My primary research focus is on the interplay between social motives and the self. A number of assumptions underlie, motivate, and guide my research. Namely: (1) Social motives (i.e., motives to feel connected to, understood, and accepted by others) are universal, essential, and play an integral role in the human experience; (2) The self-concept is fluid rather than fixed, and strongly influenced by social motives; and (3) Individual differences in strategies used in the fulfillment of social motives have important implications for self-construal, affect, behavior, and cognition.

I have pursued this work in four distinct, but related, areas. First, I have examined the strength, flexibility, and universal nature of social motives. Second, I have examined individual differences in the expression of social motives and the implications of those differences. Third, I have examined the social self (e.g., the self as a relationship partner or group member) as a distinct component of self. Fourth, I have examined how social and non-social aspects of self interact.

More recently, much of my research has been directed at examining how, when, and why people use social surrogates to fulfill belongingness needs. My amazing students and I have examined how favorite TV shows, books, comfort food, and celebrities all can be used to satisfy needs for social connection. We are finding this research to be thought-provoking, fruitful, and wonderfully fun!