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PI: Cindy Meston
Lab: The Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory
School: University of Texas at Austin
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Sexual satisfaction, Physiological synchrony, Sexual violence, Nonconsensual sexual experiences, Mandatory reporting, Disclosure

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Below are summaries of some of our ongoing and previous research studies. Visit our Study Participation Information page for details on becoming a participant in our research. Thank you for your interest!

Ongoing Research

Over the past ten years, there has been a dramatic increase in research examining the interpersonal and relational predictors of sexual satisfaction, with findings illuminating the primacy of relationships for sexual well-being. Despite an increasingly dyadic research approach within the field, nothing is yet known about the role of interpersonal autonomic responding between partners during sexual activity. This gap is notable, as there is a robust body of research suggesting that physiological synchrony-or, dynamic, reciprocal exchanges across biological systems resulting in interpersonal psychophysiological covariation-is strongly implicated in relational satisfaction and distress. Moreover, emerging research has extended these findings to sexual relationships, finding that sexual satisfaction moderates the magnitude of physiological synchrony observed between heterosexual partners in a non-sexual, laboratory-based context. Taken together, there is theoretical and empirical evidence to suggest that psychophysiological attunement between partners may be relevant for their sexual relationship. Building upon these data, the current project seeks to examine the role of physiological synchrony in sexual satisfaction in a more ecologically valid context: at-home, during sexual activity. The aims of the current project include: (1) illuminating whether physiological synchrony manifests between partners during sexual activity, (2) examining whether the magnitude of the observed synchrony is stronger during sexual activity than during non-sexual interactions, and finally (3) interrogating the role of sexual satisfaction in the strength of physiological synchrony observed. It is my hope that these results may illuminate a candidate mechanism for variation in couple-level sexual satisfaction and, to that end, may provide rationale for future treatment development research utilizing psychophysiological attunement to optimize dyadic sexual outcomes.

Learn more about this study and participate by contacting Bridget Freihart at mestonlab@utexas.edu.

In the United States, employees of federally funded universities are mandated to report knowledge of any nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) to their universities under Title IX. The few studies to date that have assessed students' opinions or likelihood of disclosing sexual violence to someone at their university under these policies returned mixed results, with students who have never experienced an NSE saying they would be more likely to report under these policies while students with a history of NSEs report being less likely. The NSE literature also indicates that people with NSE histories are less likely to disclose sexual violence with mandatory reporting (MR) policies in place. Additionally, there are discrepancies in likelihood to disclose even without the presence of MR policy; people who do not identify their NSEs with sexual violence terms (e.g. rape) are less likely to disclose their experience than people who do use those terms. Additionally, the circumstances and the perpetrator of the NSE have also been shown to influence the survivor's likelihood of reporting their experience.

Using descriptive vignettes, the current study aims to (1) evaluate students' likelihood of reporting to someone at the university by introducing a manipulation of the presence of MR policies while (2) evaluating how NSE identification rather than just NSE history impacts that likelihood. Approximately 200 undergraduate students at UT Austin were randomized into two groups, one was given language indicating the presence of MR policies and the other was given language about confidential reporting. Each student was then given four gender-neutral vignettes, two describing penetrative assault and two non-penetrative assault with alternating professor and student perpetrators. Each vignette was followed by questions adapted from Newins and White (2018) asking the participant how likely they would be to tell a professor at the university if they were the student in the vignette. Students also completed the Non- Consensual Sexual Experiences Inventory to assess NSE history and identification (NSEI; Kilimnik, Boyd, Stanton, &amp; Meston, 2018). It is hypothesized that the presence of mandatory reporting will increase disclosure likelihood in people without a history of NSE and decrease likelihood in Identifiers and Non-Identifiers respectively. It is also anticipated that reporting likelihood will be moderated by perpetrator type, with all participants being more likely to report with a professor as the perpetrator rather than a student.

Previous Research
Physiological Studies on Sexual Function The Sympathetic Nervous System and Women's Sexual Arousal Heart Rate Variability and Sexual Arousal Anxiety and Sexual Arousal Hysterectomy and Sexual Arousal Nicotine and Sexual Arousal Serotonin and Sexual Function Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Sexual Arousal Testosterone and Sexual Arousal Psychological Studies on Sexual Function Sexual Motivation Self-Focused Attention and Sexual Arousal Expectancies and Sexual Arousal Social Desirability Influences on Self-Reported Sexuality Depression and Sexual Functioning Excitation Transfer and Sexual Attraction Ethnic Influences on Sexuality Religion and Sexuality Sexual Impairments and Subjective Sexual Well-Being Recreational Erectile Dysfunction Medication Use in Male Undergraduates Studies on The Relationship Between Physiological and Psychological Sexual Arousal in Women The Relationship Between Physiological and Psychological Sexual Arousal in Women Treatment Outcome Studies for Sexual Dysfunction A Treatment-Outcome Study for Sexually Dysfunctional Women with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback for Women with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder Exercise for Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Side Effects L-arginine Gultamate Plus Yohimbine For Female Sexual Arousal Disorder in Post-menopausal Women Gingko Biloba Extract for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder The Role of Placebo in the Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction Effects of Smoking Cessation on Sexual Health in Men Studies on the Sexual Consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) Cognitive Studies in Women with CSA Histories Studies on the Sexual Self-Schema of Women with CSA Histories Studies on Sympathetic Nervous System Activation Among CSA Survivors Research on Body Image and Esteem Among CSA Survivors Research on Identification as an Abuse Survivor Questionnaire Development The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) The Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W) The Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Men (SSS-M) The Cues for Sexual Desire Scale (CSDS) The Why Have Sex Questionnaire (YSEX?) The Why Have Sex Short-Form Questionnaire (YSEX?-SF) The Sexual Disgust Inventory (SDI) The Sexual Dysfunction Attributions Scale (SDAS) Validation of the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire (MFSQ) in an Italian sample Studies Based on Evolutionary Theory Sexual Disgust Exploitability

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Below are summaries of some of our ongoing and previous research studies. Visit our Study Participation Information page for details on becoming a participant in our research. Thank you for your interest! Over the past ten years, there has been a dramatic increase in research examining the interpersonal and relational predictors of sexual satisfaction, with findings illuminating the primacy of relationships for sexual well-being.

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PI: Julia Babcock
Lab: N/A
School: University of Houston
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci:  Domestic Violence, Psychophysiology and Observation of Couples' Interactions, Couples' Therapy, Efficacy of Domestic Violence Interventions

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Clinical Research Service Center, Room 1017
713-743-8621
JBabcock@UH.EDU
Dr. Babcock will be reviewing graduate student applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. Application deadline is Dec 1, 2020. Please see Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data for details.
Research Interests

Domestic Violence

Couples' Interaction

Marital Therapy

Efficacy of Interventions with Domestic Violence

Emotions and Emotional Regulation

Teaching

PSYC 6303: Interventions I: Foundations in Empirically Supported Treatments

PSYC 4321: Abnormal Psychology

PSYC 7380: Marriage and Marital Therapy

Selected Publications

Babcock, J. C. & Potthoff, A. L. (in press). Effects of angry rumination and distraction in intimate partner violent men. Manuscript accepted for publication. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Babcock, J. C. & Banks, J. (2019). Interobserver agreement and the effects of ethnicity on observational coding of affect. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(9), 2842- 2856. doi:10.1177/0265407518803474.

Babcock, J. C. & Michonski, J. D. (2019). Sensitivity to facial affect in personality disordered batterers: Expression recognition and physiological responses. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 11(3), 213-224. doi: 10.1108/JACPR-12-2018-0396

Babcock, J. C., Snead, A. L., Bennett, V. E., & Armenti, N. A. (2019). Distinguishing subtypes of mutual violence in the context of self-defense: Classifying types of partner violent couples using a modified Conflict Tactics Scale. Journal of Family Violence. doi:10.1007/s10896-018-0012-2

Trahan, L. H. & Babcock, J. C. (2019). The emotional reactivity of intimate partner violent men with Borderline or Antisocial Personality Disorder: Results from an interpersonal conflict task. Journal of Family Violence, 34(7), 645-654. doi: 0.1007/s10896-019-00069-9

Armenti, N. A., & Babcock, J. C. (2018). Psychophysiological reactivity profiles of partner-violent men with borderline or psychopathic personality features: The role of empathy. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(11), 3337-3354. doi: 10.1177/0306624X17740029

Babcock, J. C. Armenti, N., & Warford, P. (2017). The trials and tribulations of testing couples-based interventions for intimate partner violence. Partner Abuse, 8, 110-121. doi:10.1891/1946-6560.8.1.110

Babcock, J. C. Armenti, N., Cannon, C. Lauve-Moon, K, Buttell, F... (2016). Domestic violence perpetrator programs: A proposal for evidence-based standards in the United States. Partner Abuse, 7, 2-107.

Babcock, J. C., Sharp, C., Tharp, A., Hepner, W., & Stanford, M. A. (2014). Similarities and Differences in Impulsive/Premeditated and Reactive/Proactive Bimodal Classifications of Aggression. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 19(3), 251-262. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2014.04.002

Babcock, J. C., Gottman, J. M., Ryan, K. D., & Gottman, J. S. (2013). A component analysis of a brief psycho‐educational couples' workshop: One‐year follow‐up results. Journal of Family Therapy, 35(3), 252-280. doi: 10.1111/1467-6427.12017

Babcock, J. C., Graham, K., Canady, B., & Ross, J. M. (2011). A proximal change experiment testing two communication exercises with intimate partner violent men. Behavior Therapy, 42, 336-347. doi: 0.1016/j.beth.2010.08.010 (Voted one of the "Best of 2011 Violence Research" articles by Psychology of Violence.)

Ross, J. M. & Babcock, J. C. (2009). Proactive and reactive violence among intimate partner violent men diagnosed with antisocial and borderline personality disorder. Journal of Family Violence, 24(8), 607-617. doi: 10.1007/s10896-009-9259-y

Babcock, J. C., Green, C. E., & Webb, S. A. (2008). Decoding deficits of batterers during presentation of facial affect slides. Journal of Family Violence, 23(5), 295-302. doi: 10.1007/s10896-008-9151-1

Babcock, J. C., Roseman, A. Green, C. E. & Ross, J. M. (2008). Intimate partner abuse and PTSD symptomology: Examining mediators and moderators of the abuse-trauma link. Journal of Family Psychology. 22, 809-818.

Babcock, J. C., Green, C. E., Webb, S. A., & Yerington, T. P. (2005). Psychophysiological profiles of batterers: Autonomic emotional reactivity as it predicts the antisocial spectrum of behavior among intimate partner abusers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 11(3), 445-455. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.114.3.444

Babcock, J. C., Costa, D. M., Green, C. E., & Eckhardt, C. I. (2004). What situations induce intimate partner violence?: A reliability and validity study of the Proximal Antecedents to Violent Episodes (PAVE) scale. Journal of Family Psychology, 18(3), 433-442. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.18.3.433

Babcock, J. C., Green, C. E., Webb, S. A., & Graham, K. H. (2004). A Second Failure to Replicate the Gottman et al. (1995) Typology of Men Who Abuse Intimate Partners...and Possible Reasons Why". Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 396-400. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.18.2.396

Babcock, J. C., Green, C. E., & Robie, C. (2004). Does batterers' treatment work?: A meta-analytic review of domestic violence treatment outcome research. Clinical Psychology Review, 23(8), 1023-1053. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2002.07.001

Babcock, J. C., Jacobson, N. S., Gottman, J. M., & Yerington, T. P. (2000). Attachment, emotional regulation, and the function of marital violence: Differences between secure, preoccupied and dismissing violent and nonviolent husbands. Journal of Family Violence, 15, 391-409.

Waltz, J., Babcock, J. C., Jacobson, N. S. & Gottman, J. M. (2000). Testing a typology of batterers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 658-669. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.68.4.658 (Published note: First and second authors contributed equally to this article.)

Babcock, J. C. & Steiner, R., (1999). The relationship between treatment, incarceration, and recidivism of battering: A program evaluation of Seattle's coordinated community response to domestic violence. Journal of Family Psychology, 13, 46-59. doi: 10.1037//0893-3200.13.1.46

Jacobson, N. S., Gottman, J. M., Waltz, J., Rushe, R. Babcock, J. C., & Holtzworth-Munroe, A. (1994). Affect, verbal content, and psychophysiology in the arguments of couples with a violent husband. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62(5), 982-988. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.62.5.982 [Reprinted in Prevention (2000), 3, np.]

Babcock, J. C., Waltz, J., Jacobson, N. S. & Gottman, J. M. (1993). Power and violence: The relationship between communication patterns, power discrepancies and domestic violence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61(1), 40-50. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.61.1.40

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Clinical Research Service Center, Room 1017713-743-8621 JBabcock@UH.EDU Dr. Babcock will be reviewing graduate student applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. Application deadline is Dec 1, 2020. Please see Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data for details.

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PI: Don Baucom
Lab: UNC Couples Lab
School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Social support, Stressors, Cognitive-behavioral approach, Relationship distress, Health concerns, Psychopathology, Relationship education

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RELATIONSHIP DISTRESS
For several decades, I have been intrigued by trying to understand how people develop the important close relationships in their lives, and how these potential sources of joy and support can unexpectedly become major stressors as the relationships deteriorate. I study relationships from a broad cognitive-behavioral perspective and have spent many years observing how partners in a relationship interact with each other and how they think about and interpret those interactions. This work incorporates such strategies as bringing couples into our laboratory to watch them interact and coding their behaviors, obtaining self-report measures from community couples through the Internet, and collecting daily diary reports through automated telephone dial-in systems. Thus, we use a variety of approaches to try to understand the complex phenomena in couples' relationships over their life span, ranging from couples who are dating to newlyweds to aging couples.

The endowed chair and distinguished professorship presented to me by the University recognize my contributions to the field of couple research.
COUPLES AND INDIVIDUAL FUNCTIONING: HEALTH CONCERNS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
My major reason for trying to understand intimate relationships is to establish an empirical basis for developing and evaluating a variety of interventions for couples in different contexts. That is, I conduct psychotherapy outcome research with couples who are experiencing a range of issues. During my research career spanning more than 38 years, I have helped to develop the theoretical, empirical, and clinical base for cognitive-behavioral couple therapy for assisting distressed couples. In several treatment outcome investigations, I have demonstrated the effectiveness of these interventions; these findings along with those of other investigators have made cognitive-behavioral couple therapy the most extensively validated treatment for distressed couples. I also am strongly committed to translating the interventions that I have developed into practical guides for practicing therapists. Therefore, in addition to publishing empirical findings, I have co-authored two books for therapists detailing how to conduct cognitive-behavioral couple therapy.

I have a strong research interest in a particularly traumatic form of relationship distress-infidelity. Along with colleagues elsewhere, we have developed a treatment for couples experiencing infidelity and have piloted it to demonstrate its initial validity. We also have completed two books based on our empirical findings in this area: a self-help book for couples experiencing infidelity ( Getting Past the Affair) and a book for therapists to explain how to work with those couples ( Helping Couples Get Past the Affair).
RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION
More recently, I have taken what I have learned about healthy and maladaptive relationships and applied those findings to a variety of specific contexts. For example, I am interested in the interaction between relationship functioning and each partner's psychological and physical well-being or distress. As a result, I have undertaken a number of treatment studies exploring one partner's health issues in a relationship context.
This work incorporates a wide variety of couple-based intervention studies focusing on different health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular difficulties, arthritis, respiratory disease, and smoking during pregnancy. At present, I am engaged in a pediatric oncology study, working with couples who have a child with cancer.
Similar to my interest in health and relationship functioning, I also am interested in how individual psychopathology and relationship functioning influence each other. I have helped to develop several interventions for couples in which one partner is experiencing psychological diffiiculties. I am currently co-principal investigator, along with Cynthia Bulik at UNC, of an NIMH-funded, couple-based treatment study for couples in which one of the adult partners has anorexia nervosa-Uniting Couples (in the treatment of) Anorexia Nervosa ( UCAN). Similarly, in collaboration with Jon Abramowitz at UNC, I recently completed a couple-based intervention study for couples in which one partner has obsessive-compulsive disorder. In collaboration with a colleague in Germany, I recently completed a therapist manual on assisting couples in which one partner is experiencing psychopathology.
GRADUATE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
All my treatment studies in this area are based on the notion that individuals with health issues or psychological concerns can make better progress if they have the assistance and support of loved ones, such as a partner or spouse. Moreover, psychopathology and medical problems can create significant stress for a couple's relationship, and the couple must learn how to adapt to that stress.

Whereas the above interests focus on distress and difficulties in relationships and individual functioning, I also am interested in how couples develop optimal relationships and can prevent the development of relationship discord. Therefore, for many years I conducted a longitudinal study exploring the impact of an education program for engaged couples called Building Our Own Story Together ( BOOST). We offered weekend workshops to help engaged couples get their relationships off to a good start and then followed the progress of their marriages for five years. The intervention is ongoing under the leadership of other professionals, and our longitudinal research on these marriages continues.

Graduate students are involved in all of the above research endeavors in a variety of ways, in addition to bringing their own interests to our Couples Lab and instigating new investigations. Please see the graduate students' profiles to learn more about the variety of interests and expertise that they bring to our work on intimate relationships.

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RELATIONSHIP DISTRESS For several decades, I have been intrigued by trying to understand how people develop the important close relationships in their lives, and how these potential sources of joy and support can unexpectedly become major stressors as the relationships deteriorate.

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PI: Brian Baucom
Lab: N/A
School: The University of Utah
Foci: Romantic relationships, Conflict, Health and well-being, Distress, Dysfunctional conflict, Polarization model

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research is focused on understanding how romantic partners' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during conflict are related to their individual well-being and to the health of their relationships. One of the most important assumptions in my work is that couple conflict is a normative, inevitable, and even necessary phenomenon. Although conflict is often assumed to be problematic, conflict can facilitate adaptation and positive growth and is one of the primary mechanisms by which change and reorganization take place. On the other hand, conflict can also be a major source of distress for romantic partners and dysfunctional conflict processes are linked to a wide range of negative outcomes.

At present, my research is focused on understanding a theoretical model of severe relationship distress called the polarization model. This model attempts to explain how some romantic partners become increasingly distant from one another over time in the ways they act, think, and feel and what factors increase risk for the occurrence of this phenomenon.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

Our research group is currently conducting a number of interdisciplinary projects on many different aspects of couple interaction. These projects include studies of couple therapies and relationship education programs in the United States, Germany, and Australia, a study of couple based therapy for married couples where one spouse has been diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, a study of the links between family violence and couple interaction, and a study of couple interaction during daily life.

Another major focus of our research group is the development of computational tools and statistical models for studying couple interaction. Most current projects involve collaboration with colleagues from a number of disciplines such as electrical engineering and biostatistics. As a result, our research group is active in a number of areas outside of clinical psychology including speech signal processing, affective computing, computational linguistics, and statistical modeling for multiply nested designs. These aspects of the lab make it an excellent fit for students with backgrounds both within and outside of clinical psychology, students with interests in couple interaction, couple therapy, and behavior & emotion, and creative thinkers who are excited about interdisciplinary collaboration.

While I am not currently accepting applications for new graduate students, our lab is accepting applications for a limited number of volunteer RA positions that would begin immediately. If interested, please contact Feea Leifker to apply and for further information about opportunities in our lab.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles (Clinical Psychology, 2008)
Internship, Veterans Administration, Los Angeles (APA-Accredited Clinical Psychology Internship, 2007-2008)
M.A., University of California, Los Angeles (Clinical Psychology, 2003)
B.S., Vanderbilt University (Psychology, 2000)
B.S., Vanderbilt University (Engineering Science, 2000)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Baucom, B.R., Saxbe, D., Ramos, M.R., Spies, L., Duman, S.R., & Margolin, G. (in press). Characteristics and correlates of adolescents' fundamental frequency during family conflict. Emotion.

Baucom, B.R., Weusthoff, S., Atkins, D., & Hahlweg, K. (in press). Greater emotional arousal predicts poorer long-term memory of communication skills in couples. Behaviour Research and Therapy. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.03.010

Atkins, D.C., Rubin, T., Steyvers, M., Doeden, M., Baucom, B.R., & Christensen, A. (in press). Novel methods for modeling couple and family text data: An introduction to topic models. Journal of Family Psychology.

Black, M., Katsamanis, N., Baucom, B.R., Lee, C. Lammert, A., Christensen, A., Georgiou, P., & Narayanan, S. (in press). Towards automating a human behavioral coding system for married couples' interactions using acoustic features. Speech Communication.

Baucom, B.R., Atkins, D., Eldridge, K., McFarland, P., Sevier, M., & Christensen, A. (2011). The language of demand/withdraw: Verbal and vocal expressions in dyadic interaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 570-580. doi:10.1037/a0024064

Baucom, B.R., McFarland, P., & Christensen, A. (2010). Gender, topic, and time in observed demand/withdraw interaction in cross- and same-sex couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 233-242. doi: 10.1037/a0019717

Baucom, B.R., Atkins, D., Simpson, L., & Christensen, A. (2009). Prediction of response to treatment in a randomized clinical trial of couple therapy: A 2-year follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 160-173. doi: 10.1037/a0014405

MY CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS

Colin Adamo
Alex Crenshaw
Jasara Hogan
Karena Leo
Nicholas Perry

MY CURRENT POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Feea Leifker
Alexis May
Alex Wong

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Brian Baucom, Ph.D. - Department of Psychology - The University of Utah

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My research is focused on understanding how romantic partners' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during conflict are related to their individual well-being and to the health of their relationships. One of the most important assumptions in my work is that couple conflict is a normative, inevitable, and even necessary phenomenon.

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PI: Brian Doss
Lab: Couples Lab
School: University of Miami
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Coach support, Low-income couples, Distressed couples, Interventions

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Past Research

Effectiveness of Online Programs for Low-Income Couples

From 2016-2018, we enrolled 742 couples into a randomized controlled trial of the OurRelationship and ePREP programs for low-income couples who fell within 200% of the federal poverty line (approximately equivalent to a household income of $50k for a two-parent family with two children). Couples were randomly assigned to receive the OurRelationship program, the ePREP program, or a 6-month waitlist control. In addition to receiving the program, couples also had four 15-minute calls with a graduate level relationship coach over the duration of the program. While study outcomes are still being analyzed, initial results suggest that both programs were effective in improving relationship satisfaction, relationship conflict, communication skills, and relationship knowledge, with few significant between-program differences. This study was funded by a federal grant from the Administration of Children and Families.
Nationwide Trial of the Effectiveness of Online Programs for Distressed Couples
Between 2013-2016, we enrolled a nationally representative sample of 300 heterosexual, relationally distressed couples into a randomized controlled trial of the web-based OurRelationship program in an effort to increase the reach and accessibility of services for distressed couples. Couples were randomly assigned to begin the program immediately or to a 2-month waitlist control group. In addition to receiving the program, couples also had four 15-minute calls with a graduate level relationship coach over the duration of the program. Results supported that, compared to the waitlist control group, the OurRelationship program was effective in significantly improving both relationship functioning (relationship satisfaction [Cohen's d = 0.69], relationship confidence [d = 0.47], and negative relationship quality [d = 0.57]) and individual functioning (depressive [d = 0.71] and anxious symptoms [d = 0.94], perceived health [d = 0.51], work functioning [d = 0.57], and quality of life [d = 0.44]). Together, our findings suggest that the OurRelationship program can serve as a low-cost alternative to couple therapy.This study was funded by a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Initial outcome study- A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Web-Based OurRelationship Program: Effects on Relationship and Individual Functioning
1-yr Follow up study- Maintenance of Gains in Relationship and Individual Functioning Following the Online OurRelationship Program

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Past Research|Couples Lab|University of Miami

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Past Research Effectiveness of Online Programs for Low-Income Couples From 2016-2018, we enrolled 742 couples into a randomized controlled trial of the OurRelationship and ePREP programs for low-income couples who fell within 200% of the federal poverty line (approximately equivalent to a household income of $50k for a two-parent family with two children).

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PI: Kristina Gordon
Lab: Gordon Couples Research Lab
School: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci:  | Romantic relationships, Relationship dysfunction, Relationship promotion or health, Stress, Patient-caregiver

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The Gordon Couples Research Lab is located at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and focuses on the study of romantic relationships, treatment of relationship dysfunction, and promotion or relationship health. We are comprised of doctoral students in clinical psychology who share an interest in research and clinical work with couples and families.

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PI: Amy Marshall
Lab: Relationships and Stress Lab
School: Penn State University
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci:  | Close relationships, Physical and psychological aggression, Stress, Psychopathology, PTSD, Parent-child relationships, Intimate relationships

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The research being conducted in the Relationships and Stress Research Lab at the Pennsylvania State University is designed to determine causal mechanisms and contextual factors that contribute to the occurrence of psychological and physical aggression in close relationships. A particular emphasis is placed on the ways in which exposure to stress and trauma-related psychopathology interact with early-stage social information processing (e.g., individuals' attention to, and perception of, emotionally and physically threatening social stimuli) to lead to aggression in intimate and parent-child relationships. This model includes the study of developmental and intra- and inter-personal processes that contribute to changes in information processing that are particularly important to the maintenance of adaptive close relationships and recovery from posttraumatic sequelae.

Additional areas of study in the lab include:

6)development of innovative research methodologies and assessment techniques.

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The Pennsylvania State University Relationships and Stress Research Lab

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The research being conducted in the Relationships and Stress Research Lab at the Pennsylvania State University is designed to determine causal mechanisms and contextual factors that contribute to the occurrence of psychological and physical aggression in close relationships.

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PI: Guy Bodenmann
Lab: N/A
School: University of Zurich
Area: Clinical Psychology for Children/Adolescents and Couples/Families
Foci: Close relationships, Couples therapy, Stress and coping, Divorce, Relationship distress, Mental health, Relationship functioning, Child well-being, Interventions

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Guy Bodenmann is professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Zurich. He is the director of the Clinical Training Program for Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, director of the Clinical Training Program for Couple Therapy and director of the postgraduate training for school psychology. He is the president of the Academy of Behavioral Therapy in Children and Adolescents (AVKJ). He teaches in the bachelor, master and Ph.D. program and in different postgraduate clinical trainings in Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy. He developed the Couples Coping Enhancement Training (CCET) and the coping-oriented couple therapy approach.

1987

Bachelor's degree in Special Education, Clinical Psychology and Pedagogy at University of Fribourg, Switzerland (summa cum laude)

1991

Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, General Psychology and Applied Psychology at University of Fribourg, Switzerland (summa cum laude)

1995

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (summa cum laude)

1999

Postdoctoral Lecture Qualification (Habilitation) in Clinical Psychology

1988-1995

Assistant of Prof. Dr. Meinrad Perrez, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

1993-1994

Research fellow at the University of Washington (Seattle); lab of Prof. Dr. John Gottman

1995-2008

Director of the Institute for Family Research and Counseling, University of Fribourg

1999-2001

Assistant professor at University of Fribourg

2001-2008

Associate professor of Clinical Psychology and Relationships at University of Fribourg

2008-

Full professor of Clinical Psychology for Children/Adolescents and Couples/Families at University of Zurich

Guy Bodenmann is International Affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA), the German Association of Psychologists (DGPs), the Swiss Association of Psychologists (FSP), The Swiss Society of Psychology (SGP), the Swiss Society for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (SGVT) and member of the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR), the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), the European Society on Family Relations (ESFR) as well as the Scientific and Professional Advisory Committee (SPAC) for Triple P.

Stress and Coping in couples and families

Prediction of divorce and relationship distress

Prevention of dysfunctional relationships (development of the Couples Coping Enhancement Training; CCET)

Mental disorders and close relationships

Evaluation oft he efficacy of couple therapy and relationship education

Evaluation of treatments in couples' intervention (CCET, marital therapy)

Relationship functioning and child well-being

Prediction and prevention of divorce. Swiss National Research Foundation (11-46820.96; 11-46820.96).

Clinical Psychology in Couples and Families

Family risk factors for child dysfunctional development

Theoretical basis of cognitive behavioral therapy with children/adolescents

Psychological disorders in children/adolescents

Cognitive-behavioral child therapy

Relationship dysfunctions

Prevention of relationship distress

Couple Therapy

Member of the scientific commitee of the Centro d'Ateneo di studi e ricerche sulla familia dell'Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano.

Member of the expert panel of the DFG-project „Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics"(Pairfam).

Member of the Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) of the DFG project „Additive bzw. synergetische Effekte eines kombinierten Eltern- und Kindertrainings bei AD(H)S" von Prof. Dr. Gerhard Lauth et al. (Universität zu Köln, Germany).

Member of International Editorial Board of book series by Springer „Couples and Health" ( Prof. Kim Halford et al.).

Member of the scientific committee of the book series on social and clinical family psychology ( Prof. Dr. E. Scabini & Prof. Dr. V. Cigoli).

Ad-hoc Reviewer for the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), the German Research Funding Organisation (DFG), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Marsden Fund Royal Society of New Zealand.

Guy Bodenmann is trained in cognitive behavioral therapy and specialized in couple therapy. He developed the Couples Coping Enhancement Training (CCET) and the coping-oriented couple therapy.

He is director of the clinical training program in Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents (Master of Advanced Studies) and president of the Academy of Behavioral Therapy in Children and Adolescents at the Universities of Fribourg and Zurich. He is director of the post-graduate training for school psychologists and of the post-graduate training for couple therapists.

He is the director of the clinic for psychotherapies for couples and the clinic for psychotherapy for children/adolescents at the University of Zurich. He is supervisor and trainer of couple therapists.

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Guy Bodenmann is professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Zurich. He is the director of the Clinical Training Program for Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, director of the Clinical Training Program for Couple Therapy and director of the postgraduate training for school psychology.

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PI: Cheryl Carmichael
Lab: N/A
School: Brooklyn College, CUNY
Area: Basic & Applied Social Psychology; Health Psychology & Clinical Science
Foci: Close relationships, Adult romantic attachment, Perceived responsiveness, Emotion regulation, Health & well-being

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Associate Professor
Psychology

Cheryl Carmichael joined the Brooklyn College faculty as a lecturer in 2011, and as an assistant professor in 2012. She studies close relationships, health and the social regulation of emotions. She's a member of the Basic and Applied Social Psychology, and the Health Psychology and Clinical Sciences doctoral training areas at the CUNY Graduate Center.

[ BACK TO FACULTY PROFILES ]

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Associate Professor Psychology Cheryl Carmichael joined the Brooklyn College faculty as a lecturer in 2011, and as an assistant professor in 2012. She studies close relationships, health and the social regulation of emotions. She's a member of the Basic and Applied Social Psychology, and the Health Psychology and Clinical Sciences doctoral training areas at the CUNY Graduate Center.

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PI: Arthur Aron
Lab: N/A
School: Stony Brook University
Area: Social & Health Psychology
Foci: Personal relationships, Self-expansion, Cognition, Motivation, Shared participation, Relationship quality, Friendship, Intergroup prejudice

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Arthur Aron, Ph.D.

University of Toronto (1970)

Research Professor, Social and Health Psychology

Dr. Aron's research centers on the self-expansion model of motivation and cognition in personal relationships. His major current research programs focus on the following topics: (a) the cognitive overlap of self and other in close relationships, (b) how shared participation in novel and arousing activities can enhance relationship quality, (c) the role of friendship with members of ethnic outgroups in reducing intergroup prejudice, and (d) identifying the neural circuits engaged by relationship-relevant cognitions and emotions. In addition, he is engaged in a major collaborative research program with Dr. Elaine Aron on the "highly sensitive person," including studies of the interaction of childhood environment with this apparently inherited trait in predicting adult functioning.

Representative Publications:

Zhou, S., Page-Gould, E., Aron, A., Moyer, A., & Hewstone, M. (2019). The extended contact hypothesis: A meta-analysis on 20 years of research . Personality and Social Psychology Review, 23(2), 132-160.

Lionetti, F., Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Burns, G. L., Jagiellowicz, J., & Pluess, M. (2018). Dandelions, tulips and orchids: evidence for the existence of low-sensitive, medium-sensitive and high-sensitive individuals. Translational Psychiatry, 8(1), 24.

Fisher, H. E., Xu, X., Aron, A., & Brown, L. L. (2016). Intense, passionate, romantic love: A natural addiction? How the fields that investigate romance and substance abuse can inform each other. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 687.

Xu, X., Aron, A., Westmaas, J. L., Wang, J., Street, L. H. (2014). An fMRI study of nicotine-deprived smokers' reactivity to smoking cues during novel/exciting activity. 9 PloS ONE, (4), e94598.

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Coups, E. (2013). Statistics for psychology (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Aron, A., Lewandowski, G., Mashek, D., & Aron, E. N. (2013). The s elf-expansion model of motivation and cognition in close relationships (pp. 90-115) . In J. A. Simpson & L. Campbell (Eds.), Oxford handbook of close relationships. New York: Oxford.

Acevedo, B.P., Aron A., Fisher, H. E, & Brown, L. (2012). Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7, 145-159.

Aron, E. N., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J. (2012). Sensory processing sensitivity: A review in the light of the evolution of biological responsivity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 16, 262-282.

Aron, A., Fisher, H., Mashek, D, Strong, G., Li, H., & Brown, L. (2005). Reward, motivation and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. Journal of Neurophysiology, 93, 327-337.

Aron, A., Norman, C. C., Aron, E. N., McKenna, C., & Heyman, R. (2000). Couples shared participation in novel and arousing activities and experienced relationship quality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 273-283.

Aron, A., Melinat, E., Aron, E. N., Vallone, R., & Bator, R. (1997).The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness: A procedure and some preliminary findings. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 363-377.

Aron, E. N., & Aron, A. (1997). Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 345-368.

Wright, S. C., Aron, A., McLaughlin-Volpe, T., & Ropp, S. A. (1997).The extended contact effect: Knowledge of cross-group friendships and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 73-90.

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Smollan, D. (1992). Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 596-612.

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Tudor, M., & Nelson, G. (1991). Close relationships as including other in the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 241-253.

Aron, A., & Aron, E. (1986). Love and the expansion of self: Understanding attraction and satisfaction. New York: Hemisphere.

Dutton, D. G., & Aron, A. (1974). Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30, 510-517.

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stony brook psychology faculty arthur aron

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Arthur Aron, Ph.D. University of Toronto (1970) Research Professor, Social and Health Psychology Dr. Aron's research centers on the self-expansion model of motivation and cognition in personal relationships.

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PI: Madoka Kumashiro
Lab: N/A
School: Goldsmiths, University of London
Dept: Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Michelangelo phenomenon, Ideal self, Personal-relational equilibrium, Attachment,

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Summary of research

I am a personality and social psychologist whose primary research interest is in the areas of personal growth and well-being. Specifically, how do close relationships (e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) and other types of close interpersonal interactions (e.g., with managers, co-workers, mentors, social media network) influence personal growth, allow people to become closer to their ideal self, and motivate individuals to achieve their most important goals? And how does personality affect the ability to create an optimal environment for experiencing such personal growth? Finally, how do these processes then affect well-being?
Supervision
Available to supervise undergraduate, MSc and PhD students in any of the research areas listed on my 'research' tab or in related areas.
Grants and Awards
Two-Way SBE-RCUK/ESRC Lead Agency Agreement (ES/N013182/1): Relationship Strategies to Bolster Interpersonal Security Over Time (Co-PI with Dr. Ximena Arriaga, Purdue University, USA). August 2015-July 2018. $335,120 from NSF and £33,223 from ESRC.

My current research focuses on four areas:

1. Michelangelo Phenomenon: According to the sculptor Michelangelo, "ideal forms" slumber within blocks of marble; the sculptor's job is simply to chip away the excess stone in such a manner as to reveal the ideal form. Analogously, humans possess slumbering ideal forms - the ideal self to which each individual aspires. Comparable to blocks of stone, the ideal self often requires assistance in its efforts to emerge. This research examines the various ways in which close partners facilitate movement toward the ideal self, through examining various factors involving partner and target characteristics (e.g., various individual differences), goal characteristics (e.g., difficulty, importance, likelihood), and situational characteristics (e.g., conflicting interests).

See:

Rusbult, C. E., Finkel, E. J., & Kumashiro, M. (2009). The Michelangelo Phenomenon. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 305-309.

2. Maintaining an equilibrium between personal and relational concerns: In close relationships, it is often difficult to simultaneously gratify important needs in two of the most powerful and central sources of human concerns: personal and relational. It is inevitable that individuals will sometimes confront the choice between engaging in behaviours that promote personal well-being (e.g., working long hours, spending time on hobby) versus relational well-being (e.g., spending time together, supporting other's career aspirations). How individuals resolve such personal-relational conflicts may have important implications for both personal and relational well-being. The personal-relational equilibrium model predicts that individuals are motivated to regulate their behavior to maintain equilibrium between the personal and relational domains.

See:

Kumashiro, M., Rusbult, C. E., & Finkel, E. J. (2008). Navigating personal and relational concerns: The quest for equilibrium. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 94-110.

3. Bolstering attachment security: Individuals form working models of the 'self' and 'other' based on early childhood attachment caregiving experiences. Attachment anxiety typically results from negative model of the self, whereas attachment avoidance typically results from negative model of other's reliability and dependability, and individuals behave in a manner to elicit confirmation of their working models. The fill-in-the-void model suggests that attachment security may be bolstered over time when romantic partners are able to help anxious individuals feel more confident about themselves and avoidant individuals feel that the partner is trustworthy.

See:

Arriaga, X. B., Kumashiro, M., Finkel, E. J., VanderDrift, L. E., & Luchies, L. B. (2014). Filling the void: Bolstering attachment security in committed relationships. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5, 398-406.

4. Application of above research in work, educational, health, or social media settings: Applying above research areas to interpersonal interactions in work settings (e.g., with managers and co-workers; examining work-life balance; well-being at work and home), educational or mentoring settings (e.g., how do mentors enhance or hinder motivation and self-regulation toward important goals and help individuals set the right kind of goals), health settings (e.g., effects of social support on motivation and well-being), and social media settings (e.g., how does social media affect personal growth and well-being).

Book Section

Article

Joel, Samantha; Eastwick, Paul W.; Allison, Colleen J.; Arriaga, Ximena B.; Baker, Zachary G.; Bar-Kalifa, Eran; Bergeron, Sophie; Birnbaum, Gurit E.; Brock, Rebecca L.; Brumbaugh, Claudia C.; Carmichael, Cheryl L.; Chen, Serena; Clarke, Jennifer; Cobb, Rebecca J.; Coolsen, Michael K.; Davis, Jody; de Jong, David C.; Debrot, Anik; DeHaas, Eva C.; Derrick, Jaye L.; Eller, Jami; Estrada, Marie-Joelle; Faure, Ruddy; Finkel, Eli J.; Fraley, R. Chris; Gable, Shelly L.; Gadassi-Polack, Reuma; Girme, Yuthika U.; Gordon, Amie M.; Gosnell, Courtney L.; Hammond, Matthew D.; Hannon, Peggy A.; Harasymchuk, Cheryl; Hofmann, Wilhelm; Horn, Andrea B.; Impett, Emily A.; Jamieson, Jeremy P.; Keltner, Dacher; Kim, James J.; Kirchner, Jeffrey L.; Kluwer, Esther S.; Kumashiro, Madoka; Larson, Grace; Lazarus, Gal; Logan, Jill M.; Luchies, Laura B.; MacDonald, Geoff; Machia, Laura V.; Maniaci, Michael R.; Maxwell, Jessica A.; Mizrahi, Moran; Muise, Amy; Niehuis, Sylvia; Ogolsky, Brian G.; Oldham, C. Rebecca; Overall, Nickola C.; Perrez, Meinrad; Peters, Brett J.; Pietromonaco, Paula R.; Powers, Sally I.; Prok, Thery; Pshedetzky-Shochat, Rony; Rafaeli, Eshkol; Ramsdell, Erin L.; Reblin, Maija; Reicherts, Michael; Reifman, Alan; Reis, Harry T.; Rhoades, Galena K.; Rholes, William S.; Righetti, Francesca; Rodriguez, Lindsey M.; Rogge, Ron; Rosen, Natalie O.; Saxbe, Darby; Sened, Haran; Simpson, Jeffry A.; Slotter, Erica B.; Stanley, Scott M.; Stocker, Shevaun; Surra, Cathy; Ter Kuile, Hagar; Vaughn, Allison A.; Vicary, Amanda M.; Visserman, Mariko L. and Wolf, Scott. 2020. Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(32), pp. 19061-19071. ISSN 0027-8424

Florez, Estephania; Cohen, Keren; Ferenczi, Nelli; Linnell, Karina J; Lloyd, Joda; Goddard, Lorna; Kumashiro, Madoka and Freeman, Jonathan. 2020. Linking Recent Discrimination-Related Experiences and Wellbeing via Social Cohesion and Resilience. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 4(1), pp. 92-104. ISSN 2717-7564

Bagci, Sabahat C.; Kumashiro, Madoka; Rutland, Adam; Smith, Peter K. and Blumberg, Herbert H.. 2017. Cross-ethnic friendships, psychological well-being, and academic outcomes: Study of South Asian and White children in the UK. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 14, pp. 190-205. ISSN 1740-5629

Bagci, Sabahat C.; Kumashiro, Madoka; Rutland, Adam; Smith, Peter K. and Blumberg, Herbert H.. 2016. Cross-ethnic friendships, psychological well-being, and academic outcomes: Study of South Asian and White children in the UK. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 14(2), pp. 190-205. ISSN 1740-5629

Bagci, Sabahat C.; Kumashiro, Madoka; Smith, Peter K.; Blumberg, Herbert H. and Rutland, Adam. 2014. Cross-ethnic friendships: Are they really rare? Evidence from secondary schools around London. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 41, pp. 125-137. ISSN 0147-1767

Bagci, Sabahat C.; Rutland, Adam; Kumashiro, Madoka; Smith, Peter K. and Blumberg, Herbert H.. 2014. Are minority status children's cross-ethnic friendships beneficial in a multiethnic context? British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 32(1), pp. 107-115. ISSN 0261510X

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I am a personality and social psychologist whose primary research interest is in the areas of personal growth and well-being. Specifically, how do close relationships (e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) and other types of close interpersonal interactions (e.g., with managers, co-workers, mentors, social media network) influence personal growth, allow people to become closer to their ideal self, and motivate individuals to achieve their most important goals?

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PI: Rebecca Cobb
Lab: SFU Close Relationships Lab
School: Simon Fraser University
Area: Clinical Science
Foci: Romantic relationships, Relationship development and change, Psychological health, Attachment, Communication, Sexual satisfaction

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The SFU Close Relationships Lab is located in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University and is directed by Dr. Rebecca Cobb, Ph.D. At the SFU Couples Lab, our goal is to better understand how romantic relationships change and develop over time. Close relationships can be important sources of support and happiness; however, developing and maintaining satisfying relationships is not always easy. We aim to examine how factors such as psychological health, attachment security, and communication can affect couples' relationship and sexual satisfaction. Our current research projects focus on the role of sexual communication in romantic relationships and how to teach people to have healthier and happier relationships.
Learn more about the research in our lab in this video! Visit our Psychology Today Blog "After Commitment".

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SFU Close Relationships Research Lab - Simon Fraser University

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The SFU Close Relationships Lab is located in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University and is directed by Dr. Rebecca Cobb, Ph.D. At the SFU Couples Lab, our goal is to better understand how romantic relationships change and develop over time.

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PI: Serena Chen
Lab: SIR Lab
School: UC Berekely
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Group membership, Self-concept, Social power, Transference, Well-being, Sleep

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Self, Identity, & Relationships (SIR) Laboratory

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Laboratory News and Updates:

1. I am not taking on new students as a primary advisor for the Fall 2020 graduate admissions cycle. (I can serve as a secondary advisor, which can be decided upon down the road).

2. If you are interested in joining the lab as a research assistant (RA) for credit or on a volunteer basis, contact the Psychology Student Services office. They post open RA positions at the start of each semester. Look for openings from the SIR lab. You can also send an email expressing your interest to contactsirlab@gmail.com. Do note that, due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, research activities are in flux.

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Self, Identity, & Relationships (SIR) Laboratory

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Laboratory News and Updates: I am not taking on new students as a primary advisor for the Fall 2020 graduate admissions cycle. (I can serve as a secondary advisor, which can be decided upon down the road). If you are interested in joining the lab as a research assistant (RA) for credit or on a volunteer basis, contact the Psychology Student Services office.

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PI: Margaret "Peggy" Clark
Lab: Clark Relationship Science Lab
School: Yale University
Area: Social/Personality Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Friendships, Relationship initiation, Cognition, Emotion, Behavior, Personality, Sharing, Well-being

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The Clark Relationship Science Laboratory, directed by Dr. Margaret S. Clark, conducts research on how romantic relationships and friendships unfold over time and the reciprocal influences between such relationships and cognition, emotion, behavior, and personality.

Recent research in the Clark Relationship Science Laboratory has investigated how expressing negative emotions can promote relationships, how optimal relationship-maintenance behaviors change over the course of a relationship, and how merely being with a familiar person (in the absence of any overt interaction) can amplify a person's reaction to pleasant and unpleasant stimuli.

We've published a paper in Perspectives on Psychological Science (Hirsch & Clark, 2019) describing multiple ways people strive to belong (that is to achieve a...

A forthcoming paper in Emotion (Ruan, Reis, Clark, Hirsch & Bink, 2019) reports two studies demonstrating that perceiving you have a responsive partner (meaning a partner...

A recent series of studies to be published in Psychological Science (Boothby, Cooney, Sandstrom & Clark) shows that following conversations with new people, participants...

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Clark Relationship Science Laboratory at Yale University

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The Clark Relationship Science Laboratory, directed by Dr. Margaret S. Clark, conducts research on how romantic relationships and friendships unfold over time and the reciprocal influences between such relationships and cognition, emotion, behavior, and personality.

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PI: Pat Shrout
Lab: NYU Couples Lab
School: New York University
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Social support, Intimacy, Conflict, Satisfaction, Social cognitive perspectives, Multilevel modeling, Structural equation modeling, Daily diary studies, Measurment issues, Generalizability

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Our substantive interests are concerned with how daily transactions of social support affect psychological functioning of individual partners and also how they affect relationship processes such as intimacy, conflict and satisfaction. In addressing these questions we consider social cognitive perspectives, motivational perspectives, as well as relationship perspectives.

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PI: Bill Chopik
Lab: Close Relationships Lab
School: Michigan State University
Area: Social/Personality Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Relationship change, Biological and hormonal factors, Social roles, Geographical factors, Health & well-being

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Welcome to the Close Relationships Lab at Michigan State University!

We are a collection of researchers interested in social behavior and individual differences. Most of our projects revolve around how close relationships-and the people in them-change over time, situations, and across the lifespan.

Please check the links above to learn more about who we are and what we do!

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Welcome to the Close Relationships Lab at Michigan State University! We are a collection of researchers interested in social behavior and individual differences. Most of our projects revolve around how close relationships-and the people in them-change over time, situations, and across the lifespan.

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PI: Levi Baker
Lab: Close Relationships Lab
School: University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Communication, Problem-solving, Self-beliefs

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PI: Gayla Margolin
Lab: USC Family Studies Project
School: University of Southern California
Area: Clinical Science
Foci: Close relationships, Risk and resilience, Adolescents and young adults, Family aggression, Conflict, Romantic partner aggression, Emotional experiences, Mental and physical health, Physiological response

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The USC Family Studies Project

The USC Family Studies Project conducts research on risk and resilience in adolescents and young adults. We investigate the role of close relationships-within the family, with friends, and with dating partners-as sources of stress as well as protection. Studies in our lab investigate the impact of risky family environments-particularly those associated with family aggression. With longitudinal data from early adolescence through young adulthood, we investigate how interaction patterns are transmitted from one generation to the next. Our ultimate goal is to pinpoint dimensions that protect against romantic partner aggression and family violence.

Our work addresses connections between interpersonal relationships and the mental and physical health of adults and adolescents. Factors of particular interest to us include how family members communicate with each other in everyday interactions, how they think about and handle conflict, and what happens physiologically when they disagree with each other or when they share emotional experiences. Current data collection emphasizes the role of compassion and 'under the skin' phenomena associated with the body's stress response systems.

Our work has been funded by the NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the NIH National Institute of Mental Health, The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Read about our published results here.
Read about our posters here.

Home Data and Mobile Sensing Project

The Couple Mobile Sensing Project is an interdisciplinary collaboration conducted by psychologists and electrical engineers at the University of Southern California. Our goal is to develop and implement mobile technology for collecting data in daily life.
Read about our Home Data and Mobile Sensing Project here. Read about our Home Data posters here.

Front Row: Sanny Ning, Jessica Suh, Sara Haque, Merai Estafanous Back Row: Kiran Salehani, Olivia Shin, Tara Vatakhah, Arianna Lane
Teens' Attitudes about Justice

The USC Family Studies Project also is investigating teens' attitudes about justice. In collaboration with the Los Angeles Superior Court, we are investigating the impact of serving as a juror in Los Angeles Teen Court. High school and college students' attitudes about restorative and punitive justice are explored in relation to prior experiences of discrimination, childhood adversity, and compassion. This research is funded by The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation.
Read about Teen Court here
Read summaries of our results on justice and discrimination here.
Read our Executive Summary for the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation here
The FAMILY STUDIES LAB is located in the Psychology Department of the USC University Park Campus, 3620 S. McClintock, Seeley G. Mudd Building, Room 923. Click here for a map to our offices.

Contact us at Family Study familystudiesproject@usc.edu or 213-740-2308.

Please contact us if you are interested in joining our research team. Read here for more information.

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Home > USC Family Studies Project > USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

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The USC Family Studies Project The USC Family Studies Project conducts research on risk and resilience in adolescents and young adults. We investigate the role of close relationships-within the family, with friends, and with dating partners-as sources of stress as well as protection.

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PI: Matt Johnson
Lab: N/A
School: Binghamton University, SUNY
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Marriage, Marital distress, Dissolution, Emotions, Low-income couples, Intimate partner violence

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Background
Matthew Johnson will not be accepting a new graduate student to start in Fall 2021.
Johnson investigates the developmental course of marital distress and dissolution from a scientific perspective. To better understand the antecedents of marital discord, he examines the behaviors, cognitions, and emotions of couples. His research includes determining whether the current body of empirical literature about the predictors of relationship discord applies to low-income couples and people of color. Extensions of his research include outcome research on programs designed to prevent marital distress and dissolution; the genetic and hormonal influence on marital behavior; and the assessment, prevention, and treatment of intimate partner violence. Finally, he is interested in how psychological science can inform public policy.

Sample Publications:

Mattson, R. E., Cameron, N., Middleton, F. A., Starr, L. R., Davila, J., & Johnson, M. D. (2017). Oxytocin receptor gene links to marital quality via social support behavior and perceived partner responsiveness. Journal of Family Psychology. doi:10.1037/fam0000474

Johnson, M.D. (2016). Great myths of intimate relationships: Dating, sex, and marriage. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Williamson, H. C., Rogge, R. D., Cobb, R. J., Johnson, M. D., Lawrence, E., & Bradbury, T. N. (2015). Risk moderates the outcome of relationship education: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83, 617-629. doi: 10.1037/a0038621

Johnson, M. D., & Bradbury, T. N. (2015). Contributions of social learning theory to the promotion of healthy relationships: Asset or liability? Journal of Family Theory & Review, 7, 13-27. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12057

McShall, J. R., & Johnson, M. D. (2015). The association between relationship distress and psychopathology is consistent across racial and ethnic groups. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 124, 226-231. doi: 10.1037/a0038267

Johnson, M. D. (2013). Optimistic or quixotic? More data on marriage and relationship education programs for lower income couples. American Psychologist, 68, 111-112. doi: 10.1037/a0031793

Education

PhD, MA, University of California at Los Angeles

BA, University of Denver

Research Interests

Changes in marriages and family functioning

Intimate Partner Violence

Psychological science impacting public policy

Clinical Interests

Private practice

Clinical supervisor

Teaching Interests

Intimate Relationships

Research Methods in Psychology

Statistics and Research Design

Awards

Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2012-2013)

APA Executive Branch Science Fellow & AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow (2015-2016)
Placement included duties with the following U.S. agencies and committees:
- National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology
Council's Committee on Science, Executive Office of the President
- White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault
- Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma
- Interagency Committee on Violence Against Women, Office of the Vice President
- Fellows in Innovation, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the
President
- United State of Women Interagency Working Group, Executive Office of the President

Fellow status, Association for Psychological Science (2018)

Sample Publications:

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Matthew D. Johnson - Our Faculty - Psychology | Binghamton University

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Matthew Johnson will not be accepting a new graduate student to start in Fall 2021. Johnson investigates the developmental course of marital distress and dissolution from a scientific perspective. To better understand the antecedents of marital discord, he examines the behaviors, cognitions, and emotions of couples.

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PI: Joanne Davila
Lab: Relationship Development Center
School: Stony Brook University
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Mental health, Youth and emerging adults, Relationship functioning, LGBTQ+ relationships

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PI: Dan O'Leary
Lab: RFAC
School: Stony Brook University
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Intimate partner violence, Partner aggression, Substance abuse, Hormones, Sexual assault, Interventions

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Daniel O'Leary, Ph.D.

Director, Relationship and Forensic Assessment Center

Distinguished Professor, Stony Brook University

Dr. O'Leary is an expert in the etiology and treatment of spousal abuse, couple therapy and the relationship between partner aggression and problems with children. A Distinguished Professor at Stony Brook University, he is the president of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts of New York. For over 25 years he has conducted forensic custody evaluations for the Supreme and Family courts of Suffolk County, NY. Dr. O'Leary is also a divorce and family dispute mediator.

The author and co-author of 13 books and over 300 publications, he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including most recently, the Family Psychologist of the Year Award in 2015 and the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Trust Award for Mentoring Graduate Students. He has also served on several scientific boards such as, H.F. Guggenheim, the Center for Disease Control (Control and Prevention of Partner Abuse), and the National Institute of Mental Health.

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relationship and forensic assessment clinic (rfac)

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Our Team | Relationship and Forensic Assessment Clinic (RFAC)

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For over 35 years, the Relationship and Forensic Assessment Clinic (RFAC) at Stony Brook University has provided specialized therapeutic interventions to individuals, couples, and families with relationship and family difficulties. It is our mission to alleviate the painful symptoms that often come from family problems, such as relationship discord, psychological and physical maltreatment, divorce and co-parenting difficulties.

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PIs: Tom Bradbury and Ben Karney
Lab: UCLA Marriage and Close Relationships Lab
School: UC Los Angeles
Area: Clinical and Social Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Newlywed couples, Marital stability, Divorce, Socioeconomic adversity, Social and historical context, Relationship change

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Home

Thomas N. Bradbury See
Distinguished Professor
Clinical Psychology
UCLA Office: 2263C Psychology Building
(310) 825-3735
bradbury@psych.ucla.edu
CV

Benjamin R. Karney See
Professor
Social Psychology
UCLA Office: 5546
Pritzker Hall (310) 206-3925
karney@psych.ucla.edu
CV

Dr. Bradbury will not be accepting applications for Clinical Psychology graduate students for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Dr. Karney will not be accepting applications for Social Psychology graduate students for the 2021-2022 academic year.

THOMAS BRADBURY (he/him) is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at UCLA. After earning his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1990 from the University of Illinois, he moved to Los Angeles to start the Marriage and Family Development Laboratory at UCLA. Since then, Bradbury and his team have conducted several longitudinal studies that help explain how marriages change and how couples can keep their relationship healthy and strong. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation, Bradbury and his collaborators have published more than 140 research articles, an undergraduate textbook on intimate relationships, and three edited books, including The Psychology of Marriage. Recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award from the UCLA Psychology Department, Bradbury has also been honored with several awards for his research on marriage and intimate relationships, including the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Achievements from the American Psychological Association and, in 2013, an honorary doctorate from Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Bradbury has served as an expert advisor on government initiatives to promote healthy relationships in the US and Australia, and several of his graduate students and post-doctoral fellows have gone on to hold tenure-track positions, including Rebecca Cobb at Simon Fraser University, Joanne Davila at Stony Brook University, Matthew Johnson at Binghamton University, Benjamin Karney at UCLA, Justin Lavner at the University of Georgia, Erika Lawrence at the University of Arizona, Ronald Rogge at the University of Rochester, Dominik Schoebi at the University of Fribourg, and Kieran Sullivan at Santa Clara University.

BENJAMIN KARNEY (he/him) is a Professor of Social Psychology at UCLA. After receiving his doctorate in Social Psychology from UCLA in 1997, he joined the faculty in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida, where he was director of the Florida Project on Newlywed Marriage and Adult Development. In 2004, he returned to Los Angeles where he continues to study how relationships are constrained or enhanced by the environments in which they take place. To date, this research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Administration on Children and Families, and the Fetzer Institute. Dr. Karney is co-author of an undergraduate textbook and video series on Intimate Relationships used by relationship experts around the world. While consulting on family issues for a range of clients, Karney serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Marriage and Family, the Journal of Family Issues, the Journal of Family Psychology, and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In addition to numerous awards for his teaching, Karney has twice received the National Council on Family Relation's Reuben Hill Research and Theory Award for outstanding contributions to family science.

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UCLA Marriage and Close Relationships Lab

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Home Thomas N. Bradbury See Distinguished Professor Clinical Psychology UCLA Office: 2263C Psychology Building (310) 825-3735 bradbury@psych.ucla.edu CV Benjamin R. Karney See Professor Social Psychology UCLA Office: 5546 Pritzker Hall (310) 206-3925 karney@psych.ucla.edu CV Dr. Bradbury will not be accepting applications for Clinical Psychology graduate students for the 2021-2022 academic year.

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PI: Lorne Campbell
Lab: Love Lab
School: Western University Ontario
Area: Social, Personality, & Developmental Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Attraction, Relationship formation and maintenance, Attachment, Ideal standards, Self-enhancement and self-verification, Evolutionary theories

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I am a professor of psychology at the University of Western Ontario. The research being conducted in my lab focuses on a variety of topics relating to the different stages of romantic relationships (e.g,. interpersonal attraction, relationship formation, and relationship maintenance). We adopt a few different theoretical perspectives in this research, including Attachment Theory, the Ideal Standards Model, theories of self-enhancement and self-verification, and evolutionary theories of human mating (e.g., Sexual Strategies Theory; Strategic Pluralism Theory).

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I am a professor of psychology at the University of Western Ontario. The research being conducted in my lab focuses on a variety of topics relating to the different stages of romantic relationships (e.g,. interpersonal attraction, relationship formation, and relationship maintenance).

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PI: Samantha Joel
Lab: Relationship Decisions Lab
School: Western University
Area: Social, Personality, & Developmental Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, From romantic attraction to long-term partnership, Marriage, Health & well-being, Relationship transitions, Relationship decisions

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At The University of Western Ontario

At The University of Western Ontario

When people make decisions such as whether to go on a first date, whether to commit to a new partner, or whether to end a struggling relationship, they are determining who they ultimately wind up with, if anyone, as a long-term romantic partner. What are the processes through which people make these important decisions? How similar are these decisions to those made in other life domains, such as finance or career decisions? And, might some decision strategies lead to better relationship, well-being, and health outcomes than others?

​

In the Relationship Decisions Lab, we seek to answer these questions using a modern, multi-method research approach. Studies are informed by multiple theoretical perspectives, analyzed with advanced statistics, and shared using open science practices. The lab is based in the Psychology Department at Western University in London Ontario, and is directed by Samantha Joel.

Considerable past work has examined both initial romantic attraction and established romantic connection. However, the crucial fledgling relationship stage that bridges them is not well-understood. One of the major projects being conducted in the lab right now is the Pair Project, which involves recruiting people who have started dating someone new and studying them over a two-year period. This study will advance our basic understanding of how initial romantic attraction progresses (or does not progress) into a long-term partnership.

Established Relationships

The other projects in the lab center around how people in long-term relationships navigate major relationship transitions, such as moving in together, getting married, merging finances, and breaking up. How do people make these decisions, and which decision strategies ultimately predict better well-being and health outcomes? We have found that people tend to take their partner's feelings and perspectives into consideration when making relationship decisions, sometimes even to their own detriment. We are also analyzing data exploring the consequences of experiencing ambivalence over relationship decisions.

CONTACT US

1151 Richmond Street - SSC Room 7418, London, ON

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At The University of Western Ontario At The University of Western Ontario When people make decisions such as whether to go on a first date, whether to commit to a new partner, or whether to end a struggling relationship, they are determining who they ultimately wind up with, if anyone, as a long-term romantic partner.

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PI: Veronica Lamarche
Lab: N/A
School: University of Essex
Area: Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Trust and interdependence, Motivated cognition and relationship maintenance, Risk/vulnerability/ uncertainty regulation

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Lamarche, VM., Atkinson, C. and Croft, A., (2020). A Cognitive Uncoupling: Masculinity Threats and the Rejection of Relationship Interdependence . Social Psychological and Personality Science. Online, 194855062096126-194855062096126

Saltsman, TL., Seery, MD., Ward, DE., Radsvick, TM., Panlilio, ZA., Lamarche, VM. and Kondrak, CL., (2020). Facing the Facets: No Association Between Dispositional Mindfulness Facets and Positive Momentary Stress Responses During Active Stressors . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 014616722095689-014616722095689

Lamarche, VM., (2020). Socially connected and COVID-19 prepared: The influence of sociorelational safety on perceived importance of COVID-19 precautions and trust in government responses. . Social Psychological Bulletin. 15 (4)

Murray, SL., Seery, MD., Lamarche, VM., Kondrak, CL. and Gomillion, S., (2019). Implicitly imprinting the past on the present: Automatic partner attitudes and the transition to parenthood . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 116 (1), 69-100

Le, PQ., Saltsman, TL., Seery, MD., Ward, DE., Kondrak, CL. and Lamarche, VM., (2019). When a small self means manageable obstacles: Spontaneous self-distancing predicts divergent effects of awe during a subsequent performance stressor . Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 80, 59-66

Saltsman, TL., Seery, MD., Kondrak, CL., Lamarche, VM. and Streamer, L., (2019). Too Many Fish in the Sea: A Motivational Examination of the Choice Overload Experience . Biological Psychology. 145, 17-30

Lamarche, VM. and Seery, MD., (2019). Come on, give it to me baby: Self-esteem, narcissism, and endorsing sexual coercion following social rejection . Personality and Individual Differences. 149, 315-325

Murray, SL., Lamarche, VM. and Seery, MD., (2018). Romantic relationships as shared reality defense . Current Opinion in Psychology. 23, 34-37

Streamer, L., Seery, MD., Kondrak, CL., Lamarche, VM. and Saltsman, TL., (2017). Not I, but she: The beneficial effects of self-distancing on challenge/threat cardiovascular responses . Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 70, 235-241

Murray, SL., Lamarche, VM., Gomillion, S., Seery, MD. and Kondrak, C., (2017). In defense of commitment: The curative power of violated expectations in relationships. . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 113 (5), 697-729

Seery, MD., Kondrak, CL., Streamer, L., Saltsman, T. and Lamarche, VM., (2016). Preejection period can be calculated using R peak instead of Q . Psychophysiology. 53 (8), 1232-1240

Gomillion, S., Murray, SL. and Lamarche, VM., (2015). Losing the Wind Beneath Your Wings The Prospective Influence of Romantic Breakup on Goal Progress . Social Psychological and Personality Science. 6 (5), 513-520

Gomillion, S., Lamarche, VM., Murray, SL. and Harris, B., (2014). Protected By Your Self-Control The Influence of Partners' Self-Control on Actors' Responses to Interpersonal Risk . Social Psychological and Personality Science. 5 (8), 873-882

Lamarche, VM. and Murray, SL., (2014). Selectively Myopic? Self-Esteem and Attentional Bias in Response to Potential Relationship Threats . Social Psychological and Personality Science. 5 (7), 786-795

Murray, SL., Gomillion, S., Holmes, JG., Harris, B. and Lamarche, V., (2013). The dynamics of relationship promotion: Controlling the automatic inclination to trust. . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 104 (2), 305-334

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Profile for Veronica Lamarche at the University of Essex

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Lamarche, VM., Atkinson, C. and Croft, A., (2020). A Cognitive Uncoupling: Masculinity Threats and the Rejection of Relationship Interdependence . Social Psychological and Personality Science. Online, 194855062096126-194855062096126 Saltsman, TL., Seery, MD., Ward, DE., Radsvick, TM., Panlilio, ZA., Lamarche, VM. and Kondrak, CL., (2020).

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PI: Amie Gordon
Lab: WHIRLab
School: University of Michigan
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Health and well-being, Biological dysregulation, External stressors, Prosocial processes, Relationship functioning, Emotions

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The purpose of the WHIRLab is to identify factors that help people maintain high quality relationships over time, enhancing health and well-being at the individual, dyadic, familial, and organizational levels.

Find out more about our research and current projects here.

The WHIRLab is trying to understand how couples navigate the demands of daily life. If you are currently living with a romantic partner, you may be eligible to participate in our study and earn $40 per couple.

The WHIRLab is looking for conscientious, detail-oriented, and reliable research assistants for Summer and Fall 2021. Projects include coding video and written data from ongoing projects and, later, interacting with participants in the lab. Interested individuals should send a resume or CV to marialu@umich.edu along with a paragraph describing relevant experience and why you want to work in the WHIRLab.

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The purpose of the WHIRLab is to identify factors that help people maintain high quality relationships over time, enhancing health and well-being at the individual, dyadic, familial, and organizational levels. Find out more about our research and current projects here. The WHIRLab is trying to understand how couples navigate the demands of daily life.

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PI: Robin Edelstein
Lab: Personality, Relationships, and Hormones Lab
School: University of Michigan
Area: Personality and Social Contexts
Foci: Intimate relationships, Adult attachment, Hormones, Personality traits, Emotions (emotional experience, regulation, and reactivity), Stress, Neuroendocrine response

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Our researchis devoted to understanding individual differences in emotional experience, regulation, and reactivity. We are particularly interested in how emotional processes unfold in interpersonal contexts and the implications of these processes for close relationships. For instance, why do some people respond defensively in stressful situations? How do people limit the processing of distressing information? What are the physiological implications of these kinds of defensive processes, and how do they affect relationships?

Current lab projects focus on the physiological and health implications of defensive personality traits such as attachment avoidance and narcissism; lifespan changes in these traits; the role of adult attachment in neuroendocrine and psychological responses to intimacy and stress; and associations between power, testosterone, and sexual behavior.

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Robin Edelstein, Ph.D., University of Michigan Psychology - Home

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Our researchis devoted to understanding individual differences in emotional experience, regulation, and reactivity. We are particularly interested in how emotional processes unfold in interpersonal contexts and the implications of these processes for close relationships. For instance, why do some people respond defensively in stressful situations? How do people limit the processing of distressing information?

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PI: Mark Whisman
Lab: N/A
School: University of Colorado Boulder
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Marriage, Mental and physical health, Depression, Adverse relationship outcomes

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Psychology and Neuroscience Clinical Psychology

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Skip to Content

Professor * Associate Chair, Director of Undergraduate Studies

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Education: PhD, University of Washington, 1990 Research Interests:

Functioning in intimate relationships such as marriage and the onset, course, and treatment of mental and physical health problems, with a focus on depression.

Cognitive theory and therapy for depression.

Individual and relationship factors and processes associated with the onset, course, and treatment of adverse intimate relationship outcomes.

1999-present, University of Colorado Boulder

1993-1999, Yale University

1990-1993, Penn State University

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Research Interests: Functioning in intimate relationships such as marriage and the onset, course, and treatment of mental and physical health problems, with a focus on depression. Cognitive theory and therapy for depression. Individual and relationship factors and processes associated with the onset, course, and treatment of adverse intimate relationship outcomes.

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PI: Carolyn Cutrona
Lab: N/A
School: Iowa State University
Area: Unknown
Foci: Family relationships, African American Families, Mental health, Resilience and vulnerability

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Contact

Office Hours: Wed 1:00-3:00, Thurs 10:00-noon

Bio
NOTE: Dr. Cutrona will be on leave during the fall 2018 semester and will not be accepting new graduate students.
Publications and External Links:

Education:

Ph.D, Clinical Psychology
University of California, Los Angeles, 1981

M.A., Counseling and Guidance
University of New Mexico, 1974

B.A., English
Stanford University, 1973

Research Interests:

Coping with stress; social support; close relationships; health psychology; marital relationships.

Media

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Office Hours: Wed 1:00-3:00, Thurs 10:00-noon NOTE: Dr. Cutrona will be on leave during the fall 2018 semester and will not be accepting new graduate students. Ph.D, Clinical Psychology University of California, Los Angeles, 1981 M.A., Counseling and Guidance University of New Mexico, 1974 B.A., English Stanford University, 1973 Coping with stress; social support; close relationships; health psychology; marital relationships.

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PI: Galena Rhoades
Lab: N/A
School: University of Denver
Area: Cinical (also Affective/Social/Cognitive and Developmental) Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Commitment, Cohabitation, Relationship education, Effects of parents' relationship on children

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Dr. Rhoades is interested in taking a new graduate student for Fall 2021. She will review applications from students applying to either Affective/Social/Cognitive, Clinical, or Developmental Psychology programs.

Areas of expertise/research interests

romantic relationship processes, commitment and cohabitation

evaluation of relationship education programs

impact of parents' relationships on children

Current research and projects

My research is on romantic relationship development and functioning, and the related implications for children and adults. Current research projects and collaborations include 1) basic science studies on commitment, cohabitation, aggression, infidelity, family background, relationship processes and psychopathology, military families, and adolescent and child adjustment as well as 2) studies on the effectiveness of preventive relationship interventions for couples and individuals (including gene-environment interactions). I am the PI, Co-I, evaluator or consultant on several foundation or federally-funded projects. As examples, one project is testing the effectiveness of hospital-based relationship education delivered to pregnant women (funded by ACF; see www.MotherWiseColorado.org) and another is on measuring and modeling early relationship development (funded by NICHD). A particular area of interest my applied work is the prevention of intimate partner violence through community-based relationship education.

Professional biography

In addition to conducting research, I:

See clients at my practice, specializing in couples and families: www.washparkpsychology.com.

Collaborate with PREP, Inc. in the development of relationship education curricula (e.g., Within My Reach and Within Our Reach)

Serve as an expert witness in legal cases involving couples and families

Consult on research and evaluation

Education

PhD, clinical psychology, University of Denver, 2007

MA, psychology, University of Denver, 2002

BA, magna cum laude, psychology honors, University of Puget Sound, 2000

Selected Publications

Knopp, K., *Scott, S. B., *Ritchie, L. L., Rhoades, G. K., Markman, H. J., & Stanley, S. M. (in press). Once a cheater, always a cheater? Serial infidelity across subsequent relationships. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Scott, S. B., Kelmer, G., Markman, H. J., & Fincham, F. D. (in press). Asymmetrically committed relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Allen, E. S., Post, K. M., Markman, H. J., Rhoades, G. K., & Stanley, S. M. (2017). Associations between participant ratings of PREP for Strong Bonds and marital outcomes 1 year post intervention. Military Psychology, 29(4), 283-293.

Knopp, K., Rhoades, G. K., Allen, E. S., *Parsons, A., *Ritchie, L. L., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2017). Within- and between-family associations of marital functioning and child wellbeing. Journal of Marriage and Family, 79, 451-461.

Scott, S. B., Parsons, A., Post, K. M., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Rhoades, G. K. (2017). Changes in the sexual relationship and relationship adjustment precede extradyadic sexual involvement. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 395 - 406

Doss, B. D. & Rhoades, G. K. (2017). The transition to parenthood: impact on couples' romantic relationships. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 25-28.

Rhoades, G. K. (2015). The effectiveness of the Within Our Reach relationship education program for couples: Findings from a federal randomized trial. Family Process, 4, 672-685.

Allen, E., Rhoades, G. K., Markman, H., & Stanley, S. (2015). PREP for Strong Bonds: A review of outcomes from a randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Family Therapy, 37, 232-246.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S., Markman, H., & Allen, E. (2015). Can marriage education mitigate the risks associated with premarital cohabitation? Journal of Family Psychology, 29, 500-506.

Knopp, K. C., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2015). Stuck on you: How dedication moderates the way constraints feel. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32(1), 119-137.

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Dr. Rhoades is interested in taking a new graduate student for Fall 2021. She will review applications from students applying to either Affective/Social/Cognitive, Clinical, or Developmental Psychology programs. romantic relationship processes, commitment and cohabitation evaluation of relationship education programs impact of parents' relationships on children My research is on romantic relationship development and functioning, and the related implications for children and adults.

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PI: Frank Fincham
Lab: N/A
School: Florida State University
Dept: Family and Child Sciences
Foci: Close relationships, Cognitive processes, Conflict, Forgiveness, Prayer, Health, Emerging adulthood, Hooking up

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My goal is to understand cognitive processes involved in conflict, forgiveness and prayer in close relationships. I also investigate emerging adulthood, focusing particularly on school burnout, hooking up, and friends with benefits. Recently, I have integrated hemodynamic and cardiac functioning into my research to understand how the processes I study impact health. I am also passionate about mentoring junior faculty and graduate students.
Education
My academic training took place on 3 different continents giving me a variety of perspectives.

B.A. Psychology, Social Anthropology (University of Natal, South Africa)

M.A. Developmental Psychology (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)

Ph.D. Social psychology (Oxford University, England)

Postdoctoral training, Clinical psychology (Stony Brook University, N.Y. )

Publications and Other Scholarly Activities
Published over 300 articles in flagship disciplinary and interdisciplinary journals including:

Journal of Marriage and Family

American Psychologist

Psychological Bulletin

Psychological Science

Archives of Sexual Behavior

Accomplishments

Fellow, National Council of Family Relations, and 5 other professional societies

2005-present, Eminent Scholar

2002-2005 , State University of New York Distinguished Professor

Listed among top 25 psychologists in the world ( # of citations per published article)

Distinguished Career Award, International Association for Relationship Research

Ernest Burgess Award for "continuous and meritorious contributions to theory and research," National Council of Family Relations

President's Award for "Distinguished contributions to psychological knowledge," British Psychological Society

Berscheid-Hatfield Career Award for "sustained, substantial, and distinguished contributions to the field of personal relationships" Int. Soc. for Relationship Research

Rhodes Scholar

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Dr. Frank Fincham | FSU College of Human Sciences

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My goal is to understand cognitive processes involved in conflict, forgiveness and prayer in close relationships. I also investigate emerging adulthood, focusing particularly on school burnout, hooking up, and friends with benefits. Recently, I have integrated hemodynamic and cardiac functioning into my research to understand how the processes I study impact health.

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PI: Scott Stanley
Lab: N/A
School: University of Denver
Area: Clinical Psychology (Center for Marital and Family Studies)
Foci: Marital distress, Divorce, Commitment, Relationship development, Cohabitation

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Dr. Stanley is not interested in taking a new graduate student for Fall 2021.

Areas of Expertise/Research Interests

the prevention of marital distress and divorce

commitment and couple development in romantic relationships and marriage

cohabitation dynamics and the role in relationship and family outcomes

Current Research and Projects
Commitment Theory, Research and Couple Development: Cohabitation and Unmarried Relationship Behavior
My greatest scholarly passion is advancing understanding the nature of commitment in romantic relationships, particularly in unmarried and/or premarital relationships. My interests focus on theory and research about commitment, ambiguity, and the development of aspects of commitment.

My major colleague in this work is research associate professor Galena Rhoades. We have put a great deal of energy into studying cohabitation, which provides a remarkable window into how relationships form. This work has developed important foundations for understanding why premarital cohabitation does not produce the reduction in marital risks that most expect from it.

The work that we are doing has provided a new, empirically compelling explanation of aspects of risk in romantic relationship development that does not take away from previous explanations associated with selection effects but adds explanation for the role of experience in risk for couple development. Among other things, we have focused on risks associated with sliding through major transitions rather than making clear decisions based on solid information and decisions between partners (sliding vs. deciding, which is also the title of my blog).

Starting in 2007, with funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, we gathered a national sample of 1,500 individuals who were unmarried and in serious romantic relationships. We gathered extensive information from this sample for five years, yielding an 11 wave longitudinal data set with relatively low attrition, wherein we followed this sample as people continued in relationships, broke-up, re-partnered, and married (for some). We continue to publish papers on a variety of topics from this sample, including analysis of predictors of marital outcomes, cohabitation dynamics, asymmetrical commitment, aggression in unmarried relationships, and numerous other topics.

Prevention and Relationship Education

I am deeply interested in the field of relationship education for the potential to help individuals and couples improve their odds of success in this most important domain of life. Professor Howard Markman and I have worked together on research, development, and refinement of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) for more than 30 years.

PREP is a marital distress prevention and marital education curriculum that is based on research (being both empirically informed in its strategies and empirically tested in ongoing outcome research). Much of this research has been historically funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), back to grants to Howard Markman that founded our lab in the early 1980s.

Beginning in fall 2006, this research began to be funded by a different NIH institute, The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). In January 2006, we (Elizabeth Allen, Howard Markman and I) received another grant from NICHD, funding a large, random clinical trial of PREP in the U. S. Army. That project ran for 10 years. We are now analyzing outcome data for long-term impacts of PREP in that sample. There are also numerous basic science publications (and ongoing analyses) by various members of our research teams on relationship dynamics, PTSD symptoms, and other aspects of military life for these couples.

I am currently involved as a co-investigator with Galena Rhoades on a program for disadvantaged, expectant couples in Oklahoma City. The project is funded by The Administration for Children and Families and the overall project is conducted by Public Strategies.

Education

Selected Publications

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Scott, S. B., Kelmer, G., Markman, H. J., & Fincham, F. D. (2016). Asymmetrically committed relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1177/0265407516672013

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Allen, E. S. (2015). Can marriage education mitigate the risks associated with premarital cohabitation? Journal of Family Psychology, 29(3), 500-506. doi: 10.1037/fam0000081

Knopp, K. C., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2015). Stuck on you: How dedication moderates the way constraints feel. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 32(1), 119-137. doi:10.1177/0265407514525885

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Loew, B. A., Allen, E. S., Carter, S., Osborne, L. J., Prentice, D., & Markman, H. J. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of relationship education in the U.S. Army: 2-year outcomes. Family Relations, 63, 482 - 495. DOI: 10.1111/fare.12083.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2012). The impact of the transition to cohabitation on relationship functioning: Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(3), 348 - 358.

Allen, E. S., Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Markman, H. J., & Loew, B. A. (2011). Marriage education in the Army: Results of a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 10(4), 309-326.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. Should I stay or should I go? (2010). Predicting dating relationship stability from four aspects of commitment. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(5), 543-550.

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Amato, P. R., Markman, H. J., & Johnson, C. A. (2010). The timing of cohabitation and engagement: Impact on first and second marriages. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 906-918.

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Whitton, S. W. (2010). Commitment: Functions, formation, and the securing of romantic attachment. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 2, 243-257.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2009). The Pre-engagement Cohabitation Effect: A Replication and Extension of Previous Findings. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 107 - 111.

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. (2006). Sliding vs. Deciding: Inertia and the premarital cohabitation effect. Family Relations, 55, 499 - 509.

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Dr. Stanley is not interested in taking a new graduate student for Fall 2021. the prevention of marital distress and divorce commitment and couple development in romantic relationships and marriage cohabitation dynamics and the role in relationship and family outcomes Commitment Theory, Research and Couple Development: Cohabitation and Unmarried Relationship Behavior My greatest scholarly passion is advancing understanding the nature of commitment in romantic relationships, particularly in unmarried and/or premarital relationships.

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PI: Howard Markman
Lab: N/A
School: University of Denver
Area: Clinical Psychology (Center for Marital and Family Studies)
Foci: Couples, Aging, Divorce, Relationship Distress, Mental health, Couples therapy, Interventions

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General

Markman, H., Stanley, S., & Blumberg, S. (2001). Fighting for Your Marriage (Revised and updated edition). San Francisco, Jossey Bass, Inc.

Markman, H., Stanley, S., Blumberg, S., Jenkins, N. & Whaley, C. (2004). Twelve Hours to a Great Marriage. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.

Markman, H. J., Whitton, S. W., Kline, G. H., Thompson, H., St. Peters, M., Stanley, S. M., Leber, B. D., Olmos-Gallo, P. A., Prado, L. M., Williams, T., Gilbert, K., Tonelli, L., Bobulinski, M., & Cordova, A. (2004). "Use of an empirically-based marriage education program by religious organizations: Results of a dissemination trial." Family Relations. 53, 504-512.

Markman, H.J., & Halford, K. (2005). "International perspectives on couple relationship education." Family Process, 44, 139-146.

Markman, H. J. (2005). "The prevention of extramarital involvement: Steps toward 'affair proofing' marriage." Clinical Psychology, 12(2), 134-138.

Stanley, S. M., Allen, E. S., Markman, H. J., Saiz, C. C., Bloomstrom, G., Thomas, R., Schumm, W. R., & Baily, A. E. (2005). "Dissemination and evaluation of marriage education in the Army." Family Process, 44, 187-201.

Markman, H, Myrick, J. & Pregulman, M. (2006) "Marriage education in the workplace." Journal of Employee Assistance, 3rd Quarter, 12-15.

Stanley, S. M., Whitton, S. W., Low, S. M., Clements, M. L., & Markman, H. J. (2006). "Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes." Family Process, 45, 289-303.

Stanley, S. M., Amato, P. R., Johnson, C. A., & Markman, H. J. (2006). "Premarital education, marital quality, and marital stability: Findings from a large, random, household survey." Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 117-126.

Whitton, S. W., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2007). "If I help my partner, will it hurt me? Perceptions of sacrifice in romantic relationships." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26 (1), 64 - 92.

Einhorn, L., Williams, T., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Eason, J. (2008). "PREP Inside and Out: Marriage education for inmates." Family Process, 47, 341 - 356.

Halford, W.K., Markman, H.J., & Stanley, S.M. (2008). "Strengthening couple relationships with education: Social policy and public health perspectives." Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 497-505.

Whitton, S. W., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2008). "Effects of parental divorce on marital commitment and confidence." Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 789-793.

Markman, H, Rienks, S. & Stanley, S. M. (2009). "The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP)." In H. T. Reis & S. Sprecher (Eds.), Encyclopedia of human relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Markman, H.J., Stanley, S.M., & Blumberg, S.L. (2010). Fighting for your marriage (3rd Edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

Army Study

Allen, E., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2010). "Hitting home: Relationships between recent deployment, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and marital functioning for Army couples." Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 280-288.

Stanley, S. M., Allen, E. S., Markman, H. J., Rhoades, G. K., & Prentice, D. (2010). Decreasing divorce in Army couples: Results from a randomized clinical trial of PREP for Strong Bonds. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 9, 149-160.

Allen, E.S., Rhoades, G, Stanley, S, & Markman, H. (2011). On the Home Front: Stress for Recently Deployed Army Couples. Family Process, 50, 235-247.

Allen, E., Stanley, S., Markman, H., & Rhoades, G. (in press). "The stress of deployment for Army husbands and their wives." Family Process.

Carter, S., Loew, B., Allen, E., Stanley, S., Rhoades, G., Markman, H. (in press). "Relationships between Soldiers' PTSD Symptoms and Spousal Communication during Deployment." Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Family Stability Project
Stanley , S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Olmos-Gallo, P. A., & Markman, H. J. (2007). "Mechanisms of change in a cognitive behavioral couples prevention program: Does being naughty or nice matter?" Prevention Science, 8, 227-239.

Baucom, B., Eldridge, K., Jones, J., Sevier, M., Clements, M., Markman, H., Stanley, S., Sayers, S., Sher, T., & Christensen, A. (2007). "Relative contributions of relationship distress and depression to communication patterns in couples." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 689 - 707.

Allen, E. S., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., Williams, T., Melton, J., & Clements, M. L. (2008). "Premarital precursors of marital infidelity." Family Process, 47, 243-259.

Doss, B. D., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2008). "Marital therapy, retreats, and books: The who, what, when and why of relationship help-seeking behaviors." Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34, 527-538.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2009). "The pre-engagement cohabitation effect: A replication and extension of previous findings." Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 107-111.

Doss, B. D., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2009). "The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: An 8-year prospective study." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 601-619.

Markman, H. J., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Ragan, E., & Whitton, S. (2010). "The premarital communication roots of marital distress: The first five years of marriage." Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 289-298.

Owen, J. J., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2011). "The role of leaders' working alliance in premarital education." Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 49-57.
Markman, H. & Rhoades, G. (in press). Relationship Education Research: Current status and future directions. Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Relationship Development Study
Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Amato, P. R., Markman, H. J., & Johnson, C. A. (2010). "The timing of cohabitation and engagement: Impact on first and second marriages." Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 906-918.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Kelmer, G., & Markman, H. J. (2010). "Physical aggression in unmarried relationships: The roles of commitment and constraints." Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 678-687.

Rhoades, G. K., Kamp Dush, C. M., Atkins, D. C., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (in press). "Breaking up is hard to do: The impact of unmarried relationship dissolution on mental health and life satisfaction." Journal of Family Psychology.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (in press). "A longitudinal investigation of commitment dynamics in cohabiting relationships." Journal of Family Issues.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Kelmer, G., & Markman, H. J. (in press). "Physical aggression in unmarried relationships: The roles of commitment and constraints." Journal of Family Psychology.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (in press). "Should I stay or should I go? Predicting dating relationship stability from four aspects of commitment." Journal of Family Psychology.

FRAME

Markman, H., Rienks, S., Wadsworth, M., Markman, M., Einhorn, L., Moran, E., Mead Glojek, N., Pregulman, M., & Gentry, L. (2009). "Adaptation: Fatherhood, Individual, and Islamic Versions of PREP." In H. Benson and S. Callan (Eds.), What works in relationship education: Lessons from academics and service deliverers in the United States and Europe. (pp. 67 - 74). Doha, Qatar: Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development.

Pregulman, M., Rienks, S., Markman, H. J., Wadsworth, M., Einhorn, L., & Moran, E. (2011). "Lessons learned from recruiting diverse couples for clinical research on relationship education." In D. K. Carson & M. Casado-Kehoe (Eds.) Case Studies in Couple Therapy: Theory-Based Approaches. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Rienks, S., Wadsworth, M., Markman, H., Einhorn, L., & Etter, E. M. (2011). "Father involvement in urban low-income fathers: Baseline associations and changes resulting from preventive intervention." Family Relations, 60, 191-204.

Wadsworth, M. E. & Markman, H. J. (2011). "Where's the action? Understanding what works and why in relationship education." Behavior Therapy. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2011.01.006.

Wadsworth, M. E., Santiago, C. D., Einhorn, L., Moran, E. G., Rienks, S., & Markman, H. J. (2011). "Preliminary efficacy of an intervention to reduce psychosocial stress and improve coping in low-income families." American Journal of Community Psychology. doi:10.1007/s10464-101-9384-z.

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General Markman, H., Stanley, S., & Blumberg, S. (2001). Fighting for Your Marriage (Revised and updated edition). San Francisco, Jossey Bass, Inc. Markman, H., Stanley, S., Blumberg, S., Jenkins, N. & Whaley, C. (2004). Twelve Hours to a Great Marriage. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass. Markman, H. J., Whitton, S.

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PI: Hannah Williamson
Lab: Williamson Lab
School: University of Texas at Austin
Dept: Human Development and Family Sciences (Area: Intimate Relationships)
Foci: Couples, Relationship change, Social and economic adversity, Family formation,

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Last month Dr. Williamson gave an invited talk at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Close Relationships Preconference entitled "Meta-Research on Relationship Science: A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion." The talk presented results from a systematic literature review that assesses the diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups in the research being conducted in our field. You can view a recording of the talk here.

Dr. Williamson has been named Co-President of the ABCT Couples Research and Treatment Special Interest Group, which is the primary professional organization for clinical psychologists who study couple relationships and couple therapy. She will serve a two-year term as leader of this group, alongside Co-President Emily Salivar, Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Williamson has published a new paper, in collaboration with HDFS colleague Dr. Neff, that examines how stress impacts one's ability to provide support to their partner. Husbands experiencing greater chronic stress were less accurate in their assessments of their partner's support needs, and even when husbands did notice that their partner desired support, they were less likely to provide support if they were coping with their own stress that day.

Dr. Williamson has published an article about the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships in Psychological Science. The COVID-19 pandemic has called upon couples to spend extended amounts of time together and rely primarily on each other for support during a major stressor that has upended nearly every aspect of daily life. In this study, individuals involved in a relationship were assessed before the start of the pandemic and again two times during the early stages of the pandemic to determine how their relationship changed. Overall, the results of this large, national study indicate that on average people did not change in how satisfied they were with their relationship, but did become more forgiving and less blaming of their partner's negative behaviors by attributing them less to their partner's internal characteristics. These results were true irrespective of multiple characteristics, including demographics of the partners, pre-existing characteristics of the relationship, and negative experiences resulting from the pandemic, but did vary based on couple functioning during the pandemic.

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Last month Dr. Williamson gave an invited talk at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Close Relationships Preconference entitled "Meta-Research on Relationship Science: A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion." The talk presented results from a systematic literature review that assesses the diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups in the research being conducted in our field.

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PI: Lisa Neff
Lab: N/A
School: University of Texas at Austin
Dept: Human Development and family Sciences (Area: Intimate Relationships)
Foci: Intimate relationships, Relationship change, Age-related change, Relationship challenges Emotional and physical health

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How do our relationships change as we grow older? Unfortunately, most research on marriage and dating has focused almost exclusively on the relationships of young adults. Thus, interventions designed to help people have happier, healthier relationships are being informed by studies conducted on a limited segment of the population. This project, which is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, collected data from almost 300 couples. The purpose of the study is to compare older and younger couples, both married and dating, to examine potential age-related changes in how couples approach relationship challenges, as well as the implications of different coping strategies for emotional and physical health. Thank you to all the couples who participated!

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Relationship Experiences Across the Lifespan Project (REAL)

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How do our relationships change as we grow older? Unfortunately, most research on marriage and dating has focused almost exclusively on the relationships of young adults. Thus, interventions designed to help people have happier, healthier relationships are being informed by studies conducted on a limited segment of the population.

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PI: Andrea Meltzer
Lab: ACR Lab
School: Florida State University
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Evolutionary perspectives, Attractiveness, Satisfaction, Relationship longevity

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The Attraction and Close Relationships (ACR) Lab at Florida State University utilizes evolutionary perspectives to enhance relationship science. More specifically, we draw from sexual selection and life history theories to better understand long-term relationship cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. In our research, we often use dyadic, longitudinal studies and multi-method assessments such as observational assessments, self ...

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PI: Jim McNulty
Lab: CAIR Lab
School: Florida State University
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Satisfaction, Automatic attitudes, Contextual influences

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My program of research focuses on how strong beliefs may change or remain stable over time. For the most part, I have addressed this issue in the context of close relationships, where initially positive beliefs frequently become negative, despite partners' strong motives to maintain them. This transformation raises the possibility that there may be limits to social psychological theories that suggest people possess effective techniques for maintaining their desired beliefs. My long-term research goals are to understand and define these limits and, in doing so, to suggest directions for promoting the resilience of initially satisfying beliefs about close relationships.

I direct the CAIR (Contextual & Automatic Influences on Relationships) lab. Click the tabs above to learn more about our lab and research interests.

Contextual and Automatic Influences on Close Relationships

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My program of research focuses on how strong beliefs may change or remain stable over time. For the most part, I have addressed this issue in the context of close relationships, where initially positive beliefs frequently become negative, despite partners' strong motives to maintain them.

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PI: Chris Fraley
Lab: N/A
School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Area: Social-Personality
Foci: Attachment, Measurement, Well-being, Emotion regulation, Interpersonal functioning

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R. Chris Fraley is a Professor at the University of Illinois's Department of Psychology. He received his PhD from the University of California, Davis in 1999 in Social-Personality Psychology. In 2007 he received the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in the area of Individual Differences. He is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Chris's research involves the study of attachment processes in close relationships, personality dynamics and development, and research methods. He is also broadly interested in issues at the interface of social cognition, development, evolution, and psychodynamics.

Curriculum Vitae | Google Scholar Page

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R. Chris Fraley is a Professor at the University of Illinois's Department of Psychology. He received his PhD from the University of California, Davis in 1999 in Social-Personality Psychology. In 2007 he received the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in the area of Individual Differences.

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PI: John Lydon
Lab: Lydon Lab
School: McGill University
Area: Social-Personality & Health Psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Attachment, Stress, Commitment, Relationship adversity, Social environment, Maternal well-being, Child development

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Research Areas:

Research Summary:

Professor Lydon's research focuses on intimate social bonds and has examined (1) how attachment bonds regulate stress and well-being; (2) how relationship commitment motivates an individual to expend effort to overcome relationship adversities, and (3) how the social environment impacts on maternal well-being in ways that affect the maternal-infant bond and child development.

Selected References:

Kramer, M S., Lydon, J.E., Goulet, L, Kahn, S, Dahhou, M, Platt, RW., Sharma, S, Meaney, M J., and Séguin, L. (2013) Maternal stress/distress, hormonal pathways, and spontaneous preterm birth. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 27, 237-246.

Linardatos, L., & Lydon, J.E. (2011). Relationship-specific identification and spontaneous relationship maintenance processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 737-753.

McClure, M. J., Lydon, J.E., Baccus, J., & Baldwin, M. W. (2010). A signal detection analysis of the anxiously attached at speed-dating: Being unpopular is only the first part of the problem. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 1024-1036.

Gagné, F., & Lydon, J.E. (2004) Bias and accuracy in close relationships: An integrative review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8, 322-388.

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Professor Lydon's research focuses on intimate social bonds and has examined (1) how attachment bonds regulate stress and well-being; (2) how relationship commitment motivates an individual to expend effort to overcome relationship adversities, and (3) how the social environment impacts on maternal well-being in ways that affect the maternal-infant bond and child development.

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PIs: Nickola Overall & Jessica Maxwell
Lab: REACH Lab
School: University of Auckland
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Emotions, Attachment, Health, and well-being, Conflict, Social support, Insecurities,

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REACH is a research group led by Professor Nickola Overall and Dr Jessica Maxwell at the University of Auckland.

Our research focuses on how emotional, attachment and relationship difficulties can be overcome to build healthy and happy relationships. We investigate how couples and families can effectively support each other and resolve conflict to enhance health and wellbeing.

We also examine how people's relationship insecurities and negative beliefs influence the way they respond in relationships, and identify the factors that can overcome the dysfunctional patterns that can arise from relationship insecurity.

Read more about our research programs on this site, and be sure to follow us on Facebook as well. Welcome!

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REACH is a research group led by Professor Nickola Overall and Dr Jessica Maxwell at the University of Auckland. Our research focuses on how emotional, attachment and relationship difficulties can be overcome to build healthy and happy relationships. We investigate how couples and families can effectively support each other and resolve conflict to enhance health and wellbeing.

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PI: Yuthika Girme
Lab: REWE Lab
School: Simon Fraser University
Area: Social psychology
Foci: Intimate relationships, Social support, Insecurities, Psychological and physical health, Singlehood,

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Relationship RESEARCH

People involved in supportive intimate relationships experience better psychological and physical health. However, even good relationships are hard to maintain. Given the crucial role of intimate relationships in protecting people against psychological and physical health problems, our research aims to determine when and for whom relationships foster greater wellbeing.

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People involved in supportive intimate relationships experience better psychological and physical health. However, even good relationships are hard to maintain. Given the crucial role of intimate relationships in protecting people against psychological and physical health problems, our research aims to determine when and for whom relationships foster greater wellbeing.

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PI: Darby Saxbe
Lab: NEST Lab
School: University of Southern California
Area: Clinical Science
Foci: Couple & Family dynamics, Transition to parenthood, Hormones, Couple functioning, Parenting, Parent-child attachment, Early infant development

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Current Projects

What are the biolological and psychological underpinnings of the transition to parenthood?

We are currently conducting the NSF-funded HATCH (Hormones Across the Transition to Childrearing) study to explore couple and family dynamics during the transition to parenthood. We recruit couples in mid-pregnancy and follow them across the first year after the birth of their child. We are sampling hormones (cortisol, testosterone, oxytocin, and prolactin) and examining couple relationship functioning and psychological well-being over pregnancy and postpartum. We will also look at parenting, parent-child attachment, and early infant development.

How does the "fathering brain" work?

In a substudy linked with the larger HATCH study, we will be scanning expectant and new fathers both before and after the birth of their child, using a combination of structural and functional imaging to examine the fathering brain and how it is correlated with hormones and parenting behavior.

Past Projects

How do adolescents view themselves and their parents?

In a study conducted from 2010-2014, we used fMRI scanning to see how adolescents respond to video clips and trait adjective representing themselves and people in their social worlds. We recruited participants from the USC Family Studies Project who had already reported on their family environments and participated in a videotaped family conflict discussion task with both parents. We created stimuli for each participant using clips from this conflict discussion, allowing us to explore activation to self and parents in regions of the brain associated with theory of mind, mentalizing, and social perception. We looked at how adolescents' exposure to aggressive family conflict moderated their activation in these areas.

Collaborators: Gayla Margolin, Larissa Del Piero, USC Department of Psychology; Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Jonas Kaplan, Xiao-Fei Yang, USC Brain and Creativity Institute

Do families "sync up" their stress hormones?

Do family members show synchrony in their fluctuations of the stress hormone cortisol? We have explored this question in both daily stress studies and laboratory studies. Married couples sampling cortisol over several days showed positively correlated levels of momentary cortisol and negative mood, with stronger linkages seen in more distressed couples. In parents and adolescents engaged in a laboratory-based conflict discussion, we found that momentary cortisol levels are linked across the family triad, and time-lagged analyses suggest that fathers drive changes in youths' cortisol, youths drive mothers' cortisol changes, and mothers drive fathers' cortisol changes.

In an additional, related line of research, we have found daily patterns of cortisol to be linked with marital satisfaction, the division of household labor, and the way people describe their homes. For example, we have found that unhappily married women have flatter slopes of cortisol, considered a marker of poor adaptation to stress. We have also found that other aspects of the family environment, like the way women describe their home spaces and the division of household labor, are linked with cortisol patterns and physiological recovery at the end of the day.
Collaborators: Rena Repetti, UCLA; Gayla Margolin, Brian Baucom, Lauren Shapiro, Aubrey Rodriguez, Esti Iturralde, USC

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Research > NeuroEndocrinology of Social Ties Lab > USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

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Current Projects What are the biolological and psychological underpinnings of the transition to parenthood? We are currently conducting the NSF-funded HATCH (Hormones Across the Transition to Childrearing) study to explore couple and family dynamics during the transition to parenthood. We recruit couples in mid-pregnancy and follow them across the first year after the birth of their child.

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PI: Niall Bolger
Lab: Columbia Couples Lab
School: Columbia University
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Stress, Social support, Health, Physiological arousal, Self-regulation

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The Columbia Couples Lab seeks to understand dyadic processes, especially those that are evoked when dyad members are facing stressful experiences. We look not only at romantic couples, but also at friends, unacquainted partners, roommates, and family relationships. Our lab also has a research focus on health-behavior, primarily looking at how social support can assist health-related behavior change, physiological arousal, and self-regulation. We use both lab-based experimental studies and naturalistic, longitudinal studies of daily experiences, as well as statistical models suitable for the study of change processes in individuals and dyads, both between and within persons. Overall, we look at how people support each other both effectively and ineffectively. We want to learn how to maximize the effectiveness of supportive behaviors.

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The Columbia Couples Lab seeks to understand dyadic processes, especially those that are evoked when dyad members are facing stressful experiences. We look not only at romantic couples, but also at friends, unacquainted partners, roommates, and family relationships. Our lab also has a research focus on health-behavior, primarily looking at how social support can assist health-related behavior change, physiological arousal, and self-regulation.

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PI: J.P. Laurenceau
Lab: N/A
School: University of Delaware
Area: Clinical Science
Foci: Romantic relationships, Couples therapy, Divorce, Couples coping with cancer, Psychotherapy

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J.P. Laurenceau | University of Delaware

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J.P. Laurenceau, a professor of psychological and brain sciences, researchers committed romantic relationships and examines marriage, newlyweds, couples therapy and divorce.

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PI: Lisa Jaremka
Lab: Close Relationships and Health Lab
School: University of Delaware
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Social dissconnection, Motivation, Physiology, Health

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Tweets by LisaJaremka

1/2021: Selected as Social and Personality Health Network early career award winner

11/2020: Received notification I had been nominated by my students for a UD teaching award

8/2020: Paper about couples cortisol levels accepted at Psychoneuroendocrinology

3/2020: Received Center for Innovative Health Research, Health Behavior-Nutrition Sciences PLATINUM Grant

2/2020: Gave RRIG early career award talk at SPSP conference

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Tweets by LisaJaremka 1/2021: Selected as Social and Personality Health Network early career award winner 11/2020: Received notification I had been nominated by my students for a UD teaching award 8/2020: Paper about couples cortisol levels accepted at Psychoneuroendocrinology 3/2020: Received Center for Innovative Health Research, Health Behavior-Nutrition Sciences PLATINUM Grant 2/2020: Gave RRIG early career award talk at SPSP conference

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PI: Ximena Arriaga
Lab: N/A
School: Purdue University (on leave to serve as program director at NSF)
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Attachment, Commitment, Partner aggression

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Degree: Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Arriaga is on leave from Purdue University to serve as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Research Interests:

Dr. Arriaga studies the rewards and challenges of close relationships. Current projects include changing insecure tendencies; minimizing harm from partner aggression; understanding relational commitment.

Recent Publications:

Arriaga, X. B., Capezza, N. M., Reed, J. T., Wesselman, E. D., & Williams, K. D. (2014). With partners like you, who needs strangers?: Ostracism involving a romantic partner. Personal Relationships, 21, 557-569.

Arriaga, X. B., Kumashiro, M., Finkel, E. J., VanderDrift, L. E., & Luchies, L. B. (2014). Filling the void: Bolstering attachment security in committed relationships. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5, 398-405.

Raymond, L., Weldon, S. L., Kelly, D., Arriaga, X. B., & Clark, A. M. (2014). Norm-based strategies for institutional change to address intractable problems. Political Research Quarterly, 67, 197-211.

Arriaga, X. B., & Schkeryantz, E. L. (2015). Intimate relationships and personal distress: The invisible harm of psychological aggression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 1332-1344.

Reis, H. T., & Arriaga, X. B. (2015). Interdependence Theory. In B. Gawronski & G. Bodenhausen (Eds.), Theory and explanation in social psychology (pp. 305-327). New York Guilford Press.

Ren, D., Tan, K., Arriaga, X. B., Chan, K. Q. (2015). Sweet love: The effects of sweet taste experience on romantic perceptions. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 32, 905-921.

Arriaga, X. B., Capezza, N. C., & Daly, C. A. (2016). Personal standards for judging aggression by a relationship partner: How much aggression is too much? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 110, 36-54.

Capezza, N. M., D'Intino, L. A., Flynn, M., & Arriaga, X. B. (2017). Perceptions of psychological abuse: The role of perpetrator gender, victim's response, and sexism. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0886260517741215

Ren, D., Arriaga, X. B., & Mahan, E. R. (2017). Attachment insecurity and perceived importance of relational features. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 34, 446-466. doi:10.1177/0265407516640604

Arriaga, X. B., Capezza, N. M., Goodfriend, W., & Allsop, K. A. (2018). The invisible harm of downplaying a romantic partner's aggression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27, 275-280. doi.org/10.1177/0963721417754198

Arriaga, X. B., Cobb, R. J., & Daly, C. A. (2018). Aggression and violence in romantic relationships. In A. Vangelisti & D. Perlman (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships (2 nd Ed., pp. 365-377).Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Arriaga, X. B., & Kumashiro, M. (2018). Walking a security tightrope: Relationship-induced changes in attachment security. Current Opinion in Psychology, 25, 121-126.

Arriaga, X. B., Kumashiro, M., Simpson, J. A., & Overall, N. C. (2018). Revising working models across time: Relationship situations that enhance attachment security. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22, 71-96. doi:10.1177/1088868317705257

Tan, K., Arriaga, X. B., & Agnew, C. R. (2018). Running on empty: Measuring psychological dependence in close relationships lacking satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35, 977-998. doi: 10.1177/0265407517702010

Arriaga, X. B., Hunt, L. M., & Agnew, C. R. (2019). The time has come: Integrating time and timing into our understanding of close relationships. Psychological Inquiry, 30, 34-38.

Hunt, L. L., Kumashiro, M., & Arriaga, X. B. (2020). An interdependence analysis of enhancing attachment security. In L. V. Machia, C. R. Agnew, & X. B. Arriaga (Eds.), Interdependence, interaction, and close relationships (pp. 95-119). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Joel, S... (2020). Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies. PNAS, 117, 19061-19071. 7/27/20 online publication. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917036117

Kumashiro, M., & Arriaga, X. B. (2020). Attachment security enhancement model: Bolstering attachment security through close relationships. In B. A. Mattingly, K. P. McIntyre, & G. W. Lewandowski, Jr. (Eds.), Interpersonal relationships and the self-concept (pp. 69-88). Springer.

Machia, L. V., Agnew, C. R., & Arriaga, X. B. (Eds.) (2020). Interdependence, interaction, and close relationships. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Rice, T. M., Kumashiro, M., & Arriaga, X. B. (2020). Mind the gap: Perceived partner responsiveness as a bridge between general and partner-specific attachment security. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 7178. doi:10.3390/ijerph17197178

Righetti, F., Balliet, D., Molho, C. , Columbus, S., Faure, R., Bahar, Y., Iqmal, M., Semenchenko, A., & Arriaga, X. B. (2020). Fostering attachment security: The role of interdependent situations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 7648. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207648

Arriaga, X. B., & Kumashiro, M. (2021). Change in adult attachment security from an Interdependence Theory perspective. In R. A. Thompson, J. A. Simpson, & L. Berlin (Eds.), Attachment: The Fundamental Questions (pp. 176-184). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Capezza, N. M., D'Intino, L. A., Flynn, M., & Arriaga, X. B. (2021). Perceptions of psychological abuse: The role of perpetrator gender, victim's response, and sexism. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36, 1414-1436. doi:10.1177/0886260517741215

Mailing Address:

Department of Psychological Sciences Purdue University
703 Third Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2081 USA

Campus Address:

Psychological Sciences, Room 2150

Email:
arriaga@purdue.edu
Telephone:

(765) 494-6888

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- Psychological Sciences - Purdue University

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Degree: Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Dr. Arriaga is on leave from Purdue University to serve as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Arriaga studies the rewards and challenges of close relationships. Current projects include changing insecure tendencies; minimizing harm from partner aggression; understanding relational commitment.

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PI: Christopher Agnew
Lab: N/A
School: Purdue University
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Interpersonal relations, Commitment, Dissolution, Social network interactions, Health processes

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Degree: Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Christopher R. Agnew is Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on close, interpersonal relationships and the use of relational models to understand broader social and health processes. He has published and presented his research widely, and has received funding from federal agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health), private foundations (e.g., Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) and corporations (e.g., Facebook). Dr. Agnew has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and Personal Relationships, and as General Editor of the Cambridge University Press book series Advances in Personal Relationships. He was the recipient of the Early Career Award from the Relationships Researchers Interest Group of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, American Psychological Association, International Association for Relationship Research, Midwestern Psychological Association, the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He served as President of the International Association for Relationship Research. Dr. Agnew served as Head of Psychological Sciences at Purdue from 2009 to 2017, and has served as Associate Vice President for Research for Purdue University since 2017.

Research Interests:

(1) interpersonal relations, including timing, commitment processes, dissolution processes, and social network interactions and influence; and (2) the use of relational models to understand broader social and health processes.

Representative Publications:

Agnew, C. R., Hadden, B. W., & Tan, K. (2020). Relationship receptivity theory: Timing and interdependent relationships. In L. V. Machia, C. R. Agnew, & X. B. Arriaga (Eds.), Interdependence, interaction, and relationships (pp.269-292).Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Machia, L. V., Agnew, C. R., & Arriaga, X. B. (Eds.) (2020). Interdependence, interaction, and relationships. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Tan, K., Agnew, C. R., & Hadden, B. W. (2020). Seeking and ensuring interdependence: Desiring commitment and the strategic initiation and maintenance of close relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46, 36-50.

Agnew, C. R., Hadden, B. W., & Tan, K. (2019). It's about time: Readiness, commitment and stability in close relationships. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10,

Agnew, C. R., & Harman, J. J. (Eds.) (2019). Power in close relationships. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Hadden, B. W., Harvey, S. M., Settersten, R. A., Jr., & Agnew, C. R. (2019). What do I call us? The Investment Model of Commitment Processes and changes in relationship categorization. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10, 235-243.

Agnew, C. R., & VanderDrift, L. E. (2018). Commitment processes in personal relationship. In A. L. Vangelisti & D. Perlman (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships, 2ndEdition (pp.437-448). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Hadden, B. W., Agnew, C. R.., & Tan, K. (2018). Commitment readiness and relationship formation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44, 1242-1257.

Tan, K., Arriaga, X. B., & Agnew, C. R. (2018). Running on empty: Measuring psychological dependence in close relationships lacking satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35, 977-998.

Agnew, C. R., Harvey, S. M., VanderDrift, L. E., & Warren, J. (2017). Relational underpinnings of condom use: Findings from the Project on Partner Dynamics. Health Psychology, 36, 713-720.

Goodfriend, W., Agnew, C. R., & Cathey, P. L. (2017). Understanding commitment and partner-serving biases in close relationships. In J. Fitzgerald (Ed.), Foundations for couples' therapy: Research for the real world (pp. 51-60). New York: Routledge.

VanderDrift, L. E., Agnew, C. R., & Besikci, E. (2017). Friendship and romance: A need-fulfillment perspective. In M. Hojjat & A. Moyer (Eds.), The psychology of friendship (pp. 106-121). New York:Oxford University Press.

Besikci, E., Agnew, C. R., & Yildirim, A. (2016). It's my partner, deal with it: Rejection sensitivity, normative beliefs, and commitment. Personal Relationships, 23, 384-395.

Etcheverry, P. E., & Agnew, C. R. (2016). Predictors of motivation to comply with social referents regarding one's romantic relationship. Personal Relationships, 23, 214-233.

Tan, K., & Agnew, C. R. (2016). Ease of retrieval effects on relationship commitment: The role of future plans. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42, 161-171.

Agnew, C. R., & VanderDrift, L. E. (2015). Relationship maintenance and dissolution. In M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), APA handbook of personality and social psychology: Vol. 3. Interpersonal relations (pp. 581-604). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Tan, K., Agnew, C. R., VanderDrift, L. E., & Harvey, S. M. (2015). Committed to us: Predicting relationship closeness following non-marital romantic relationship breakup. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32, 456-471.

Tan, K., See, H. Y. M., & Agnew, C. R. (2015). Partner's understanding of affective-cognitive meta-bases predicts relationship quality. Personal Relationships, 22, 524-535.

Agnew, C. R. (Ed.) (2014). Social influences on romantic relationships: Beyond the dyad. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Agnew, C. R. & South, S. C. (Eds.) (2014). Interpersonal relationships and health: Social and clinical psychological mechanisms. New York: Oxford University Press.

VanderDrift, L. E., & Agnew, C. R. (2014). Relational consequences of personal goal pursuits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106, 927-940.

Graduate Student and Postdoc Team Members (Past & Present):

Tim Loving (Facebook)

Ben Le (Haverford College)

Wind Goodfriend (Buena Vista University)

Paul Etcheverry (Facebook)

Justin Lehmiller (The Kinsey Institute)

Candace Best (Augusta University)

Laura VanderDrift Machia (Syracuse University)

Kenneth Tan (Singapore Management University)

Ezgi Besikci (Usak University)

Yuthika Girme (Simon Fraser University)

Benjamin Hadden (Facebook)

Juwon Lee (Medallia)

Ledina Imami (PhD, Wayne State University)

Yuchen Li (beginning PhD program in Fall 2021)

Associate Vice President for Research, Purdue University

Courtesy appointments:
PSY Mailing Address:
Department of Psychological Sciences
Purdue University
703 Third Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2081 USA

Psychological Sciences, Room 2162
PSY Telephone:
1-765-494-6254
AVPR Mailing Address:
Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships
Purdue University
610 Purdue Mall
West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA

Hovde Hall, Room 335
AVPR Telephone:
1-765-496-3824

E-mail:
agnew@purdue.edu
Christopher R. Agnew.pdf

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Degree: Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Christopher R. Agnew is Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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PI: Paul Eastwick
Lab: The Attraction and Relationships Research Lab
School: UC Davis
Area: Social-Personality Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Ideal partner preferences

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University of California, Davis

Dr. Paul Eastwick is a Professor at the University of California, Davis. He runs the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory - learn more about his research here.

Here are some frequently asked questions about Dr. Eastwick's research on Ideal Partner Preferences.

Check out our video tutorial illustrating the Social Relations Model and speed-dating.

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The Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory

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University of California, Davis Dr. Paul Eastwick is a Professor at the University of California, Davis. He runs the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory - learn more about his research here. Here are some frequently asked questions about Dr. Eastwick's research on Ideal Partner Preferences.

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PI: Amy Muise
Lab: SHaRe Lab
School: York University
Area: Social-Personality Psychology
Foci: Relationships, Sexual satisfaction, Sexual conflict, Desire and satisfaction

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We apply theories and research from social and clinical psychology to understand how couples can have more satisfying sex lives and relationships. When and for whom is sex most beneficial in relationships? What factors are associated with the maintenance of desire and satisfaction over the course of time in relationships? How can couples navigate sexual conflicts of interest with greater success? These are some of the questions we are focused on answering.

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Welcome to The Sexual Health and Relationships Lab!

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We apply theories and research from social and clinical psychology to understand how couples can have more satisfying sex lives and relationships. When and for whom is sex most beneficial in relationships? What factors are associated with the maintenance of desire and satisfaction over the course of time in relationships?

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PI: Jeff Simpson
Lab: Social Interaction Lab
School: University of Minnesota
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Attachment, Social development, Relationships and health, Social influence, Parenting

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Our lab conducts research from a person-by-situation perspective, focusing on close relationships and interpersonal processes within an evolutionary and developmental framework. Most of our work addresses five areas:

Attachment: how adult attachment orientations affect relationship functioning and outcomes across the life span, especially when romantic partners are distressed.

Social development: how the quality of environments and relationships encountered earlier in life affect adult romantic relationships, parenting styles, and physical and mental health outcomes.

Relationships and health: how the quality of relationships and the beliefs, emotions, an

d behaviors of relationship partners influence health outcomes in each partner.

Social influence: when, how, and why romantic partners attempt to influence each other, including within-dyad power dynamics on relationship functioning and outcomes.

Parenting: how early interpersonal experiences and current romantic partners affect parental investment and co-parenting patterns.

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Our lab conducts research from a person-by-situation perspective, focusing on close relationships and interpersonal processes within an evolutionary and developmental framework. Most of our work addresses five areas: Attachment : how adult attachment orientations affect relationship functioning and outcomes across the life span, especially when romantic partners are distressed.

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PI: Allison Farrell
Lab: MARSH Lab
School: Miami University (of Ohio)
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Stress, Physical health

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Website for the Mechanisms Affecting Relationships, Stress, & Health (MARSH) Lab at Miami University in Ohio, lead by Dr. Allison Farrell in the psychology department

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PI: Emily Impett
Lab: Relationships and Well-Being Lab
School: University of Toronto
Area: Social and Personality Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Approach-avoidance, Emotion regulation, Sex, Communal relationships ("giving")

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Dr. Emily A. Impett
Department of Psychology
University of Toronto
3359 Mississauga Road
Mississauga, ON L5L1C6
Phone: 905.569.4632
Fax: 905.569.4326
Email: emily.impett@utoronto.ca

The research in the Relationships and Well-Being Lab (RAWLab) at the University of Toronto Mississauga is centrally focused on understanding when and for whom "giving" in the context of close relationships helps and when it hurts. In our close relationships, we are motivated to give to others, and we do so in a variety of ways. For example, parents make huge sacrifices for their children, and people go to great lengths to help a romantic partner in need. Sometimes, people engage in sexual activity when they are not "in the mood" in order to please their romantic partner. Some of these acts of giving are made at considerable cost to the self. What motivates people to give in the face of personal costs? When is giving rewarding and when might good intentions backfire and potentially detract from the quality of relationships? How do people regulate the strong emotions they might feel when they sacrifice for others? Do some people enjoy giving more than others? To answer these questions, we conduct three main lines of research that draw upon on theories of approach-avoidance motivation, emotion regulation and authenticity, and communal relationships. Our lab is highly committed to the use of rich, ecologically valid methods-including experience sampling, longitudinal, and dyadic methods-to understand how real-life giving and sacrifice shape people's emotional experiences and the quality of their close relationships.

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Dr. Emily A. Impett Department of Psychology University of Toronto 3359 Mississauga Road Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Phone: 905.569.4632 Fax: 905.569.4326 Email: emily.impett@utoronto.ca The research in the Relationships and Well-Being Lab (RAWLab) at the University of Toronto Mississauga is centrally focused on understanding when and for whom "giving" in the context of close relationships helps and when it hurts.

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PI: Eli Finkel
Lab: RAM Lab
School: Northwestern University
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Interpersonal attraction, Goals and relationships, Marriage, Conflict resolution

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The Relationships And Motivation Lab (RAMLAB) consists of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers working to understand how interpersonal relationships work. The team employs a range of empirical methods-experimental, observational, longitudinal, experience-sampling, etc.-to investigate when two strangers feel a touch of fire during a first meeting, how people can navigate conflict more constructively, why the changing nature of marriage makes it more difficult to build a fulfilling marriage even as it makes the best marriages better than ever, and so forth.

Important Note on Graduate Admissions: The RAMLAB will not admit a student during the fall 2020 application season. Bear in mind that students in Northwestern's social psychology program typically work with more than one advisor, which means that students who are primarily admitted into a different lab are likely to have the opportunity to work in the RAMLAB, too. Those who are broadly interested in pursuing graduate work in our program are encouraged to apply.

Recent Lab News

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The Relationships And Motivation Lab (RAMLAB) consists of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers working to understand how interpersonal relationships work. The team employs a range of empirical methods-experimental, observational, longitudinal, experience-sampling, etc.-to investigate when two strangers feel a touch of fire during a first meeting, how people can navigate conflict more constructively, why the changing nature of marriage makes it more difficult to build a fulfilling marriage even as it makes the best marriages better than ever, and so forth.

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PI: Sara Algoe
Lab: Emotions and Social Interactions Lab
School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Social interactions, Positive psychology, Physical and Mental Health

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Sara Algoe's research addresses what helps things go right in social interactions, and the implications of getting social interactions right. Many of us take our everyday social interactions for granted, yet each one sets the stage for the next, and the accumulation of everyday interactions dictate the nature and quality of the relationship. The quality of our relationships powerfully influences both physical and mental health. Dr. Algoe has studied everyday social interactions in the context of friendships, romantic couples, co-workers, and new acquaintances.

Featured Article:

Positive Interpersonal Processes

Make a donation to the Positive Psychology Science Fund

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Sara Algoe's research addresses what helps things go right in social interactions, and the implications of getting social interactions right. Many of us take our everyday social interactions for granted, yet each one sets the stage for the next, and the accumulation of everyday interactions dictate the nature and quality of the relationship.

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PI: Steven Beach
Lab: N/A
School: University of Georgia
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Epigenetics, Marital and Family processes, Marital discord, Depression and anxiety in close relationships, Self-processes in relationships

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Education

Ph.D. SUNY-Stony Brook, 1985

Research Interests

Epigenetics, Marital and Family processes, marital discord, depression and anxiety in close relationships, self-processes in relationships.

Some Recent Publications (Click for full vita below)

2015

Foran, H. M., Whisman, M. A., Beach, S. R. H. (2015). Intimate Partner Relationship Distress in the DSM-5. Family Process, 48-63. Article first published online: 13 JAN 2015 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12122

Philibert, R. A., & Beach, S. R. H. (2015). The Genetic and Epigenetic Essentials of Modern Humans. In M. Pluess (Ed). Genetics of Psychological Well-Being; Oxford University Press.

Brody, G. H., Yu, T., Beach, S. R. H (2015). A differential susceptibility analysis reveals the "who and how" about Adolescents' response to Preventive Interventions: Tests of First and Second Generation Gene * Intervention hypotheses. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 37-49. doi:10.1017/S095457941400128X

Whisman, M. A., & Beach, S. R. H. (2015). Couple Therapy and the Treatment of Depression. In Gurman, A. S., Lebow, J., & Snyder, D. K. Clinical handbook of couple therapy, (5th ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press. ISBN 9781462513925

Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H. (2015). Genetics and epigenetics in the context of family and couple problems. In E. Lawrence & K. Sullivan (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Couple Dysfunction. Oxford University Press.

Beach, S. R. H., Foren, H. M., Heyman, R. E., Slep, A. M., Cordaro, A., Wamboldt, M. Z., Reiss, D., Kaslow, N. J., (2015). Relational Problems: Historical Background and Current Considerations for DSM-V and ICD-11. In Erika Lawrence & Kieran Sullivan (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Couple Dysfunction. Oxford University Press.

Foran, H. M., Heyman, R. E., Slep, A. M. S., Beach, S. R. H., Kaslow, N. J., Cordaro, A. R., Wamboldt, M. Z., & Reiss, D. (2015). Moving toward universal definitions and assessment of relational problems. In E. Lawrence & K. Sullivan (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Couple Dysfunction. Oxford University Press.

Beach, S. R. H., Lei, M. K., & Brody, G. H., Yu, T., & Philibert, R. A. (2014). Non-supportive Parenting Affects Telomere Length in Young Adulthood Among African Americans: Mediation through Substance Use. Journal of Family Psychology, 28,

Philibert, R. A., Terry, N., Erwin, C. Philibert, W. J., Beach, S. R H., Brody, G. H., (2014). Methylation array data can simultaneously identify individuals and convey protected health information: An unrecognized ethical concern. Clinical Epigenetics.

Cutrona, C. E., Abraham, W. T., Russel, D. W., Beach, S. R. H., Burzette, R., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., Monik, M., & Philibert, R. A. (2014). Financial Strain, Inflammatory Factors, and Hemoglobin A1C Levels in African-American women. British Journal of Health Psychology. Epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12120

Fincham, F. D. & Beach, S. R. H. (2014). I say a little prayer for you: Praying for partner increases commitment in romantic relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 28, 587-593.doi:10.1037/a0034999

Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H., Lei, M. K., Kim, S., Cui, J., & Philibert, R. A. (2014). Is serotonin transporter genotype associated with epigenetic susceptibility or vulnerability? Examination of the impact of socioeconomic status risk on African American youth.Development and Psychopathology, 26(2), 289-304. Doi:10.1017/ S0954579413000990 NIHMSID:604984

Simons, L. G., Simons, R. L., Landor, A. M. Bryant, C. M., & Beach, S. R. H. (2014). Factors Linking Childhood Experiences to Adult Romantic Relationships among African Americans. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(3), 368-379.

Simons, R.L., Lei, M.K., Beach, S.R.H., Brody, G.H., Philibert, R.A., Gibbons, F.X., & Gerrard, M., (2014). Differential Sensitivity to Context: GABRG1 Enhances the Acquisition of Prototypes That Serve as Intermediate Phenotypes for Substance Use. In J. MacKillop & M.R. Munafò (Eds.) Genetic influences on addiction: An intermediate phenotype approach. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Beach, S. R. H., Barton, A., Lei, M. K., Brody, G. H., Kogan, S. M., Hurt, T. R., Fincham, F. D., Stanley, S. M. (2014). The Effect of Communication Change on Long-term Reductions in Child Exposure to Conflict: Impact of the Promoting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) Program. Family Process. Article published online: 10 JUN 2014. DOI: 10.1111/famp.12085

Beach, S. R. H., Whisman, M. A. Bodenmann, G. (2014). Couple, Parenting, and Interpersonal Therapies for Depression in Adults: Toward Common Clinical Guidelines within a Stress Generation Framework. In I. A. Gotlib and C. Hammen (eds), Handbook of Depression, 3rd Edition. New York: Guilford Presss.

Beach, S. R. H., Dogan, M. V., Brody, G. H., & Philibert, R. A. (2014). Differential impact of cumulative SES risk on methylation of protein-protein interaction pathways as a function of SLC6A4 genetic variation in African American young adults. Biological Psychology, 96(1), 28-34. doi:10.1016/biopsycho.2013.10.006 NIHMSID:537515

McNeil, S., Fincham, F. D., Beach, S. R. H. (2014). Does Spousal Support Moderate the Association Between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms among African American Couples. Family Process, 53 (1),109-119. doi: 10.1111/famp.12054.

Beach, S. R. H., Gerrard. M., Gibbons F. X., Brody, G. H., Philibert, R. A. (2014). A Role for Epigenetics in Broadening the Scope of Pediatric Care in the Prevention of Adolescent Smoking.Epigenetic Diagnosis & Therapy, 1(1), 1 - 7 DOI: 10.2174/2214083201999140320153918

Brody, G. H., Lei, M.-K., Chae, D. H., Yu, T., Kogan, S. M., & Beach, S. R. H. (2014, February 5). Perceived discrimination among African American adolescents and allostatic load: A longitudinal analysis with buffering effects. Child Development. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/cdev.12213 NIHMSID:539009

Brody, G. H., Yu, T., Beach, S. R. H., Kogan, S. M., Windle, M., & Philibert, R. A. (2014). Harsh parenting and adolescent health: A longitudinal analysis with genetic moderation. Health Psychology, 33(5), 401-409. doi:10.1037/a0032686

Dogan M. V., Shields, B., Cutrona, C. E., Gao, L., Gibbons, F. X., Simons, R., Monick, M., Brody, G. H., Tan, K., Beach, S. R. H., & Philibert, R. A. (2014, February 22). The effect of smoking on DNA methylation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from African American women. BMC Genomics, 15, Article 151. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-151.

Beach, S. R. H. (2014). The Couple and Family Discord Model of Depression: Updates and Future Directions. In Christopher R. Agnew and Susan C. South (Eds.), Interpersonal Relationships and Health: Social and Clinical Psychological Mechanisms.Oxford University Press. (pp 133-155).

Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H., Lei, M. K., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., Simmons, R. L, , Cutrona, C.E., Philibert, R. A. (2013). Impact of child sex abuse on adult psychopathology: A genetically and epigentically informed investigation. Journal of Family Psychology. 27, 3-11. Doi: 10.1037/a0031459.

Fincham, F. D., & Beach, S. R. H. (2013). Can Religion and Spirituality Enhance Prevention Programs for Couples? In K. Pergament (Ed in chief), A. Mahoney & E. Shafranske (Associate Eds.), APA Handbook of Psychology, Religion and Spirituality. Volume II. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Beach, S. R. H., Gerrard, M., Brody, G. H., Simons, R. L, Kogan, S. M., Gibbons, F. X., & Philibert, R. A. (2013). Epigenetic effects on intermediate phenotypes. In J. MacKillop and M. R. Munafò (Eds.), Genetic inﬂuences on addiction: An intermediate phenotype approach (pp. 275-302). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Philibert, R. A., Beach, S. R. H. & Brody, G. H. (2012). Demethylation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon receptor repressor as a biomarker for nascent smokers. Epigenetics, 7(11), 1331-1338. doi. org/10.4161/epi.22520. PMID 23070629

Brody, G. H., Yu, T., Chen, Y. F..., Kogan, S. M., Evans, G. W., Beach, S. R.H., Windle, M. Simons, R. L., Gerrard, M., Gibbons, F. X. & Philibert, R. A. (2012). Cumulative Socioeconomic Status Risk, Allostatic Load, and Adjustment: A Prospective Latent Profile Analysis With Contextual and Genetic Protective Factors.Developmental Psychology. epub 2012 Jun 8. PMID 22709130

Brody, G. H., Chen, Y. F., Yu, T., Beach, S. R. H., Kogan, S. M., Simons, R. L., Windle, M. & Philibert, R. A. (2012). Life stress, the dopamine receptor gene, and emerging adult drug use trajectories: A longitudinal, multilevel, mediated moderation analysis. Development and Psychopathology. 24 (3), 941-951.

Beach, S. R. H., Hurt, T. R., Fincham, F. D., Franklin, K. J., McNair, L. M., Stanley, S. M. (2011). Enhancing marital enrichment through spirituality: Efficacy data for prayer focused relationship enhancement. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. doi 10.1037/a0022207

Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H. Todorov, A. A., Gunter, T. D., Philibert, R. A. (2011). Methylation at 5HTT Mediates the Impact of Child Sex Abuse on Women's Antisocial Behavior: An Examination of the Iowa Adoptee Sample. Psychosomatic Medicine, 73, 83-87. NIHMSID #252982. PMID 20947778.

Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H., Lei, K., Philibert, R. A. (2010). Differential Susceptibility to Parenting among African American Youth: Testing the DRD4 Hypothesis. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(5), 513-521. PMID: 20954761.

Fincham, F.D., Lambert, N.M., & Beach, S. R. H. (2010). Faith and unfaithfulness: Can praying for your partner reduce infidelity? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 649-659.
Howe, G., Brody, G., Beach, S. R. H. (2010). Microtrial Methods for Translating Gene-Environment Interaction into Preventive Interventions. Prevention Science, 11(4),343-354.

Teaching Interests

In the Past, my interactions with undergraduates have taken the form of supervising honors projects, directing supervised readings, and supervising research experience.
I continue to be interested in studying various aspects of close relationships and emotions within close relationships. Students have the opportunity to see research ideas develop and to discuss those ideas and various methods of psychological research. I do, however, require that any student involved in directed research experiences with me be available to meet with me and my team. Many of the interesting discussions take place during this time and I view it as an essential part of the learning process.

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Dr. Beach is possibly accepting applications for the admission of a graduate student for Fall 2021. Education Ph.D. SUNY-Stony Brook, 1985 Research Interests Epigenetics, Marital and Family processes, marital discord, depression and anxiety in close relationships, self-processes in relationships. Some Recent Publications (Click for full vita below) 2015

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PI: Justin Lavner
Lab: N/A
School: University of Georgia
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Family relationships, Marginalized populations, Well-being, Mental Health, Individual differences, Communication, External stressors, Interventions

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My research program aims to understand and improve family well-being, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. My basic research examines how relationships change and how factors such as individual characteristics (e.g., personality, mental health), relationship dynamics (e.g., communication), and external stressors (e.g., racial discrimination, sexual stigma, financial strain) predict these changes. My applied research focuses on developing preventive interventions to strengthen relational, physical, and mental health among couples and families.

I am currently PI on a 4-year grant from the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) testing two interventions for first-time African American mothers and their newborn infants. This randomized controlled trial (Sleep SAAF) aims to advance our understanding of family dynamics and health during the transition to parenthood and represents an important step in efforts to reduce health disparities among African American families.

I am also interested in family relationships and mental health among sexual minority populations. My work in this area has examined sexual minority adolescents and their families, same-sex couples, and same-sex parents and their adoptive children.

Education

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2014

B.A., Williams College, 2006

Research

Couple and family relationships, prevention/intervention, health disparities, LGBT issues

Selected Publications

, Barton, A. W., & Beach, S. R. H. (2020). Lavner, J. A. Direct and indirect effects of a couple-focused preventive intervention on children's outcomes: A randomized controlled trial with African American families. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88, 696-707.

, Williamson, H. C., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (2020). Premarital parenthood and newlyweds' marital trajectories. Journal of Family Psychology, 34, 279-290.

, Barton, A. W., & Beach, S. R. H. (2019). Improving couples' relationship functioning leads to improved coparenting: A randomized controlled trial with rural African American couples. Behavior Therapy, 50, 1016 -

, Stansfield, B. K., Beach, S. R. H., Brody, G. H., & Birch, L. L. (2019). Sleep SAAF: A responsive parenting intervention to prevent excessive weight gain and obesity among African American infants. BMC Pediatrics, 19, 224.

Lavner, J. A., Barton, A. W., Bryant, C. M., & Beach, S. R. H. (2018). Racial discrimination and relationship functioning among African American couples. Journal of Family Psychology,

Lavner, J. A., Weiss, B., Miller, J. D., & Karney, B. R. (2018). Personality change among newlyweds: Patterns, predictors, and associations with marital satisfaction over time. Developmental Psychology,

Lavner, J. A. (2017). Relationship satisfaction in lesbian couples: Review, methodological critique, and research agenda. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 21, 7-29.

Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2017). Protecting relationships from stress. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 11-14.

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My research program aims to understand and improve family well-being, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. My basic research examines how relationships change and how factors such as individual characteristics (e.g., personality, mental health), relationship dynamics (e.g., communication), and external stressors (e.g., racial discrimination, sexual stigma, financial strain) predict these changes.

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PI: Rich Slatcher
Lab: Close Relationships Lab
School: University of Georgia
Area: Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Foci: Intimate relationships, Family relationships, Health and well-being, Culture, Technology in relationships

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What makes our relationships tick and why do they have such profound effects on our health and well-being?

Having close relationships with others is a central human experience. Many of life's ups and downs, the activities people engage in, and the goals they set for themselves are in one way or another linked to the initiation, development and maintenance of social relationships. Understanding psychological and social processes in close relationships and their impact on health and well-being is the central focus our lab's research.

Richard Slatcher is the Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor in the Behavior and Brain Sciences area of the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on how people's close relationships with others can affect their well-being and their health. His most recent research focuses on how smartphones, social media, and emerging technologies impact people and their relationships.

Join Us

Dr. Slatcher plans to accept a new graduate student for Fall 2021.

If you are interested in being an undergraduate or post-bac research assistant in our lab, please get in touch.

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Richard Slatcher is the Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor in the Behavior and Brain Sciences area of the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on how people's close relationships with others can affect their well-being and their health.

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PI: Bonnie Le
Lab: Le Lab
School: University of Rochester
Area: Social-Personality Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Parent-child relationships, Motivations, Emotion regulation

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Topics of Study

Supportive and satisfying relationships are among the most important factors contributing to our well-being. While we often seek to care and connect with others at a deeper level, we may do so in ways that at times help, and at other times hinder, our relationships and well-being. In our research, we seek to understand how caring and connecting with others through regulation, perception, and motivation shapes personal and relationship well-being.

Motivations in Relationships

In our relationships, we often have the challenge of balancing self-oriented goals to pursue personal benefits with other-oriented goals that support our relationship partners. Being other-oriented, such as having a communal motivation to care for others, can help build new relationships and foster existing ones. While motivations to care can bring us closer to others, it also makes us vulnerable to the potential risks of being hurt or exploited. In our lab, we seek to understand when the motivation to care for others is beneficial versus costly for our personal and relationship well-being.

Emotion Regulation and Perception

Another important component of well-being concerns how people regulate their emotions. Whether it is withholding anger from a spouse during an argument or exaggerating excitement in order to provide positive feedback to a child, our relationships require that we control both desired and undesired emotions. What is the right balance of authentic expression and emotion regulation? Further, how does the accurate-or inaccurate-perception of our relationship partners' emotions impact well-being? In our lab, we seek to understand how the regulation and perception of emotions helps versus hurts relationships.

Interpersonal Relationships

We study a range of interpersonal relationships, with a specific focus on romantic and parent-child relationships.

Methods and Statistics in the Lab

We study relationships primarily through the use of survey methods. Surveys allow us to understand people's subjective relationship experiences cross-sectionally, in daily life, and over time. We use a variety of statistical techniques to analyze the data we collect, including multiple regression and multilevel modeling. In addition, we use a few other advanced methodological and statistical techniques:

Daily experience studies allow us to capture people's relationship experiences as they unfold naturally in day-to-day life.

Response surface analysis allows us to understand how the combination of each partner's emotions (or motivations) predicts personal and relationship well-being.

Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling allows us to understand how one person's emotions (or motivations)-accounting for their partner's emotions (or motivations)-can shape each person's well-being.

Meta-analysis allows us to synthesize results from multiple studies to obtain a reliable and comprehensive estimate of an effect of interest.

We incorporate open science practices into our work to facilitate transparency and replicability of our research.

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Topics of Study Supportive and satisfying relationships are among the most important factors contributing to our well-being. While we often seek to care and connect with others at a deeper level, we may do so in ways that at times help, and at other times hinder, our relationships and well-being.

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PI: Ron Rogge
Lab: The Rogge Lab
School: University of Rochester
Area: Clinical Psychology
Foci: Couples and family relationships, Sex and sexuality, Mindfulness, Interventions

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Our basic research studies examine how

Individual factors (e.g., neuroticism, anger, aggressiveness, depression, anxiety, alcohol use)

Couples behavior with each other (e.g., communication, empathy, forgiveness, social support, sexuality, humor, partner aggression, coparenting dynamics, parenting styles)

Environmental factors (e.g., life stress, socio-economic status, demographics, neighborhood dilapidation, neighborhood cohesion)

Implicit attitudes (e.g., subconscious attitudes toward a partner or family member that can shape the course of relationships)

Health behaviors/factors (e.g., exercise, diet, sleep hygiene)

collectively contribute to the development of relationship and family health and discord.

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Our basic research studies examine how Individual factors (e.g., neuroticism, anger, aggressiveness, depression, anxiety, alcohol use) Couples behavior with each other (e.g., communication, empathy, forgiveness, social support, sexuality, humor, partner aggression, coparenting dynamics, parenting styles) Environmental factors (e.g., life stress, socio-economic status, demographics, neighborhood dilapidation, neighborhood cohesion) Implicit attitudes (e.g., subconscious attitudes toward a partner or family member that can shape the course of relationships) Health behaviors/factors (e.g., exercise, diet, sleep hygiene) collectively contribute to the development of relationship and family health and discord.

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PI: Harry Reis
Lab: N/A

School: University of Rochester
Area: Social-Personality Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Social interaction, Health and well-being

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Research Overview
Professor Reis is not accepting student applications for the 2021 - 22 academic year.
Professor Reis' research interests involve social interaction and close relationships.

Professor Reis studies the factors that influence the quantity and closeness of social interaction, and the consequences of different patterns of socializing for health and psychological well-being. In his research, subjects keep detailed records on their on-going social interaction. These are tabulated by computer and related to various factors such as sex role, health, and emotional well-being.

Professor Reis is also investigating some of the psychological processes that affect the course and conduct of close relationships. He is particularly interested in intimacy, attachment, and emotion regulation.

Courses Offered (subject to change)

PSYC 519: General Linear Models (Data Analysis II)

PSYC 555: Social Psychology of Close Relationships

PSYC 550: Social Psychology of Emotion

Selected Publications

Reis, H. T., Crasta, D., Rogge, R. D., Maniaci, M. R., & Carmichael, C. L. (2018). Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale (PPRS). In D. L. Worthington & G. D. Bodie (Eds.), The Sourcebook of Listening Research: Methodology and Measures (pp. 516-521). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.

Carothers, B. J., & Reis, H. T. (2012). Men and Women Are From Earth: Examining the latent structure of Gender. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0030437.

Finkel, E. J., Eastwick, P. W., Karney, B. R., Reis, H. T., & Sprecher, S. (2012). Online dating: A critical analysis from the perspective of psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13, 3-66.

King, K. B., & Reis, H. T. (in press). Marriage and long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting. Health Psychology.

Reis, H. T. (in press). A brief history of relationship research in social psychology, In A. W. Kruglanski & W. Stroebe (Eds.), Handbook of the history of social psychology.

Reis, H. T. (in press). Why researchers should think "real-world": A conceptual rationale. In M. R. Mehl & T. S. Connor (Eds.), Handbook of Research Methods for studying daily life. New York: Guilford.

Reis, H. T. (in press). Perceived partner responsiveness as an organizing theme for the study of relationships and well-being. In L. Campbell & T. J. Loving (Eds.), Close relationships: An interdisciplinary integration. Washington, DC.: APA Books.

Reis, H. T., & Holmes, J. G. (in press). Perspectives on the situation. In K. Deaux & M. Snyder (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Smith, S. M., & Reis, H. T. (in press). Perceived responses to capitalization attempts are influenced by self-esteem and relationship threat. Personal Relationships.

Caprariello, P. A., & Reis, H. T. (2011). Perceived partner responsiveness minimizes defensive reactions to failure. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2, 365-372.

Lane, R. D., Carmichael, C. L., & Reis, H. T. (2011). Differentiation in the momentary rating of somatic symptoms covaries with trait emotional awareness in patients at risk for sudden cardiac death. Psychosomatic Medicine, 73, 185-192.

Reis, H. T., Maniaci, M. R., Caprariello, P. A., Eastwick, P. W., & Finkel, E. J. (2011). Familiarity does indeed promote attraction in live interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 557-570.

Reis, H. T., Maniaci, M. R., Caprariello, P. A., Eastwick, P. W., & Finkel, E. J. (2011). In live interaction, does familiarity promote attration or contempt? A reply to Norton, Frost, and Ariely (2011). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 575-578.

Cacioppo, J. T., Reis, H. T., & Zautra, A. J. (2011). Social resilience: The value of social fitness with an application to the military. American Psychologist, 66, 43-51.

Lane, R. D., Zareba, W., Reis, H. T., Peterson, D. R., & Moss, A. J. (2011). Changes in ventricular repolarization duration during typical daily emotion in patients with Long QT Syndrome. Psychosomatic Medicine, 73, 98-105.

Gable, S. L., & Reis, H. T. (2010). Good news! Capitalizing on positive events in an interpersonal context. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (vol. 42, pp. 195-257). San Diego, CA: Elsevier Academic Press.

Lee, S., Rogge, R. D., & Reis, H. T. (2010). Assessing the seeds of relationship decay: Using implicit evaluations to detect the early stages of disillusionment. Psychological Science, 21, 857-864.

Reis, H. T., & Gosling, S. D. (2010). Social psychological methods outside the laboratory. In S. Fiske, D. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey, (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (5th ed., vol. 1 pp. 82-114). New York: Wiley.

Reis, H. T., Smith, S. M., Carmichael, C. L., Caprariello, P. A., Tsai, F. F., Rodrigues, A., & Maniaci, M. R. (2010). Are you happy for me? How sharing positive events with others provides personal and interpersonal benefits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 311-329.

Tomlinson, J. M., Carmichael, C. L., Reis, H. T., & Aron, A. (2010). Affective forecasting and individual differences: Accuracy for relational events and anxious attachment. Emotion, 10, 447-453.

Reis, H. T., & Sprecher, S. (2009). Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Reis, H. T. (2008). Reinvigorating the concept of situation in social psychology. Personality and Social Psychology Review. 12, 311-329.

Reis, H. T. (2007). Steps toward the ripening of relationship science. Personal Relationships, 14, 1-23.

Gable, S. L., Reis, H. T., Impett, E. A., & Asher, E. R. (2004). What do you do when things go right?: The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 228-245.

Reis, H. T., Clark, M. S., & Holmes, J. G. (2004). Perceived partner responsiveness as an organizing construct in the study of intimacy and closeness. In D. Mashek & A. Aron (Eds.), The handbook of closeness and intimacy (pp. 201-225). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Reis, H. T., & Judd, C. M. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of research methods in social psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Reis, H. T., Collins, W. A., & Berscheid, E. (2000). The relationship context of human behavior and development. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 844-872.

Berscheid, E., & Reis, H. T. (1998). Attraction and close relationships. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (4th ed., pp. 193-281). New York: Oxford University Press.

Reis, H. T., & Wheeler, L. (1991). Studying social interaction with the Rochester Interaction Record. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 24, pp. 269-318). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

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Professor Reis is not accepting student applications for the 2021 - 22 academic year. Professor Reis' research interests involve social interaction and close relationships. Professor Reis studies the factors that influence the quantity and closeness of social interaction, and the consequences of different patterns of socializing for health and psychological well-being.

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PI: Sandra Murray
Lab: Interpersonal Processes Lab
School: University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Area: Social-Personality Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Positive illusions, Risk regulation

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Professor

Social-Personality Psychology Area Head

University at Buffalo, SUNY

Research Overview

My research generally examines how the motivations to (1) feel safe and protected against harm and (2) perceive meaning and value in the partner shape affect, cognition, and behavior in adult close relationships. Using the lens afforded by motivated cognition, I examine both the automatic and controlled processes implicated in the pursuit of safety and value goals. I take a person by situation perspective, examining how features of the person (e.g., self-esteem, trust) and features of the situation (e.g., risk) interact to guide perception, inference, and behavior. I am interested in the mechanisms that govern behavior in specific situations (e.g., a conflict, a support encounter) as well as the processes that forecast the relationship's eventual fate.
The major themes of my research are highlighted in my books:

Interdependent Minds: The Dynamics of Close Relationships.

https://www.guilford.com/books/Interdependent-Minds/Murray-Holmes/9781 609180768

Motivated Cognition in Relationships: The Pursuit of Belonging.

https://www.crcpress.com/Motivated-Cognition-in-Relationships-The-Pursuit-of-Belonging/Murray-Holmes/p/book/9781848725201

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Research Overview My research generally examines how the motivations to (1) feel safe and protected against harm and (2) perceive meaning and value in the partner shape affect, cognition, and behavior in adult close relationships. Using the lens afforded by motivated cognition, I examine both the automatic and controlled processes implicated in the pursuit of safety and value goals.

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PI: Brooke Feeney
Lab: Relationships Lab
School: Carnegie Mellon University
Area: Social/Personality/Health Psychology
Foci: Romantic relationships, Health and well-being, Social support, Thriving, Older adult relationships

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The CMU Relationships Lab conducts scientific research on relationships, specifically focusing on social interactions and their predictors and consequences. An overarching goal of our research is to investigate the ways in which relationships help or hinder people in addressing life challenges and functioning to their full potential, and to learn about how relationships affect health and well-being. Some of our studies follow relationships over long periods of time to learn about how they (and the people within them) develop and change. Others are smaller-scale studies for which participants visit our lab once to help us learn about a specific interpersonal process. Our studies involve a diverse combination of methods. For example, participants may visit the lab to complete surveys and participate in a variety of activities and discussions together, they may complete daily diaries for a period of time, and some studies involve physiological and health assessments.

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CMU - Relationships Lab - Carnegie Mellon University

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The CMU Relationships Lab conducts scientific research on relationships, specifically focusing on social interactions and their predictors and consequences. An overarching goal of our research is to investigate the ways in which relationships help or hinder people in addressing life challenges and functioning to their full potential, and to learn about how relationships affect health and well-being.

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PI: Shelly Gable
Lab: EMBeR Lab
School: UC Santa Barbara
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Attitudes, Emotion Regulation

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Welcome to Dr. Shelly Gable's Emotion, Motivation, Behavior, and Relationships (EMBeR) Lab! The lab studies a variety of topics related to close relationships. Please refer to the researchpage for descriptions of these topics. For contact information, please visit the page.

Are you recruiting undergraduate research assistants?

Usually, yes! If you are interested in working in the lab, please visit our RA Application page for more information.

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Shelly Gable | EMBeR Lab | Psychological & Brain Sciences | UC Santa Barbara

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Welcome to Dr. Shelly Gable's Emotion, Motivation, Behavior, and Relationships (EMBeR) Lab! The lab studies a variety of topics related to close relationships. Please refer to the research page for descriptions of these topics. For contact information, please visit the page. Usually, yes!

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PI: Nancy Collins
Lab: UCSB Close Relationships Lab
School: UC Santa Barbara
Area: Social Psychology
Foci: Close relationships, Social cognition, Health, Attachment theory, Social suppot, Thriving

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Most people rate their close relationships as their most important source of personal happiness, but developing and sustaining satisfying relationships is not always easy. Why are some people better able to cultivate secure and well-functioning relationships, and how do these relationships help people to thrive? We use theory and methods in Social Psychology to answer these and other fascinating questions about intimate relationships. Our work lies at the interface of close relationships, social cognition, and health psychology. Much or our work is guided by adult attachment theory, focusing on both normative processes and individual differences. In doing so, we take a biopsychosocial perspective, investigating the complex links between affect, cognition, social behavior, and biology. We use multiple methodologies including experimental, observational, and daily diary methods. Our current work also uses immersive virtual environments, neuroendocrine and cardiovascular assessments, and brain imaging.

Please browse our website for more details about our work. If you need additional information, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for your interest in our research.

Nancy Collins, Ph.D

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Most people rate their close relationships as their most important source of personal happiness, but developing and sustaining satisfying relationships is not always easy. Why are some people better able to cultivate secure and well-functioning relationships, and how do these relationships help people to thrive?