Office: Muenzinger D351C
Education: PhD, Arizona State University, 1997
Research Interests: My research focuses on the development of theory-based models of health behavior. These models are derived from basic social psychological theories (e.g., Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory). The eventual goal of such model development is the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions to improve health behavior. As much as possible I combine basic scientific discoveries regarding biological predispositions associated with health and risk behavior (e.g., genetics and neurocognition) and applied theory-based intervention work to change behavior. Much of my work has concerned the reduction of substance-use related HIV/STD risk behavior among adolescents, while a second focus is the reduction of diseases associated with sedentary lifestyle through increasing physical exercise. In addition, I have interests in evolutionary perspectives on attraction and mating, as well as the integration of evolutionary perspectives with social and health psychology perspectives on health and risk behavior.