RESEARCH INTERESTS
How do people manage the complex self-regulatory challenges of their daily lives? Broadly, I study the emotional, cognitive, and perceptual processes that help people manage stress or goal conflict so that they can better achieve their goals and work toward personal wellness.
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Below is a snapshot of some of my lines of work.
RELATIVE EXPERIENCES
How does relativity-- comparing this to that--Â impact our self-regulation? Can it be a tool to help us regulate our emotions and push toward our goals?
My work in the context of COVID-19 suggests that people compare to less fortunate in times of stress and uncertainty, which helps them to feel more grateful and, in turn, can reduce acute stress. Such social comparisons can also help people to be more empathetic, which, then, leads to greater prosocial behavior. This strategy, though, may not work for those who are experiencing many stressors (Albright-Pierce et al., in prep).
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Social comparisons may be perceived as threatening to our self-perception and goal pursuit. However, my work suggests that making attributions about the differences between oneself and a comparison target can mitigate these threats, effectively psychologically distancing oneself from the target. However, this psychological distancing does not appear to impact emotional nor motivational states; in other words, generating difference-based attributions about others creates psychological distance but may not lead to changes in motivation toward one's goals.
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Ongoing work also shows that we think differently about our decisions based on alternative choices we could have made, which influences how we feel about our goal progress. The same objective choice can feel better if it appears healthier than alternative options. People that thought they chose the less indulgent dessert felt like they did not harm their health goals as much as those that ate the same dessert when it seemed like the more indulgent option (Albright-Pierce et al., in prep).
BODY POSITIVITY
How can people foster a positive body image? What impact does this have on our health behavior and mental health?
I investigate how to promote body positivity and reduce body dissatisfaction over the lifespan. In this line of work, I explore the reciprocal nature of health behaviors and perceptions of self image.
Promoting positive body image should start early; a review of interventions for developing positive body image in youth revealed that the most successful interventions include enhancing self-esteem, developing body acceptance, and identifying real world challenges to body positivity (i.e., interpersonal relationships, media pressures, etc.) as well as resilience or coping strategies (i.e., communication, media literacy, etc.). Positive body image starts at home, too; parents can make a big impact in fostering body satisfaction by communicating media literacy and encouraging physical activity for pleasure rather than for maintaining a particular look or weight (Markey et al., 2021).
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Other work suggests that body image may be strongly influenced by our embodied experiences. Being diagnosed with a chronic condition could influence how people perceive their body image. Across two studies, we found that weight status, rather than comparative self-rated health or body functionality, was the greatest predictor of body dissatisfaction among two samples with type 2 diabetes (August et al., 2021). Despite having numerous health issues, weight may still play a central role in how individuals view their bodies, even in later life.
STRESS & DIABETES
How do stressors impact the course of chronic illness and diabetes?
I explore how various social stressors influence maintenance behaviors and mental and physical health outcomes for those living with diabetes. Much of my work in this line has focused on racial disparities for those diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, highlighting how additional stressors influence health outcomes directly and indirectly through health behaviors. I have also examined how perceptions of reduced body functionality and comorbid conditions may increase body dissatisfaction among those with type 2 diabetes.