Research Specializations

Affective Science

*Please note that we are not currently recruiting into the affective science area. However, research in all of these topics can be pursued in the other 4 departmental areas: Clinical, Developmental, Health, and Social.  
 
Research in the area of affective science focuses on the effects of emotion, motivation, and values on human reasoning, behavior, and health in typical and atypical populations, across the life span, and across cultures. Special emphases include the biological bases of emotional experience; relations between emotion, reasoning, and memory; emotion regulation; goal engagement and disengagement; effects of emotion on physical and mental health; emotion in social relationships; and how emotional experience changes over the lifespan.
 
The clinical area will lead the search for new knowledge in assessment, understanding, prevention, and treatment of psychological disorders and mental health concerns from an inclusive perspective that is psychologically, ecologically, socially, and biologically informed. In this service, we will train clinical scientists to produce, implement, evaluate, and disseminate psychological science and to function as leaders in academic, research, and applied settings to improve the human condition from an inclusive lens.
 

Developmental Psychology
The specialization in developmental psychology focuses on the development and adaptation of individuals across the life-span and the effects of variations in the social, physical, and cultural contexts of development at different points in the life-span. Coursework introduces students to developmental theories, concepts, and empirical research at all phases of the life course. The Developmental faculty and doctoral students share strong interests in problem-oriented research relevant to the improvement of individual and societal functioning.

Health Psychology
This specialization focuses on understanding the psychosocial and behavioral factors that influence the onset or progression of illness and disease and the effectiveness of health promotion programs and medical treatments. Training will allow students to develop a strong foundation in the theoretical perspectives, research methods, intervention strategies, ethical issues, and current controversies in the field of health psychology.

Social/Personality Psychology
The specialization in social/personality psychology trains students to examine how features of the social environment and characteristics of individuals interact to influence behavior, cognition, and affect. Training will allow students to develop a strong foundation in the theoretical perspectives, research methods, and current controversies in the field of social/personality psychology. Special emphases include social cognition, emotion, subjective well-being, self and identity, personality resilience, interpersonal relations, cultural psychology, and adaptation to stress and perceived risks.