Our work in the motivation cognition lab addresses the two fundamental questions of what motivates people to do what they do, and how does motivation drive people behavior. Our work is grounded in theory and is directing empirical research both in the laboratory and in the field. We stress the relevance of psychological theory and research to important social problems, including Syrian refugees and domestic and international terrorism. Recent topics on which we have been working include the psychology of human goals, the dynamics of extremism, the psychology of radicalization, the human quest for meaning and significance, closed-mindedness, the psychology of uncertainty, and reactions to the unknown. We are engaged in international collaborations including with the Sapienza University of Rome, University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, University of Zurich, and the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.