My research focuses on the intersection between interpersonal and health communication.
My research goals are to help individuals, particularly those within marginalized groups, build resiliency to cope with interpersonal stressors.
Recent Happenings
I completed my level 1 training through Brown University to become a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher!
Was invited on Harvesting Happiness Podcast to discuss the impact of the pandemic on well-being and possible ways of coping with Lisa Kamen! Check it out here.
Our new research on coping with sexual orientation hate speech has received honors as a top paper for the Interpersonal Communication Division at the International Communication Association’s 2022 annual conference in Paris, France!
Abstract
LBGTQ+ individuals (N = 50) engaged in a 10-minute discussion with a close network member about an experience they had with hate speech that was targeted at their sexual orientation. The relative effects of two predominant social support theoretical frameworks, verbal person centeredness (VPC) and autonomy support, were compared. Discussions were rated by trained coders for the presence of each theory. Results support both theoretical frameworks as predicting decreases in stress across the discussion as well as increases in reported general well-being over one month. Indirect effects demonstrated that more effective social support was related to decreases in month-long forgiveness change and that this relationship was mediated by less stress reactivity. Theoretical implications and methodological comparison are discussed.
Our Oxford Handbook of the Physiology of Interpersonal Communication was published on Nov. 25, 2020!
It offers a comprehensive review of the most prolific areas of research investigating both the physiological outcomes of interpersonal communication and the effects of physiology on interpersonal interactions.
New Research on COVID-19
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Uncertainty Management and Curve Flattening Behaviors in the Wake of COVID-19’s First Wave”
Abstract: The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak poses a substantial threat to public health. Individual efforts to engage in COVID-19 precautionary behaviors are necessary to flatten the pandemic’s curve in the waiting period before a vaccine is developed. This study sought to apply the Theory of Motivated Information Management to investigate the relationships among COVID-19 illness uncertainty, information management, and actual precautionary behaviors, both preparatory and preventative. The results of a national opt-in online panel demonstrate that uncertainty discrepancy, anxiety, and information management strategies are key predictors of the adoption of COVID-19 preparation and prevention behaviors. The results further identify diverging associations across age groups with respect to associations between information management and precautionary behaviors. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.