I’m a generalist interested in how people deal with life. My research can be broadly described as focusing on self-regulation and stress and coping. In other words, I’m interested in how people pursue their goals and how they cope when things go wrong. I’m curious about psychological phenomena occurring at the intersection of social psychology, personality psychology, and clinical psychology, and I actively resist the pressure to specialize.
My research also focuses on human strengths (i.e., 'positive psychology'). Specifically, I am interested in the influences of hopeful and optimistic thinking on people's behaviors and mental and physical health.
I am interested in people's responses to normal life stressors, such as taking exams and managing relationships, as well as extraordinary stressors, such as coping with cancer or losing a loved one. Hence, I am interested in conducting research with diverse populations, including college students, athletes, cancer patients, and individuals struggling with severe and persistent mental illness.
