Social Psychology Candidate Research Presentation by Melanie MacEacheron

Melanie MacEacheron, candidate for the tenure-track social psychology position, will give a research presentation entitled:   Signaling in Close Relationships

People invest heavily, especially in close relationship partners. Credibly indicating what to expect from oneself, to close others, might have great utility in forming and maintaining relationships. To the extent such signaling is done without conscious planning, it may even reveal aspects of human psychology. My research, which I will review, centers on such signaling via (1) women’s marital surname choices, (2) pregnancy disclosure timing (depending on person disclosed to, number of siblings, and any previous miscarriage), and (3) popular songs. Other research, concerning for instance the partially-validated construct of pregnancy jealousy, will be discussed. Planned research concerning parenting intention, and religiosity as perhaps comprising, in part, a signal, also will be discussed.