Jacqueline P
- Research Program Mentor
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Expertise
Social psychology, romantic relationships, friendships, parenting, well-being, socioeconomic adversity, public policy, race-ethnicity, discrimination, culture
Project ideas
Work from home couples experience more parenting stress lower relationship happiness
While the COVID-19 global pandemic work from home (WFH) protocols have given some couples (predominantly middle-class individuals with traditional office jobs) more flexibility when it comes to taking care of children and household, it has also presented new challenges of sharing space with your partner and losing dedicated privacy and work hours when simultaneously taking care of your children. With more and more offices opting for a permanent fixture of hybrid- or full-time-WFH positions, it is important to understand both the benefits and costs to couples and families, where more time together might actually mean less quality time and more stress. Research could explore the pros and cons, and begin to understand if there is an optimal balance that can be reached to provide working moms and dads with greater flexibility but not detract from the joys of being a parent nor the happiness in a romantic relationship.
How young adults are managing friendships with people who have different social and/or political views
With a sharp increase in involvement and awareness of issues of social change (such as protesting racism, advocating for LGBTQia+ rights, etc.) among youth and young adults has also come an increase in conflict with friends and family who have differing views. This tension can cause feelings of loneliness and disturbances to sense of belonging in social circles, which may lead to individuals withdrawing and being resistant to engaging in sociopolitical discourse with their friends. However, bottling their thoughts and feelings to avoid conflict may also lead to greater stress, anxiety, and feelings inauthenticity. It is important to understand how young adults are navigating these difficult situations in order to assess the consequences for individuals' social relationships and mental health.