My program of research examines processes that describe how health information is effectively communicated, understood and acted upon. Specifically, I am interested in persuasive health appeals, health cognition, social influence processes, behavior change and maintenance. A primary goal of my research is to better understand the impact close relationships have on health.
Although my initial training and research in social psychology focused on the individual differences that predicted effective health communication, I now believe that one needs to understand the interpersonal context with which health decisions are made.
My research consequently, has expanded to examine psychological variables within a dyadic context. With this new focus I have become proficient at managing longitudinal dyadic studies as well as the type of data analytic techniques required for interdependent samples.
