Faculty Profiles

BIO

Research in Amie Gordon’s lab focuses on uncovering the social cognitive, affective, and biological factors that shape our closest relationships. For example, we study the benefits of prosocial cognitions, emotions, and behaviors (e.g., perspective-taking, gratitude, responsiveness), as well as how these prosocial processes are affected by internal and external forces. In particular, we focus on the ways in which unseen influences, from biological dysregulation (e.g. lack of sleep, hunger, illness) to external stressors (e.g., time pressure, work stress), shape prosocial processes and relationship functioning. Our research goes beyond people’s own experiences to examine how they are affected by their relationship partner’s experiences, as well as by their perceptions and expectations of their relationship partners. An important component of our research is exploring how people influence each other psychologically, behaviorally, and physiologically both in the moment and over time. We also explore distinctively dyadic outcomes—how interactions are shaped not by each individual alone but by the unique ways in which people interact with each other.