G., Berger, S., Besley, J., Brick, C., Joubert, M., … & Metag, J. (2025). Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries. Nature Human Behaviour, 9(4), 713-730. 

Lou, N. M., & Li, L.M.W. (2024). Social mobility and motivational payoff: Achievement motivation is more important in students’ performance and well-being in cultures with high vs. low social mobility. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Preprint

Lou, N. M., & Li, L.M.W. (2023). The mindset × societal norm effect across 78 cultures: Growth mindsets are linked to performance weakly and well-being negatively in societies with fixed-mindset norms. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 134–152.    Preprint

Lou, N. M., & Li, L. M. (2017). Interpersonal relationship mindsets and rejection sensitivity across cultures: The role of relational mobility. Personality and Individual Differences, 108, 200–206.

Lee, H., Lou, N. M., Johnson, M. D., & Park, S. W. (2019). A Socio-ecological approach to understanding mental and physical health: The mediating role of relationship beliefs and goals. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.36(10),3117-3138.

Mental Health and Well-Being:

Lou, N. M., Noels, K. A. Zhang, Y. S. D. & Kurl, S. (2022). Ethnic minority, immigrants, and Indigenous peoples’ well-being disparities in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of threat perceptions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 88, 148-156.

Lou, N. M., Montreuil, T. C., Feldman, L., Fried, G., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Bhanji, F., Kennedy, H., Kaneva, P., Drouin, S., & Harley, J. M. (2022). Evaluations of healthcare providers’ perceived support from personal, hospital, and system resources: Implications for wellbeing and management in healthcare in Montreal, Quebec during COVID-19. Evaluation & the Health Professions.

Lou, N. M., Montreuil, T. C., Feldman, L., Fried, G., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Bhanji, F., Kennedy, H., Kaneva, P., & Harley, J.M. (2021). Nurses and physicians’ distress, burnout, and coping strategies during COVID-19: Stress and impact on perceived performance and intentions to quit. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions.

Harley, J. M., Montreuil, T. C., Lou, N. M., Feldman, L., Fried, G., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Bhanji, F., Kennedy, H. (2022). Rethinking how healthcare professionals cope with stress: A process model for COVID-19 and beyond. Health Care Management Review.