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Emma McGorray @emmamcgorray.bsky.social · 29d

To help instructors diversify course content, we’re building a database of articles focused on the relationship experiences of marginalized and underrepresented populations. Do you have any to recommend (perhaps one you’ve written yourself or read recently)? Recommend it here: tinyurl.com/IARRrecs

graphic displaying the following text: “The IARR Teaching Committee is seeking article recommendations focused on the relationships of underrepresented populations.” below that text, a link appears to a form where people can provide recommendations: tinyurl.com/IARRrecs

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Lydia Emery @lydiaemery.bsky.social · 13d

We wrote a blog post about this for @spspnews.bsky.social Character and Context: spsp.org/news/charact...

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Samantha Joel @datingdecisions.bsky.social · 28d

In a new paper, my colleagues and I set out to demonstrate how method biases can create spurious findings in relationship science, by using a seemingly meaningless scale (e.g., "My relationship has very good Saturn") to predict relationship outcomes. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Pseudo Effects: How Method Biases Can Produce Spurious Findings About Close Relationships - Samantha Joel, John K. Sakaluk, James J. Kim, Devinder Khera, Helena Yuchen Qin, Sarah C. E. Stanton, 2025

Research on interpersonal relationships frequently relies on accurate self-reporting across various relationship facets (e.g., conflict, trust, appreciation). Y...

journals.sagepub.com

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Maya Rossignac-Milon @mrossignacmilon.bsky.social · Sep 4

What kinds of conversations spark instant connection?

Excited to share my first NYT Guest Essay, with @ericaboothby.bsky.social.

We argue that playful riffing — creating a little world together — forges and deepens relationships through shared reality.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/o...

Opinion | You’re Probably Doing Small Talk Wrong

www.nytimes.com

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Eli Finkel @elijfinkel.bsky.social · May 21

🎇NEW PUBLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT🎇

“Love may be a many-splendored thing, but it’s also a battlefield.”

So begins my "Romantic Relationships" chapter in the new, OPEN-ACCESS, Handbook of Social Psychology (6e). The chapter synthesizes what I've learned in my 28 years in the field.

🧵

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Lydia Emery @lydiaemery.bsky.social · May 19

I'm thrilled that this is not only published, but free and open-access to make our science available to everyone. Brief thread about Chapter 24 (Social Class), from @profnicolestephens.bsky.social, Sarah Townsend, and me: (1/4)

Daniel Gilbert @danielgilbert.bsky.social · May 19

Since 1954, "The Handbook of Social Psychology" has been the field’s most authoritative reference work, and today is the launch of the 6th edition with 50 new chapters by 100 leading scholars. Best news? The HSP is now an open-access public resource—free to read, download, and share. the-hsp.com

Cover of the Handbook of Social Psychology 6th edition 2025

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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · May 19

We have created a free syllabus + teaching materials on the psychology of shared identities

It includes links to papers, lecture slides, chapter summaries, exams, interactive activities, educational videos & podcasts.

Please share with educators:
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/the-power-...

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Erin Westgate @erinwestgate.bsky.social · May 19

Since 1954, "The Handbook of Social Psychology" has been the field’s most authoritative reference work, and today is the launch of the 6th edition. Best news? The HSP is now open-access—free to read, download, and share.

the-hsp.com

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Lydia Emery @lydiaemery.bsky.social · Apr 14

Excited to share a new paper in Current Directions on the theme of merging in close relationships, with @emmamcgorray.bsky.social, @erinhughes.bsky.social , and @abdoe.bsky.social! In the paper, we discuss merging in the domains of selves, goals, processing, and reality. tinyurl.com/ynbedzys (1/4)

Title page of the paper "Merging in Close Relationships"

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Society for Personality and Social Psychology @spspnews.bsky.social · Feb 27

⏰Today, 2-3 PM ET: Join us as @erinhughes.bsky.social discusses her research about the experiences of people whose romantic partners are incarcerated.

✍️Sign up for the latest event in our PUI Invited Talk Series here: ow.ly/RIoW50V6VvP

SPSP PUI Invited Research Talk

"Whatever Has Come Towards Me Through Life, I Am Able to Withstand It All": Strengths and Struggles Faced by the Partners of Incarcerated Individuals

Speaker: Erin Hughes
Thursday, February 27
2-3 PM ET
Where: Virtual
Register now!

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Feb 25

This Thursday (2-3PM ET) I’ll be giving a virtual talk through @spspnews.bsky.social Invited Research Talk Series on mine and @elijfinkel.bsky.social’s work on romantic couples dealing with incarceration. Register using the link below to join us!

us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: "Whatever Has Come Towards Me Through Life, I Am Able to Withstand It All": Strengths and Struggles Faced by the Partners of Incarcerated Individuals. After...

Join SPSP for the next installment in our new event series, exploring outstanding research by scholars at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. During this session, researchers from Fairfield Universi...

us02web.zoom.us

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Feb 23

Thank you!!

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Relationship Researchers Interest Group @rrigspsp.bsky.social · Feb 21

Congratulations @erinhughes.bsky.social for winning the Close Relationships grad student paper award 🏆Her work shows that avoidantly attached folks overestimate how much they’ll lose parts of themselves when in relationships. #SPSP2025 #spspcloserels

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Jess Maxwell @jessmaxwell.bsky.social · Nov 3

Congratulations to the Relationship Researchers Interest Group award 🏆winners: Bill Chopik for the Caryl E. Rusbult Early Career Award, and
Erin Hughes for the Graduate Student Paper Award! We can’t wait to hear more at the SPSP Close Relationships Preconference :)

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 26

Thanks so much, Allie!

erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 26

Thank you, Kevin!

erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

This paper was years in the making, and I’m so happy it is out! Plus, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to do this work with.

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

Overall, we find evidence that avoidantly attached people believe they are losing themselves due to their relationship, despite no external metrics finding evidence to that effect (a self-loss delusion). The belief that they are losing themselves is linked to lower commitment.

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

Our external metrics of self-loss included third party ratings of partner-requested changes and actual changes, as well as loss-inducing behavioral choices in a “choose-your-own adventure” story that involved imagining one’s partner making change requests.

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

Third, we hypothesized a “self-loss delusion” such that people higher in attachment avoidance would perceive self-loss that external metrics (outside the mind of the perceiver) would fail to detect. We find clear support even when using a range of external metrics (see Figure 8).

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

Second, we hypothesized that self-loss perceptions would mediate the negative association between avoidance and commitment. We do find evidence of this mediation cross-sectionally and longitudinally , even when controlling for intake commitment (see Figure 2).

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

Across 4 studies, we tested 3 hypotheses. First, we hypothesized that people higher in attachment avoidance would perceive changes due to the relationship as loss, which we find consistent support for.

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 24

I’m so excited to share our new paper in JPSP from me, @lydiaemery.bsky.social, @emmamcgorray.bsky.social, Wendi Gardner, & @elijfinkel.bsky.social! We find that avoidantly attached people report self-loss due to their relationship, but external metrics fail to detect such loss. tinyurl.com/yaztcjc2

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 14

I’m a social psychologist and would love to be added too!

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erinhughes.bsky.social @erinhughes.bsky.social · Sep 14

Salary and benefits are competitive -- minimum starting salary for the assistant professor rank is $97,602 for 2024-2025

On a personal note, having just started in this department, I’ve been so welcomed and supported each step of the way. This is a great group to be a part of!