Linda Isbell

PhD, 1999, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

MA, 1995, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

BA, 1993, Stony Brook University

By Apppointment, please email to schedule

Center for Research on Families

Current Research Interests

Affect and Social Cognition

Feelings play a ubiquitous role in our everyday lives and have a significant influence on everything from how satisfied we are to how we perceive stimuli in the world around us. Given this, it is not surprising that feelings influence many significant real-world judgments, including diagnoses of cancer, evaluations of job applicants, and voting decisions. A fundamental assumption in my work is that affective feelings convey valuable information that guides individuals’ thoughts, judgments, and actions.  My work embraces the notion that affect and cognition are necessary allies that work in tandem to produce adaptive responses to the world. My research aims to better understand the ways in which affect influences ordinary, everyday information processing and judgment across a number of important social psychological and real-world domains. Much of my research investigates the impact of affective experiences on how individuals seek out, process, and evaluate information about hypothetical political candidates, job applicants, ordinary people, stereotyped others, and the self. I am currently applying research on affect and information processing to understand how affect impacts medical decision-making by health care providers when treating individuals afflicted with mental health and substance use disorders.  By relying on theory and research in social cognition, I identify and explore the underlying social cognitive processes that account for the different influences of affect on cognition.

Research on Teaching

My experience teaching both large lecture courses of up to almost 500 students as well as small seminars of only 20 students has consistently revealed that a very large percentage of students learn best by doing and experiencing. For this reason, I develop innovative active-learning classroom activities and explore their impact on student mastery of course material (e.g., Isbell & Tyler, 2003, 2005; Isbell, Tyler, & Burns, 2007). I have found that learning experiences that link classroom material to the real world in powerful, concrete, and meaningful ways enhance student learning. One significant effort to do this resulted in a newly designed, highly experiential and interactive course in political psychology, described in Isbell (2003). In future research, I intend to explore the extent to which such learning environments lead to relatively greater longterm retention of course material compared to more traditional learning environments. I have also been working to find ways to reduce the feelings of distance, anonymity, and disconnection that many students feel in large lecture classes. These experiences are likely to be most problematic for students who are struggling with course material. My research with Nicole Gilbert-Cote (Isbell & Gilbert-Cote, 2009) demonstrates the efficacy of a simple and efficient intervention to improve these students’ grades.

Psych 241H:  Honors Research Methods (Undergraduate)

Psych 360:  Social Psychology  (Undergraduate)

Psych 391:  Political Psychology Seminar (Undergraduate)

Psych 391:  Mental Illness and Stigma Seminar (Undergraduate)

Psych 660:  Social Psychology (Graduate)

Psych 762:  Social Cognition (Graduate)

FFYS:  Stigma and Mental Illness Freshman Seminar

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

Isbell, L.M., Chimowitz, H., Huff, N., Liu, G., Kimball, E., & Boudreaux, E.D. (in press).  A qualitative study of emergency physicians’ and nurses’ experiences caring for patients with psychiatric conditions and/or substance use disorders.  Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Huff, N., Liu, G., Chimowitz, H., Gleason, K., & Isbell, L.M. (2023).  COVID-19 related negative emotions and emotional suppression are associated with perceived patient safety and personal risks among emergency nurses.  International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2022.100111

Ostrovsky, D., Novack V., Smulowitz, P.B., Burke, R.C. Landon, B.E., & Isbell, L.M. (2022). Perspectives of emergency clinicians about medical errors resulting in patient harm or malpractice litigation. JAMA Network Open, 5(11):e2241461. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.41461

Liu, G., Isbell, L.M., Constantino, M.J., & Leidner, B. (2022).  Quiet ego intervention enhances flourishing via trait emotional intelligence: A randomized experiment. Journal of Happiness Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00560-z

Isbell LM, Kang S, Barysky G, & Quinn G (2022) Stigmatizing attitudes toward Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) in parents vs. non-parents: Effects of medication and genetic etiology. PLoS ONE 17(9): e0274185. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274185   

Huff, N. R., Isbell, L. M., & Arnold, D. H. (2022). Behavior or diagnosis? Effects of irritable patient behavior and a schizophrenia diagnosis on mental illness stigma. Stigma and Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000360

Liu, G., Chimowitz, H. & Isbell, L. (2022). Affective influences on clinical reasoning and diagnosis: insights from social psychology and new research opportunities. Diagnosis, 9(3), 295-305. https://doi.org/10.1515/dx-2021-0115

Liu, G., Isbell, L.M. & Leidner, B. (2022). How does the quiet ego relate to happiness? A path model investigation of the relations between the quiet ego, self-concept clarity, and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies 23, 1007–1020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00438-6

Welsh, M., Chimowitz, H., Nanavati, J., Huff, N.R., & Isbell, L.M. (2021).  A qualitative investigation of the impact of COVID-19 on emergency medicine physicians’ emotional experiences and coping strategies.  Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open.  Oct 27;2(5): e12578. DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12578

Smulowitz, P., Burke, R.C., Ostrovsky, D., Novak, V., Isbell, L.M., & Landon, B. (2021). Attitudes toward risk among emergency medicine physicians and advanced practice providers in Massachusetts.  Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open. Oct 13;2(5): e12573. DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12573.

Hagerty, S., Burke, R., Isbell, L.M., Barasz, K., & Smulowitz, P. (2021). Patient perceptions of diagnostic certainty at discharge and patient satisfaction in the ED. Academic Emergency Medicine, 28(11), 1318-1320.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.14262

Liu, G., Isbell, L.M., & Leidner, B. (2021).  Quiet ego and subjective well-being: The role of emotional intelligence and mindfulness.  Journal of Happiness Studies, 22, 2599-2619.  DOI: 10.1007/s10902-020-00331-8

Isbell, L. M., & Lair, E. C.  (2020).  Positive and negative affective states, assessment of.  In B. J. Carducci (Editor-in-Chief & Vol Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of personality and individual differences: Vol. II.  Research methods and assessment techniques. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.  DOI: 10.1002/9781119547167.ch111

Isbell, L.M., Boudreaux, E.D., Chimowitz, H., Liu, G., Cyr, E., & Kimball, E. (2020).  What do Emergency Department physicians and nurses feel?  A qualitative study of emotions, triggers, regulation strategies, and effects on patient care. British Medical Journal: Quality & Safety, 29, 815-825.  doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-010179 

Isbell, L.M., Tager, J., Beals, K., & Liu, G. (2020).  Emotionally-evocative patients in the Emergency Department:  A mixed-methods investigation of providers’ emotions and implications for patient safety. British Medical Journal: Quality & Safety, 29, 803-814.  doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-010110

Rovenpor, D.R. & Isbell, L.M. (2018).  Do emotional control beliefs lead people to approach positive or negative situations?  Two components of control beliefs and their divergent effects on emotional situation selection.  Emotion, 18, 313-331.

Isbell, L.M., Rovenpor, D., & Lair, E.C. (2016).   The impact of negative emotions on self-concept abstraction depends on accessible cognitive scope.  Emotion, 16, 1040-1049.

Isbell, L.M., Lair, E.C., & Rovenpor, D. (2016).   The impact of affect on out-group judgments depends on dominant information processing styles: Evidence from incidental and integral affect paradigms.  Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42, 485-497.

Huntsinger, J.R., Isbell, L.M., & Clore, G.L. (2014). The affective control of thought:  Malleable, not fixed.  Psychological Review, 121, 600-618.

Hunsinger, M., Livingston, R., & Isbell, L.M. (2014). Spirituality and intergroup harmony: Meditation and prejudice. Mindfulness, 5, 139-144.

Hunsinger, M., Livingston, R., & Isbell, L.M. (2013).  The impact of loving-kindness meditation on affective conditioning and cognitive control.  Mindfulness, 4(3), 275-280.

Isbell, L.M., & Lair, E.C. (2013).  Moods, emotions, and evaluations as information.  In D. Carlston (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Cognition (pp. 435 – 462), New York: Oxford University Press.

Isbell, L.M., Lair, E.C., & Rovenpor, D. (2013).  Affect-as-Information about processing styles:  A cognitive malleability approach.  Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7, 93-114.

Isbell, L.M., McCabe, J., Burns, K.C., & Lair, E.C. (2013).  Who am I?:  The influence of affect on the working self-concept.  Cognition and Emotion, 27(6), 1073-1090.

Isbell, L.M. (2012).  The emotional citizen: How feelings drive political preferences and behavior.  Association for Psychological Science (APS) Observer, 25(8), 13, 15-16. [Invited Article]

Hunsinger, M., & Isbell, L.M., & Clore, G.L. (2012).  Sometimes happy people focus on the trees and sad people focus on the forest: Context dependent effects of mood in impression formation.  Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 220-232.

Isbell, L.M. (2010).  What is the relationship between affect and information processing styles? This and other global and local questions inspired by GLOMOsys.  Psychological Inquiry, 20, 225-232.

Parker, M.T., & Isbell, L.M. (2010).  How I vote depends on how I feel: The differential impact of anger and fear on political information processing.  Psychological Science, 4, 548-550.

Burns, K.C., Isbell, L.M., & Tyler, J.M. (2008).  Suppressing emotions toward stereotyped targets: The impact on willingness to engage in contact.  Social Cognition, 26, 276-287.

Gasper, K. & Isbell, L.M. (2007).  Feeling, searching, and preparing: How affective states alter information seeking.  In K.D. Vohs, R. Baumeister, & G. Loewenstein (Eds.), Do emotions help or hurt decision making? A Hedgefoxian Perspective (pp. 93-116).  New York: Russell Sage Publications. 

Isbell, L.M. & Burns, K.C. (2007).  Affect.  In R.F. Baumeister and K.D. Vohs (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, 1, 12-13. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Burns, K.C. & Isbell, L.M. (2007).  Promoting malleability is not one size fits all: Priming implicit theories of intelligence as a function of self-theories.  Self and Identity, 6, 51-63.

Adaval, R., Isbell, L.M., & Wyer, R.S. (2007).  The impact of pictures on narrative- and list-based impression formation: A process interference model.  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 352-364.

Isbell, L.M., Tyler, J.M., & Delorenzo, A. (2007).  Guilty or innocent?: Women’s reliance on inadmissible evidence in a simulated rape case.  Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 717-739.

Isbell, L.M., Ottati, V.C., & Burns, K.C. (2006).  Affect and politics: Effects on judgment, processing, and information selection.  In D. Redlawsk (Ed.) Feeling Politics (pp. 57-86).  Palgrave Publishing Company.

Isbell, L.M., Burns, K.C., & Haar, T. (2005).  The role of affect on the search for global and specific target information.  Social Cognition, 6, 529-552.

Isbell, L.M., Swedish, K., & Gazan, D.B. (2005).  Who says it’s sexual harassment?: The effects of gender and likelihood to sexually harass on legal judgments of sexual harassment.  Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35, 745-772.

Isbell, L.M. (2004). Not all happy people are lazy or stupid: Evidence of systematic processing in happy moods.  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 341-349.

Greenwood, D. & Isbell, L.M. (2002).  Ambivalent sexism and the dumb blonde:  Men’s and women’s reactions to sexist jokes.  Psychology of Women Quarterly, 26, 341-350

Isbell, L.M., & Ottati, V.C. (2002).  The emotional voter: Effects of episodic affective reactions on candidate evaluation.  In Ottati et al. (Eds) The Social Psychology of Politics (pp. 55-74).  New York:  Plenum Publishing Company.

Clore, G.L., & Isbell, L.M. (2001).  Emotions as virtue and vice.  In J.H. Kuklinski (Ed.), Citizens and politics: Perspectives from political psychology (pp. 103-126). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Clore, G.L., Wyer, R.S., Dienes, B., Gasper, K., Gohm., C., & Isbell, L.M. (2001).  Affective feelings as feedback: Some cognitive consequences.  In L.L. Martin & G.L. Clore (Eds.).  Theories of mood and cognition: A user’s guidebook (pp. 27-62).  Mahway, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Isbell, L.M. & Wyer, R.S. (1999).  Correcting for mood-induced bias in the evaluation of political candidates: The roles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.  Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 237-249.

Wyer, R.S., Clore, G.L., & Isbell, L.M. (1999).  Affect and information processing.  In M.P. Zanna (Ed.) Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (pp. 1 – 77)  San Diego, California: Academic Press.

Isbell, L.M., Smith, H., & Wyer, R.S. (1998).  Consequences of attempts to disregard social information.  In. J.M. Golding and C.M. MacLeod (Eds.) Intentional forgetting:  Interdisciplinary approaches (pp. 289 – 320).  Mahwah, New Jersey:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.    

Isbell, L.M. & Wyer, R.S. (1998).  Relying on affect to inform political judgments:  Affect is information.  The political psychologist, 3, 9-12.

Ottati, V.C. & Isbell, L.M. (1996).  Effects of mood during exposure to target information on subsequently reported judgments:  An on-line model of misattribution and correction.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 39-53.

Gohm, C.L., Isbell, L.M., & Wyer, R.S. (1995).  Some thoughts about thinking.  In R.S. Wyer (Ed.) Advances in social cognition, Volume IX (pp. 81 – 95).  Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

TEACHING PUBLICATIONS

Isbell, L.M., & Gilbert Cote, N. (2009). Connecting with struggling students to improve performance in large classes.  Teaching of Psychology, 36, 185-188.

Isbell, L.M., Tyler, J.M., & Burns, K.C. (2007).  An activity to teach students about schematic processing.  Teaching of Psychology, 34, 241-244.

Isbell, L.M. & Tyler, J.M. (2005).  Using students’ personal ads to teach about interpersonal attraction and intimate relationships.  Teaching of Psychology, 32, 169-171.

Isbell, L.M. (2003).  Teaching an undergraduate course in political psychology.  Teaching of Psychology, 30, 148-153.

Isbell, L.M., & Tyler, J.M. (2003).  Teaching students about in-group favoritism and the minimal groups paradigm.  Teaching of Psychology, 30, 127-130.   

Linda M. Isbell, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her BA from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (1993) and her MA (1995) and PhD (1999) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She joined the UMass faculty in 1999. Dr. Isbell’s research primarily examines the interaction between affect and cognition and focuses extensively on the impact of affective experiences on social cognitive processes.