I have roughly 150 professional publications in personality, social psychology, behavioral medicine, and psychometrics. And I have helped secure more than $19 million in research grants in the course of my academic career. I am currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Personality Assessment and Basic and Applied Social Psychology. In 2005, I was recognized as the Loyola Faculty Member of the Year.
Within applied social psychology, my research interests include measuring and enhancing subjective life quality, meta-analyzing research on social interventions, and evaluating test validity. Related to this work, I have been involved in several large-scale research projects investigating quality of life in various populations and synthesizing quasi-experimental studies on the impact of federally-mandated educational programs. I have also served as an expert witness in several court cases involving theory, methodology, and statistics in social and industrial-organizational psychology. And I have extensive consulting experience in applied settings including medicine, education, marketing, law, and program evaluation.
Within basic social psychology, my primary research interests are in the field of positive psychology and involve the study of processes underlying positive emotions. I am currently investigating the dynamics of savoring—that is, cognitive and behavioral processes through which people regulate (intensify or prolong) positive experiences. Within the domain of personality psychology, my research interests include affect intensity, aggression, Type A behavior, dimensions and processes underlying psychological well-being, and the conceptualization and measurement of cognition and emotion. Within the statistical realm, I specialize in structural equation modeling, nonlinear classification tree analysis, psychometrics, instrument development, and construct validation. I am currently involved in several large-scale, multidisciplinary federally funded research grant projects, including work on neurobiological, genetic, environmental, and psychosocial determinants of quality of life and psychological functioning.