F. Elaine Donelson Chair of Psychology and Religion
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Rhodes College
Featured Research
"People often say they want long-term partners who are kind, dependable, and emotionally supportive. But despite those intentions, many still place a surprising amount of importance on physical attractiveness—even when seeking committed relationships. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology sheds light on this apparent contradiction by identifying a key psychological driver behind these preferences: sexual desire...The findings add a new layer to decades of research in evolutionary psychology, which has long suggested that people prefer attractive partners because beauty signals traits such as fertility and genetic fitness. But while those theories explain the long-term evolutionary advantages of mating with attractive partners, they rarely address what triggers people to seek out those traits in real-time. The current research fills that gap by showing how fluctuations in sexual desire can shift people’s romantic priorities."
"In a recent study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, researchers discovered intriguing connections between partners’ feelings of attachment insecurity and their marital satisfaction and stability. The study found that the interactive dynamics of both partners’ attachment insecurities can significantly predict the future of their marital satisfaction and even the potential dissolution of the marriage. This suggests that understanding each partner’s attachment style could be crucial in fostering more resilient relationships."
"When it comes to the complexities of human relationships, new research suggests that our motivations for committed partnerships and casual encounters are more distinct than previously thought. A recent study published in Personality and Individual Differences challenges the long-standing idea that people’s relationship desires fall on a single spectrum, with casual sex on one end and long-term commitment on the other. Instead, the researchers found that these desires often coexist, suggesting that they are better understood as separate dimensions that independently influence our romantic behaviors and outcomes."
Featured Spotlights
"Sierra Peters is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in Florida State University’s Department of Psychology, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. As a student in the Social Psychology program, Peters works in FSU’s Attraction and Close Relationships Lab and the Evolutionary Psychology Lab researching long-term romantic relationships. Peters’ first published paper won a Best Graduate Student Paper Award in 2021, and earlier this year, she earned an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, both from FSU."
"Sierra Peters ’19 is a grad student in social psychology at Florida State University. Her research involves the forming and dissolution of romantic relationships. The not-so-rosy news: Marital satisfaction declines over the course of one’s marriage, possibly because of over-optimism and naiveté as newlyweds. The good news: You can still have a very happy and fulfilling union by communicating thoughtfully, enjoying novel experiences together and supporting each other’s goals."
