About
117
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Introduction
I study close relationships, examining the processes (gratitude, compassion, acceptance, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, conflict) that shape their course over time. I developed self-directed interventions (PAIR, REFLECT) that help couples talk about their relationship and family dynamics by using movies to get the conversations started. I also co-developed Agape, a relationship wellness app that strengthens relationships by building connection with just a few minutes each day.
Additional affiliations
August 2000 - August 2004
August 1995 - May 2003
July 2004 - March 2020
Publications
Publications (117)
Objective: RASopathies are a group of genetic conditions that produce a wide range of manifestations including failure to thrive, congenital heart disease, an increased risk of cancer, and cognitive problems. Parents of children with medical conditions often experience stress; thus, interventions targeting parenting stress in this population are cr...
Stigma remains a significant barrier preventing individuals from seeking the support they need, particularly for individuals with East Asian heritages. To explore potential mechanisms, this study examined links from East Asian ideologies to mental health help-seeking attitudes and peace of mind across five cultural groups: 322 respondents in China,...
Although a range of relationship enhancement interventions have shown benefits, programs involving trained facilitators are difficult to scale and self-directed programs tend to suffer from low rates of adherence (i.e., nonuse/disuse attrition). The present study evaluated Agapé, a relationship wellness smartphone app optimized for broad disseminat...
Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar las propiedades psicométricas y la consistencia interna de la versión en español del Inventario de Flexibilidad Psicológica Multidimensional (MPFI) en población general de Argentina. En el estudio principal participaron un total de 866 participantes con edades entre 18 y 84 años (M = 47,33; DT = 17,26) y de...
This study aims to assess the psychometric properties and internal consistency of the Spanish version of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) within a general population of Argentina. A total of 866 participants with ages between 18 and 84 years (M = 47.33; SD = 17.26) and of both sexes (Men = 40.9%; Women = 59.1%) partic...
This longitudinal study examined the impact on families of multiple stressors that emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, we modeled the indirect effects of three stressors (i.e., the stress of new childcare and work demands, financial stress, and health-related stress assessed within the first month of the pandemic in the United States...
This article examined the discriminant and convergent validity of commonly used self-report measures of self-criticism, self-esteem, and shame. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using multiple self-report measures of each construct showed low levels of discriminant validity between self-reported self-esteem, shame, and self-criticism and instead...
Background
Health risks associated with contracting COVID-19, stay-at-home orders, and pandemic-related economic and social hardships created unique challenges for individuals throughout the pandemic, and in particular for families whose daily routines were disrupted at the start of the pandemic. This study applied a contextual behavioral science l...
Study objectives:
To develop a measure of children's sleep environments and to assess its initial reliability and validity.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study consisted of an online survey for parents of 5-18-year-old children across the United States. A total of 840 parents/caregivers (Mage=40.6 years, SD=8.6; 72.0% female) completed surveys r...
Laboratory research has demonstrated that when students are instructed to use retrieval (i.e., recalling from memory information to be learned) rather than rereading (i.e., reading the material repeatedly) they learn better. However, little is known about spontaneous use of retrieval. In the present studies, we designed a scale to measure spontaneo...
Objectives
The Unified Flexibility and Mindfulness (UFM) model is a process-oriented multistage mechanistic model operationalizing the interplay between forms of mechanistic mindfulness and informed mindfulness, thereby representing holistic mindfulness as a set of interrelated processes and clarifying their links to well-being. Recent cross-sectio...
This study examined the construct of anticipated jealousy, conceptually clarifying the components of this construct and creating an optimized scale. Total of 18 items from three widely used self-report measures of jealousy (Multidimensional Jealousy Scale–Emotional Subscale, Anticipated Sexual Jealousy Scale, and Chronic Jealousy Scale) and additio...
Previous measures of erotophobia/erotophilia like the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) assessed gut-level positive–negative affective and evaluative reactions to a wide range of sexual stimuli, resulting in purposefully diverse item content. Although an effective strategy, the item content of existing erotophilia/erotophobia scales is now potentially to...
The current study used Family Systems Theory as a framework to clarify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual, romantic, and individual functioning. Specifically, sexual and romantic functioning were modeled as key mechanisms linking COVID-19 related stressors (as predictors) to aspects of individual functioning over time (as outcomes). A sa...
Objective
To examine the role of adolescents’ and their parents’ sleep quality as mediators of family-level processes and family members’ psychological distress (ie, anxiety/depressive symptoms).
Design
Short-term prospective design with an initial survey followed by a 7-day twice-daily (morning and evening) diary.
Setting
Online survey for high...
In addition to the fears associated with contracting COVID-19, the pandemic has forced families across the United States to quickly transition to new patterns of living. These transitions present new stressors, including health-related concerns, new demands placed on families by lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, and the possibility of losing a job...
Previous measures of erotophobia/erotophilia like the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) assessed gut-level positive-negative affective and evaluative reactions to a wide range of sexual stimuli, resulting in purposefully diverse item content. Although an effective strategy, the item content of existing erotophilia/erotophobia scales is now potentially to...
No abstract submitted
N/A.
It is commonly assumed that exposure to pornography harms relationships because pornography changes the way that individuals think, feel, and behave in problematic ways. In the current research, we contribute to a small but growing body of work that challenges this assumption by carefully scrutinizing the relational context of pornography use. In c...
Objectives
The current study developed a psychometrically optimized measure of mindful attentive relationship awareness.Methods
Items of existing scales (e.g., the Relationship Awareness Scale; RAS; the Relationship Mindfulness Measure; RMM) were combined with items written by the authors to create a pool of 54 items given to online samples of 2109...
OBJECTIVES: The current study developed a psychometrically optimized measure of mindful attentive relationship awareness.
METHODS: Items of existing scales (e.g., the Relationship Awareness Scale; RAS; the Relationship Mindfulness Measure; RMM) were combined with items written by the authors to create a pool of 54 items given to online samples of 2...
Introduction
Approximately half of school-aged children (ages 5–18) get either insufficient sleep during school nights or barely meet the required amount of sleep expected for healthy functioning (National Sleep Foundation, 2014).This percentage increases as children develop into adolescents (National Sleep Foundation, 2006). Accordingly, sleep pro...
Objectives
The study tested the Unified Flexibility and Mindfulness (UFM) model which organizes the dimensions of mindfulness and psychological flexibility into a multistage, process-oriented framework linking mindfulness to global functioning.
Methods
A sample of 2742 online respondents (68% female, 81% Caucasian, Mage = 42 years old) completed t...
Objectives: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism have influenced societies and shaped cultures as they have spread across the span of history and ultimately across the world. However, to date, the interrelated nature of their impacts has yet to be examined largely due to the lack of a measure that comprehensively assesses their various tenets. Buildi...
Perceived partner responsiveness (PPR; Reis & Shaver, Handbook of personal relationships, 1988, Wiley)-the belief that one's partner will attend to core concerns-is a construct in basic relationship research that can help evaluate intimacy in couple therapy. However, research into PPR is hampered by a lack of standardized measurement. Three studies...
It is commonly assumed that pornography use harms relationships. In the current research, we contribute to a small but growing body of work that challenges this assumption by examining an alternative explanatory mechanism for the associations between pornography use and relationship dysfunction. In contrast to dominant exposure-based explanations i...
Couple satisfaction has been extensively investigated, but little attention has been paid to the nature and assessment of high-quality, flourishing couple relationships. Particularly, current measures of relationship quality are insensitive at the upper end of the continuum, which in turn hinders progress toward understanding and facilitating flour...
In addition to the fears associated with contracting COVID-19, the pandemic has forced families across the United States to quickly transition to new patterns of living. These transitions present new stressors, including health related concerns, new demands placed on families by lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, and the possibility of losing a job...
Essentialism, or the belief that certain categories have fundamental, intrinsic, and stable essences, pervasively influences social judgments. Among the many groupings that describe people, gender is the most essentialized category yet relatively little is known about individual differences in gender essentialism. To explore this construct in Study...
A growing body of research supports the importance of ACT's therapeutic targets (i.e., dimensions of psychological flexibility and inflexibility) for promoting individual wellbeing. The current systematic review and meta-analysis extended that work by examining how specific dimensions of psychological flexibility and inflexibility are linked to fam...
Public health researchers have raised the concern that both the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the ensuing public health response will increase interpersonal stressors associated with suicide risk. The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework conceptualizes psychological flexibility as an important way to reduce the impac...
Background
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the historic economic shutdown and stay-at-home efforts to slow its spread have radically impacted the lives of families across the world, completely disrupting routines and challenging them to adjust to new health risks as well as to new work and family demands. The current study applied a...
In this paper, we examined the psychometric properties of the English and French versions of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory short form (MPFI-24). Study 1 was conducted in the United States among the general population (N = 2,668) to assess the reliability and factorial validity of the English version. In Study 2, the MPFI-...
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced parents across the United States to quickly transition to a new way of living. These transitions present new stressors, including the stress associated with physical health, with the demands of social distancing placed on families, and with the possibility of losing a job or not being able to pay bills. S...
Geosocial networking apps (GSN; e.g., Tinder, Grindr) have rapidly increased in popularity, showing associations with greater sexual risk-taking. This study sought to distinguish between risks associated with intensive partner-seeking (i.e., individuals seeking out casual sex frequently across many venues) and risks associated with specific venues...
The current research reports both latent profile (person-oriented) and item response theory (IRT) analyses of the School Burnout Inventory (SBI) in United States undergraduate samples. Study 1 (n = 1,007) comprises a latent profile analysis (LPA) that identified four mutually exclusive subgroups based on patterns of school burnout responses. Covari...
Objective:
To examine poor sleep quality as a potential mediator between college students' employment hours and depressive symptoms, and to examine if this mediation model might differ across students reporting different levels of financial strain. Participants: The sample was collected through a multi-site study during the Spring of 2019 and incl...
Background
Sleep problems and depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation, are strongly associated among undergraduate students. Although upwards of 60% of college students report sleep problems, the mechanisms through which sleep might be linked with students' depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in particular, would benefit from furthe...
Study Objectives
The aim of the current study was to test a multilevel mediation model that examined how adolescent sleep duration might be linked to depressive symptoms via their daytime energy levels. Furthermore, the study examined how parents’ enforcement of various types of bedtime rules predicted the duration of adolescent sleep.
Methods
A t...
Drawing from Eastern ideologies including Buddhism and Taoism and grounded in Relational Frame Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) promotes wellbeing by helping individuals alter the function of internal experiences, encouraging them to engage in a psychologically flexible set of skills in response to unwanted thoughts, feelings, and ex...
To gain insight into the mixed findings surrounding Consensual Nonmonogamy (CNM), this study developed the Triple-C model of commitment, conceptualizing relationship structures with three key dimensions: mutual consent, communication, and comfort. Latent profile analyses in an online sample (N = 1,658) identified five classes of relationship struct...
The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) literature now offers a range of process measures, including: the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), the Open and Engaged State Questionnaire (OESQ), the Comprehensive Assessment of ACT Processes (CompACT), and the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI). The current stud...
Individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) experience attenuated psychotic-like experiences, which are traditionally identified using thorough clinical interviews. Without screening, these time-intensive interviews may result in a low hit rate. Thus, several tools, including the Prodromal Questionnaire—Brief (PQ-B), have been created to...
Although online and app-based relationship interventions have been developed to promote relationship well-being, they require a computer, tablet, or smartphone and a high-speed data connection. Instead, text messaging may be a more cost-effective form of delivery. In the current study, 461 participants from three universities, who were mostly femal...
Despite considerable progress, research on sexual minorities has been hindered by a lack of clarity and consistency in defining sexual minority groups. Further, despite recent recommendations to assess the three main dimensions of sexual orientation—identity, behavior, and attraction—it remains unclear how best to integrate such multivariate inform...
Summary of development and validation of the Quality of Sex Inventory (QSI).
Summary of the development and validation of the Meanings of Sexual Behavior Inventory (MoSBI).
Dimensions of psychological flexibility (PF) have been linked to healthy functioning suggesting that the various dimensions within the Hexaflex model represent critical factors that shape the course of individuals’ lives. The current study built on this work by introducing a person-centered approach that identified fundamental types of individuals...
Study objectives:
The current study's aim was to examine the indirect effect of parent-child pre-bedtime arguing about the bedtime process on adolescents' symptoms of anxiety and depression via the mediating role of adolescents' sleep quality. In addition, this study sought to test this mediation model across different levels of both parents' and...
The aim of the current study was to examine adolescents’ sleep duration and quality as potential mediators of the association between chaotic and disorganized family environments and adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms. A total of 193 adolescent (ages 14–17; M <sub>age</sub> = 15.7 years old, SD = .94; 54.4% female; 71% White) and parent dya...
Dyadic findings of frequency of orgasms and relationship satisfaction being mediated by partner sexual responsiveness, and moderated by attachment anxiety.
In the current study, we examined the potential for transactional relations among parents’ marital satisfaction, coparental cooperation and conflict, and parent–child relationship satisfaction in a sample of 249 families with 2–3-year-old children. Using a novel multiwave design with frequent assessments to better capture transactional family proce...
Neighborhood quality has been cross-sectionally linked to both relationship behaviors and relationship well-being. Consistent with the Vulnerability Stress-Adaptation model of relationship functioning (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), we hypothesized that associations between social behaviors (e.g., drinking) and relationship quality could be moderated by...
Objective: To examine a mediational model linking sleep hygiene to better mental health in adolescents via the mechanism of improved sleep quality, and to test the moderating role of school start times (SST) (before 8:30 AM vs. 8:30 AM or later) on that mediation model. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Online survey for high school students across...
Responsiveness is a key element of effective communication in most relationships. When relational partners perceive each other as being responsive, the relationship tends to be harmonious, open, and constructive; in contrast, when people feel that their partners have been unresponsive, their relationships tend to be conflicted, guarded, and dysfunc...
Wasta (i.e. the distribution of favours among family, friends and tribe; favouritism; nepotism) permeates numerous Middle Eastern cultures, representing a method of strengthening social ties and showing loyalty/generosity, but also representing one of the largest sources of corruption in Middle East. The current study investigated links between was...
Using a daily diary methodology, we examined how social environments support or fail to support sexual identity disclosure, and associated mental and physical health outcomes. Results showed that variability in disclosure across the diary period related to greater psychological well-being and fewer physical symptoms, suggesting potential adaptive b...
Compassion is deeply prized in Western marriages yet its benefits for emotional well-being have been investigated empirically only rarely. This research examined the association between compassionate acts and everyday emotional well-being in 175 newlywed couples. Following prior research and theory, we defined compassionate acts as caregiving that...
Consistent with symbolic interactionism and motivation research, the study explored the meanings of sexual behavior in romantic relationships in a sample of 3,003 online respondents. Starting with a pool of 104 respondent-generated items, Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses in separate sample halves revealed a stable set of 9 dimensions wi...
Daily covariation of three sleep indicators (quantity, quality, postsleep restedness), anxiety symptoms, and caffeine and alcohol consumption was observed in 283 emerging adults (M age = 19.9). Participants completed web-based sleep diary surveys every morning and evening for 7 consecutive days. Cross-lagged models suggested that sleep quality and...
How can we get the most out of our close relationships? Research in the area of personal relationships continues to grow, but most prior work has emphasized how to overcome negative aspects. This volume demonstrates that a good relationship is more than simply the absence of a bad relationship, and that establishing and maintaining optimal relation...
Three studies were undertaken to develop the Positive–Negative Relationship Quality scale (PN-RQ), conceptualizing relationship quality as a bidimensional construct in which the positive qualities of a relationship are treated as distinct from its negative qualities. Analyses in emerging adults (Study 1: N = 1,814), in online respondents (Study 2:...
The current study examined bidirectional relations between children’s sleep problems and parents’ relationship satisfaction, coparental cooperation, and global family functioning in a sample of 249 families with 2–3-year-old children. Mothers and fathers were assessed across 5 waves with 2-month lags; the target children (53% female) were 2.8 years...
This is a 60-item scale (developed with EFA, CFA, and IRT; see Rolffs, Rogge, & Wilson, 2016) that measures the 6 dimensions of psychological flexibility and the 6 dimensions of inflexibility posited by the Hexaflex model.
The current study developed the 60-item Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI)—a scale assessing the 12 dimensions of the Hexaflex model. We created an exhaustive pool of 554 items including 22 of the most widely used measures from the acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness literatures. Exploratory and confirmatory f...
A 12 and 24-item self-report measure assessing sexual satisfaction and dissatisfaction, as developed in Shaw & Rogge (2015).
Objective:
Because of the interrelation of sleep disturbance and depression in college students, sleeping environments and sleep hygiene practices have emerged as potential avenues for intervention. To understand associations between predictors of sleep (environmental noise disturbances, pre-bedtime media use, sleep hygiene), poor sleep quality, a...
This study took a critical look at the construct of sexual quality. The 65 items of four well-validated self-report measures of sexual satisfaction (the Index of Sexual Satisfaction [ISS], Hudson, Harrison, & Crosscup, 1981; the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction [GMSEX], Lawrance & Byers, 1995; the Pinney Sexual Satisfaction Inventory [PSSI], P...
The Compassionate and Accepting Relationships through Empathy (CARE) program is a psychoeducational program for couples that seeks to strengthen relationships and prevent adverse marital outcomes by encouraging and promoting the use of prosocial, empathy-based skills that couples already possess to varying degrees. This chapter discusses the backgr...
Given the interdependent nature of relationships within the family system, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential role of child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) to extend its positive influence beyond the mother-child relationship within families challenged by maternal depression. Accordingly, we analyzed longitudinal associations between...
Parenting scholars have long been interested in understanding the prevalence, determinants, and child outcomes associated with the use of physical discipline. To date, much of the empirical research in this area has utilized self-report measures to assess this construct. However, the subjective nature of participants' explicit reports presents an i...