Research
How and why are we happy, especially in our romantic relationships?
Much of my work revolves around two areas of research:
Individual differences & close relationships
One line of my work focuses on how our own personalities and individual differences influence our relationship outcomes.
For example, many people think that how similar partners are in personality might influence how happy they are (e.g., “birds of a feather flock together”, or “opposites attract”). Some of my work finds that, while actual personality similarity may not influence how happy people are in relationships, perceived similarity—or simply thinking that you and your partner are similar—may be important. Read more about this work here and here.
Life satisfaction & determinants of well-being
Another line of my work focuses on how we create happy lives—lives we find satisfying to live. Much of this work takes a lifespan approach: throughout life, what keeps us happy?
For example, in many cultures, optimism tends to follow a similar trend across the lifespan: an “inverse-U” (i.e., increasing throughout life before slowly decreasing towards older adulthood). Some of my work suggests that optimism is important for keeping well-being afloat, especially in times of stress. Read more about this work here or here.
What am I up to?
The best way to keep track of where I’ve been, where I am now, and where I’m going is to follow me on Google Scholar!