About Our Lab

Our research focuses on close relationships and their underlying mechanisms. In the past few years we’ve investigated the psychological aspect of behavioral systems, especially the attachment, care giving, and sexual mating systems.

We're expanding this work by using neuroimaging techniques, social-cognitive approaches, and genetic markers to examine a diverse range of correlates and underpinnings of socially significant behavioral systems. In our work we explore the associations between a person’s attachment style (relationship style) and goals and behaviors in the caregiving and sexual domains (e.g., ability to provide and receive compassionate care; interest in short- vs. long-term mating strategies).

We're also exploring the effects of increasing people’s sense of attachment security on their tendency to engage in pro-social behavior, their altruistic and sexual attitudes, and their goals, as well as their attentional strategies.