Paula Pietromonaco, FRS 2003-04 & 2015-16, professor emerita of psychological and brain sciences, has been selected for the 2019 Service to the Field Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP). Pietromonaco is a social psychologist whose work focuses on how people think, feel and behave in the context of their closest relationships. Her particular interest lies in how couple members influence each other’s ability to manage their emotions, and how these relationship processes are connected to emotional and physical health over time. Her current work, funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, examines how newlywed spouses’ expectations and beliefs about relationships, together with their physiological stress reactions (e.g., cortisol reactivity and recovery) and behavior patterns when discussing disagreements, predict later risks for depression and anxiety. The award recognizes distinguished efforts by individuals to benefit the field of social and personality psychology generally.
