My research focus is primarily on how individuals differ in their assessment of risk-reward trade-offs, either due to intrinsic among-individual differences (e.g., personality, and coping style) or due to situational/contextual differences. Such a focus is challenging because individual differences influence relationship formation and maintenance, but the resulting social structure constrains and facilitates the expression of particular behaviors. Therefore, examining these dynamics requires multi-methodological approaches; I have utilized field experiments, survey-ratings, behavioral coding, and biomarker sampling to do so. I analyze social behavior using social network analyses and, more recently, agent-based modelling to understand the temporal, spatial, and trait dynamics of emergent social structures. I look forward to expanding my technical skills and research focus as a Postdoctoral Scholar in Dr. Brenda McCowan’s lab group.
McCowan-Vandeleest Laboratory of Biobehavioral Complexity 