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The Relationships and Stress Lab’s research is designed to determine causal mechanisms and contextual factors that contribute to the occurrence of psychological and physical aggression in close relationships. A particular emphasis is placed on how exposure to stress and trauma-related psychopathology interact with early-stage social information processing (e.g., individuals’ attention to, and perception of, emotionally and physically threatening social stimuli) to lead to aggression in intimate and parent-child relationships. This model includes the study of developmental and intra- and interpersonal processes that contribute to changes in information processing that are important to the maintenance of adaptive close relationships and recovery from post-traumatic sequelae.
Understanding the relationship of PTSD and how basic research can inform couples therapy approaches to treating PTSD and relationship aggression.
Learning the interpersonal, developmental, and biological mechanisms that explain sex differences in aggression perpetration and the development of PTSD.
Understanding the individual, dyadic, and contextual predictors of the co-occurrence of aggression in intimate partner and parent-child relationships.
Learning how exposure to different forms and sequences of aggressive behaviors differentially impact children.
Understanding within-incident contextual predictors of aggression escalation, de-escalation, and longitudinal reinforcement.
Working on the development of innovative research methodologies, assessment techniques, and other research tools.
