Psychology

My research examines the role of emotions in three general areas. First, I examine the impact of emotion on cognitive performance. This research explores how specific emotions, such as anger or fear, influence how people process information and, consequently, how they form or change their attitudes. Second, I study how people predict their own and others' emotional reactions to events. I am particularly interested in the sources of error in such forecasts, the consequences of these forecasts for the self and others, and how to improve accuracy in forecasting. Third, I investigate how emotions may functionally regulate cognitive and biological responses to stressors. Using a variety of psychological and biological measures, including cardiovascular reactivity, cortisol response, and immune system markers, this research has implications for both mental and physical health.