Lab News

May 18, 2021

The Williamson Lab recently completed a large-scale review of the relationship science literature to determine the extent to which samples used in this area of research are diverse and inclusive of under-represented groups. Across 750 studies, we found that the modal participant in a study of romantic relationships is 30 years old, White, American, middle-class, college educated, and involved in a different-sex, same-race relationship. Additionally, only 68 studies (9%) focused on traditionally underrepresented groups (i.e., non-White, low-income, and/or sexual and gender minorities). These findings underscore the need for greater inclusion of underrepresented groups to ensure the validity and credibility of relationship science. In the manuscript we provide general recommendations for the field to improve diversity and inclusion in our research.

You can download the preprint here: https://psyarxiv.com/c6qfy/

April 14, 2021

Undergraduate research assistant Yukta Sunkara will be presenting the results of her research at the UT College of Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Forum this Friday. The event will be held virtually at https://cns.utexas.edu/tides/undergraduate/undergraduate-research-forum. You can view the video of her talk by clicking here, or on the URF website, then drop in to chat with Yukta on zoom about her work from 12:30-2:00pm on 4/16/21.

March 1, 2021

Last month Dr. Williamson gave an invited talk at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Close Relationships Preconference entitled “Meta-Research on Relationship Science: A Focus on Diversity and Inclusion.” The talk presented results from a systematic literature review that assesses the diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups in the research being conducted in our field. You can view a recording of the talk here.

February 22, 2021

Research from the Williamson Lab has been featured in a number of news outlets recently, including The Guardian, Forbes, and multiple articles on Psychology Today.

December 28, 2020

Dr. Williamson has been named Co-President of the ABCT Couples Research and Treatment Special Interest Group, which is the primary professional organization for clinical psychologists who study couple relationships and couple therapy. She will serve a two-year term as leader of this group, alongside Co-President Emily Salivar, Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University.

December 22, 2020

Dr. Williamson has published a new paper, in collaboration with HDFS colleague Dr. Neff, that examines how stress impacts one’s ability to provide support to their partner. Husbands experiencing greater chronic stress were less accurate in their assessments of their partner’s support needs, and even when husbands did notice that their partner desired support, they were less likely to provide support if they were coping with their own stress that day.

November 30, 2020

Dr. Williamson wrote an op-ed piece about the effect of the pandemic on relationships based on her recent publication in Psychological Science. The op-ed was published in various newspapers, including the Dallas Morning News, the San Antonio Express-News, the Austin American-Statesman, and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

November 5, 2020

Dr. Williamson has published an article about the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships in Psychological Science. The COVID-19 pandemic has called upon couples to spend extended amounts of time together and rely primarily on each other for support during a major stressor that has upended nearly every aspect of daily life. In this study, individuals involved in a relationship were assessed before the start of the pandemic and again two times during the early stages of the pandemic to determine how their relationship changed. Overall, the results of this large, national study indicate that on average people did not change in how satisfied they were with their relationship, but did become more forgiving and less blaming of their partner’s negative behaviors by attributing them less to their partner’s internal characteristics. These results were true irrespective of multiple characteristics, including demographics of the partners, pre-existing characteristics of the relationship, and negative experiences resulting from the pandemic, but did vary based on couple functioning during the pandemic. 

Read more about this study here.

July 19, 2020

Dr. Williamson has a new article in press at the Journal of Family Psychology: The development of communication behavior over the newlywed years

June 25, 2020

Earlier this month Dr. Williamson and colleagues Dr. Neff and Dr. Gleason presented a webinar for the UT College of Natural Sciences about ‘Maintaining Household Relationships & Overcoming Conflict in Quarantine.’ You can view the recording here.