I now write my blog on the Psychology Today website!
Did Secretary Clinton Lose to a 'Basket of Deplorables' in the 2016 US Presidential Election?
On September 9th, 2016, Hillary Clinton gave a speech at the LGBT for Hillary Gala in New York City in which she referred to ‘half’ of Donald Trump’s supporters as a ‘basket of deplorables’ who espouse ‘racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic [and] Islamophobic’ sentiments. Although Clinton had prefaced her comments by acknowledging that she was about to make an overgeneralization, the backlash to her comments was swift, with Trump charging that her comments showed her true ‘contempt for everyday Americans’. Clinton apologized for her remarks, but doubled down in depicting Trump’s campaign as one based in ‘bigotry and racist rhetoric.’ Was there any truth to Hillary Clinton’s depiction of Trump supporters? To what extent can American voters for various candidates in the 2016 election be distinguished from each other on the basis of their attitudes? Can supporters of the various presidential candidates be differentiated by measures related to some of the key themes in the 2016 election, such as authoritarianism, sexism, Islamophobia, racism, and attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals?
Read MoreWhen A Drag Queen Perfectly Summarizes Your Research!
In this TedX talk, Panti Bliss discusses same-sex PDAs, homophobia, and the tireless stress put on same-sex couples simply attempting to navigate the world like any other couple, but constantly having to be vigilant about their surroundings.
Read MoreWhat's the Worst That Could Happen? Fears of Visiting the Doctor for a Sexual Health Exam!
As I was scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook today, a College Humour video popped up providing a wonderful "POV" (Point of View) take on a woman's experience visiting the Gynecologist for a routine checkup. According to a recent paper that our lab published, the video, although intended to be entertaining, does a pretty good job of covering some of the primary concerns that women have about a sexual health exam - but with one major caveat: the women in question need to be cisgender, heterosexual women for this video to apply!
Read MoreThe KLB Research Logo
KLB Research began in 2004 with the of promoting and demonstrating the importance, feasibility, and utility of LGBTQ2S Inclusive Research Methods, specifically within the field of Relationships Research. Consequently, KLB Research has always had the slogan of "Valuing Diversity in Academic Research," but until recently, KLB Research has lacked a logo to complement the slogan!
Read MoreHow I Hacked My Office Door
In a world filled with technology, doors are so analog. This is especially true of office doors on University campuses. My office and lab share a single door out into the hallway, which means I need to keep the door closed for the security of the lab.
The Challenge: How to have a closed door that works like an open door?
Solution: My hacked digital office door!
Read MoreOn the Surprising Sources of Research Motivation
A year ago today I made a post on Facebook about some of the surprising places that I find the motivation to do my research. Unfortunately, in my line of research, quite often the motivation that keeps me going comes from tragedy, although it does also come from positive experiences as well. A year ago, I was uncertain of where I would find a home for my research and so the need for motivation was that much stronger. I doubt that I am alone in finding motivation from the tragedies that surround us. In fact, it seems that almost all researchers are motivated in some way by something that is "wrong" - whether that be a problem with the environment, a health condition, or, in my case, societal levels of discrimination.
Read MoreThe 2nd Annual Sexuality Pre-Conference at SPSP
The 2nd Annual Sexuality Pre-Conference at the Annual Meeting of SPSP is TODAY! This year's line up is great and covers a wide variety of topics from the latest research on arousal to how best to teach about sex to your undergraduate students! More than 60 people registered to attend the conference, which is impressive given that capacity was capped at 60!! (Somehow a few extras snuck in and we are glad to have them!)
Read MoreWhy Study LGBTQ Psychology? Because God Loves Uganda
From time to time, I get asked why I study LGBTQ psychology, same-sex relationships or, more colloquially: “gay stuff.” When I began graduate school, I never intended on studying “LGBTQ Psychology,” and in fact, I had never heard of such an area of psychology, and wouldn’t for many years.
Read MoreAre Close Relationships Researchers Getting Better at Using Inclusive Research Methods?
I’ve written about inclusive research practices before, and have placed an emphasis on the importance of including gender and sexual minorities in relationships research. Although psychological research in general has come a long way in being more inclusive with respect to studying topics of relevance to LGBTQ populations, close relationships research still seems to be a bit slow on the uptake. But, to be fair, it can be sometimes difficult to really judge what is currently going on in a field if one only relies on the currently published articles available in scientific journals. After all, not all research gets published, and even when it does get published, it is often years after the initial study was designed. Consequently, a survey of the most recently published close relationships articles might only provide a ‘snapshot’ of the research practices that were prevalent between 2010 and 2013 (or even earlier). Perhaps a better opportunity to get a more current snapshot of the field’s practices is by examining poster presentations at a large conference, such as the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s Annual Meeting. The advantage of examining poster presentations is that they tend to be reporting more recently conducted research and they provide a sampling of studies that have already been published, those in the process of being published, and those that will never be published (either because they get rejected or because publication just isn’t pursued).
Read MoreSexuality Pre-Conference at SPSP 2014
For the first time ever, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology's Annual Meeting included a Sexuality Pre-Conference. The speakers included: Lisa Diamond, Sari van Anders, Jose Bauermeister, Martie Haselton & Terri Conley.
You can view the live video feeds from the individual talks by clicking here.
We had a lot of wonderful live tweeters at the conference, so take a look at their scrolling summary below.
Read MoreThe Assumption of Bias in LGBTQ Research
In a recent post on the GapJunctionScience blog, Sari van Anders pointed out that one connection between science and feminism is their seemingly equal ability to bring out nasty comments.
Read MoreCan Crowdfunding Be A Successful Alternative for Academics in Need of Funding?
As technology progresses, we take the good with the bad and make the most of it – hopefully usually finding that progress makes our work more efficient or more interesting. One of the latest gifts that the Internet has bestowed upon the field of Science is the concept of crowdfunding. Crowd what? Crowdfunding is the process of putting your idea “out there” and seeking financial support from the “people of the Internet.”
Read MoreAre Public Displays of Affection Good for Your Health?
To hold or not to hold…hands, that is. When you’re in a relationship, are you a hand-holder, or do you prefer to keep your hands to yourself? Perhaps you find your hand gets too sweaty when in the embrace of another, or maybe you only hold hands seasonally when doing so will provide you with an extra bit of needed warmth in the deep freeze of January.
Read More15 Years After Matthew Shephard
There was no such thing as an "anti-gay hate crime" in the United States when Matthew was killed, but the brutality of his death and the fact that it was motivated purely and simply because of his sexual identity, awoke in many a need for hate crime legislation.
Read MoreSocial Support For Relationships Part 3
Often when we meet someone new and fall madly and deeply in love, we cannot wait to introduce the person to our friends and family. Obviously if we think they are the best thing since sliced bread, everyone else is going to love them just as much – right? Not always.
Read MoreSocial Support for Relationships Part 2
In my last post on social support for relationships, we learned that couples who receive social approval of their relationships from their friends and family are more likely to report greater relationship satisfaction and more enduring relationships. One of the key points researchers have made in this area is that it is the perception of support/approval that matters most.
Read MoreI Wanna Hold Your Hand, But What If It Isn't Safe?
This past year has seen an increase in hate crimes targeted at the LGBTQ community, and especially same-sex couples holding hands or engaging in other forms of public displays of affection, or PDAs. Nick Porto and Kevin Atikns, a gay couple living in New York city, were knocked to the ground and violently attacked in broad daylight while walking down the street holding hands.
Read MoreSocial Support for Relationships Part 1
One of the things I love about being a relationships researcher is that I can sit down to watch a Hollywood flick and consider it productive time because it gives me so many great research ideas.
Read MoreWhere Ideas Come From
A few years ago I was on vacation in Mexico at an all-inclusive resort. For the most part it was your typical all-inclusive winter getaway that many of us Canadians begin to crave after months of cold darkness! There were lots of pools, palm trees, white sandy beaches, tequila dispensers in each room, and the much needed and craved SUN.
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