Explore projects in Social Relationships!
These projects explore how individuals form, maintain, and are influenced by relationships with others in social contexts. These studies investigate the psychological processes underlying peer and romantic relationships, including attraction, social influence, group belonging, communication patterns, trust, and conflict. Researchers examine how identity, norms, stereotypes, and power dynamics shape social interactions, as well as how relationships impact self-concept, behavior, and emotional well-being. Projects often explore developmental periods such as adolescence and young adulthood, when social relationships play a critical role in shaping long-term outcomes. This research advances our understanding of the mechanisms that drive human connection and informs interventions aimed at fostering healthy, equitable social environments.
“East Asian friends” by Fernando de Sousa is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic via Wikimedia Commons
- CAREER: Going Beyond the Dyad: A Network Theory for Understanding the Challenges of FriendshipProject Abstract/Summary People often take friendship for granted. Having friends is linked to better mental and physical health, longer life, and increased economic mobility. Friendship also combats loneliness, an epidemic that has been described as a defining public health concern of our time. Indeed, about 4 in 10 Americans are lonely, and therefore at risk of living shorter, less fulling lives. This project shines a light on the psychology of friendship by deploying a new theoretical framework. This framework emphasizes… Read more: CAREER: Going Beyond the Dyad: A Network Theory for Understanding the Challenges of Friendship
- CAREER: Patterns of Dynamic Change in Relationship Quality Over TimeProject Abstract/Summary Romantic relationships play a critical role in human happiness and well-being, yet predicting their success or failure has long puzzled scientists. This difficulty may come from not having enough detailed information about daily relationship experiences. With modern technology, like smartphones, people now track many parts of their daily lives, such as diet, exercise, and mood. This project uses similar technology to better understand romantic relationships by observing how they change day by day. It applies techniques like those… Read more: CAREER: Patterns of Dynamic Change in Relationship Quality Over Time