330 Psychology/Computer Science Building
(815) 752-5920
More than half of men and women report experiencing exposure to at least one traumatic event during their lifetime, for example, rape, car accident, natural disaster. A question I am particularly interested in is, “What are the consequences of exposure to trauma?” This leads to a number of related and important questions such as, “Why do some people develop a long-term negative reaction (such as nightmares) while others seem more resilient to trauma exposure?” Are people who have experienced a trauma more likely to experience more trauma exposure?
Some research suggests that women who are exposed to a trauma such as child sexual abuse seem to be more vulnerable to additional trauma such as adult sexual victimization. How can we understand and prevent this from happening? How do people cope with upsetting thoughts and feelings related to trauma exposure? Are some forms of coping more likely to result in additional problems? Why do some people forgive those who harm them and is that good for your health to do so?
These are some of the questions that I am investigating in my lab. Opportunities available for undergraduate research assistants include assisting with study design, data collection, and data entry. Students participate in regular lab meetings during which research studies will be developed and critiqued, and relevant literature will be discussed.
Psyc 485 for credit,
non-credit also available
Applications in my office