Expertise

Dr. Peterson researches sexual consent, sexual assault, sexual coercion, and unwanted sex. She has studied men’s and women’s experiences as both victims and perpetrators of sexual aggression. Dr. Peterson’s most recent research has focused on sexual assault victims’ cognitive appraisals of their nonconsensual sexual experiences, on improving self-report measurement of sexual aggression, and on developing and evaluating a sex-positive sexual assault prevention intervention.

My research interests are in the areas of gender and human sexuality, with a particular focus on investigating experiences of unwanted, coerced, and nonconsensual sex from the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators.

 

Affiliations

Associate Professor, Counseling Psychology Program, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington

Associate Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis

Associate Professor, Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis

Affiliate Faculty, Department of Gender Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington

Senior Scientist, Kinsey Institute, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Academic and Research Units, Indiana University Bloomington
2020

Professor, Counseling Program, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington
2020

Professor, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington
2020

Past Affiliations

Associate Professor, Counseling Program, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington

Senior Research Scientist, Kinsey Institute, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Academic and Research Units, Indiana University Bloomington

Research Fellow, Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Academic and Research Units, Indiana University Bloomington

Postdoctoral Fellow, Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction

Pre-doctoral Clinical Intern, Minneapolis VA Medical Center

Predoctoral Fellow, Sexuality Dissertation Fellowship Program

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Departments of Psychology and Women's Studies

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Missouri - St. Louis (past)

Communities
Gender Studies, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Health Services, Mental Health Services
Degrees
PhD, University of Kansas, Psychology, 2005
MA, University of Kansas, Psychology, 2000
BA, Macalester College, Psychology, 1998
Keywords
rape or sexual abuse psychology sexual behavior
Associations
American Psychological Association
APA Division 35, Society for the Psychology of Women
Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality