Research

Broadly, my research concerns the effects of hormones on psychology and the psychology of disgust and disease avoidance. Here are the major projects I am working on currently.

**IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A RESEARCH PARTICIPANT DO NOT READ THIS PAGE**

Progesterone and Female Psychology

My dissertation investigates the effects of progesterone on female psychology in immunologically relevant domains. Progesterone causes the downregulation of certain kinds of immune components. This immunomodulation facilitates pregnancy by preventing the woman’s immune system from attacking the half-foreign blastocyst, but temporarily leaves women more vulnerable to disease. During the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy women have a high amount of progesterone and experience increased immunomodulation. My research investigates the psychological effects of progesterone and immunomodulation in women by relating menstrual phase to behaviors relevant to disease avoidance such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptomology, disgust reaction, and grooming and hygiene behaviors. The first two studies are in collaboration with Dr. Dan Fessler at UCLA.

Study 1 - Using menstrual cycle information we found that women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle report more disgust and OCD symptomology.

Study 2- Using salivary progesterone assays we are investigating many different aspects of disease avoidance behavior in pregnant women, women on hormonal contraceptives and naturally cycling women.

Study 3- Using fMRI I am investigating differences in brain activation in response to different kinds of disgust eliciting stimuli between the high and low progesterone phases of the menstrual cycle.

Menstrual Cycle effects on the Psychology of Sexual Victimization

For women, sexual victimization compromises their ability to choose their offspring's father as well as causing potentially untimely pregnancy. There is some evidence that women engage in less behavior that would put them at risk for sexual victimization when they are in the most fertile phase of their menstrual cycle (e.g. taking out the trash alone at night). Carin Perilloux, Dr. David Buss and I have extended this research using ovulation tests and a number of different measures. Currently we are preparing a manuscript on this research.

Disgust and Sexual Arousal

Disgust and sexual arousal are in many ways opposing adaptive motivational states. Disgust motivates avoidance of disease while sexual arousal motivates approach towards sexual intercourse which is contagion salient. In collaboration involving Lisa Dawn Hamilton, Dr. Dan Fessler and Dr. Cindy Meston we are investigating how disgust and sexual arousal mitigate one another using images and the vaginal photoplethysmograph.

Menstrual Cycle effects on Intergroup Bias

Dr. Carlos Navarrete, Dr. Dan Fessler and myself have found evidence that race bias tracks conception risk across the menstrual cycle. We are furthering this research by investigating implicit and explicit attitudes towards other groups as well as using hormonal measures and ovulation tests.

Attitudes towards Homosexuals and Coalitional Psychology

In collaboration with Dr. Dan Fessler I am investigating how eliciting different social motivational states affects heterosexuals' attitudes towards homosexuals and towards homosexual behavior.


	*Research* Broadly, my research concerns the effects of hormones on psychology and the psychology of disgust and disease avoidance. Here are the major projects I am working on currently. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A RESEARCH PARTICIPANT DO NOT READ THIS PAGE Progesterone and Female Psychology My dissertation investigates the effects of progesterone on female psychology in immunologically relevant domains. Progesterone causes the downregulation of certain kinds of immune components. This immunomodulation facilitates pregnancy by preventing the woman’s immune system from attacking the half-foreign blastocyst, but temporarily leaves women more vulnerable to disease. During the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy women have a high amount of progesterone and experience increased immunomodulation. My research investigates the psychological effects of progesterone and immunomodulation in women by relating menstrual phase to behaviors relevant to disease avoidance such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptomology, disgust reaction, and grooming and hygiene behaviors. The first two studies are in collaboration with Dr. Dan Fessler at UCLA. Study 1 - Using menstrual cycle information we found that women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle report more disgust and OCD symptomology. Study 2- Using salivary progesterone assays we are investigating many different aspects of disease avoidance behavior in pregnant women, women on hormonal contraceptives and naturally cycling women. Study 3- Using fMRI I am investigating differences in brain activation in response to different kinds of disgust eliciting stimuli between the high and low progesterone phases of the menstrual cycle. Menstrual Cycle effects on the Psychology of Sexual Victimization For women, sexual victimization compromises their ability to choose their offspring's father as well as causing potentially untimely pregnancy. There is some evidence that women engage in less behavior that would put them at risk for sexual victimization when they are in the most fertile phase of their menstrual cycle (e.g. taking out the trash alone at night). Carin Perilloux, Dr. David Buss and I have extended this research using ovulation tests and a number of different measures. Currently we are preparing a manuscript on this research. Disgust and Sexual Arousal Disgust and sexual arousal are in many ways opposing adaptive motivational states. Disgust motivates avoidance of disease while sexual arousal motivates approach towards sexual intercourse which is contagion salient. In collaboration involving Lisa Dawn Hamilton, Dr. Dan Fessler and Dr. Cindy Meston we are investigating how disgust and sexual arousal mitigate one another using images and the vaginal photoplethysmograph. Menstrual Cycle effects on Intergroup Bias Dr. Carlos Navarrete, Dr. Dan Fessler and myself have found evidence that race bias tracks conception risk across the menstrual cycle. We are furthering this research by investigating implicit and explicit attitudes towards other groups as well as using hormonal measures and ovulation tests. Attitudes towards Homosexuals and Coalitional Psychology In collaboration with Dr. Dan Fessler I am investigating how eliciting different social motivational states affects heterosexuals' attitudes towards homosexuals and towards homosexual behavior.