Researchers

I am an applied social psychologist who has developed distinct but related lines of research in two areas of applied social health psychology: (1) addictive behaviors and health, and (2) romantic relationships and substance use. Through both my early clinical work and ongoing research I has come to understand that when faced with potentially threatening personal information (e.g., about one’s behavior or personal relationship) people often respond defensively and do not recognize the need to change their behavior. Thus, my work aims to leverage social psychological theories as tools for changing personal attitudes, reducing defensiveness, and enhancing the receptivity and duration of prevention and intervention efforts.