Current research projects of our lab include:

Strong Couples Project.  The Strong Couples Project is designed to build a sustainable community of practice that disseminates evidence-based programming for help-seeking couples throughout the state of Illinois and beyond. In collaboration with University of Illinois Extension and Extension systems in other states, the project is disseminating and evaluating a leading, efficacious online program for relationship distress to residents throughout the Midwestern United States. Using a quasi-experimental longitudinal design, program evaluation will occur with respect to individuals’ physical and mental health as well as relationship well-being. More information is available at the project website.

Smartphones, Smart Families. The Smartphones, Smart Families project is designed explore technology use within families, with a specific focus on the ways in which smartphones and social media are affecting parenting practices, children’s development, and broader family functioning and well-being. The project also aims to create and disseminate resources on smartphones and social media for families as well as develop policy recommendations for legislators.

Your Life: A study of resilience in families. The Your Life study is designed to investigate understudied sources of strength within families that protect individual, couple, and family well-being from internal and externals stressors. A secondary aim of this study is to identify current challenges faced by couples and parents in present-day American families.

Be A Quitter. The Be A Quitter project aims to reduce tobacco use among Illinois residents by providing small businesses in Illinois the opportunity to provide their employees with a leading tobacco cessation program. The program features a multi-dimension approach to tobacco cessation, including nicotene replacement therapy, personal coaching, and family and peer support. The project will identify effective strategies for implementing tobacco cessation programming through small businesses as well as benefits to participants’ individual and family well-being as a result of efforts to quit tobacco. More information is available at the project website.

ProSAAF – Secondary Outcomes. The Protecting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) program was developed by scientists at the Center for Family Research at the University of Georgia (UGA). The program, which targets two parent African American families with a pre-adolescent child, has been shown to improve couples’ relationship functioning, coparenting, and parenting. In current work being conducted by our lab and researchers at UGA, we are investigating the benefits of ProSAAF participation on a broader constellation of factors, including children’s development as well as adults’ physical health. Additional work is focused on understanding internal dynamics of couple functioning within this sample that contribute to individual and relational health.

5 Verbs Project. The 5 Verbs Project is designed to create and evaluate two new online programs to support individual and family well-being.  One program (5 Verbs for Couples) is tailored to support marriage and couple relationships, and the second program (5 Verbs for Parents) is designed to strengthen parent-child relationships. Both programs can be completed individually or with another family member. The 5 Verbs for Couples program can be completed by married and non-married individuals, and the 5 Verbs for Parents program can be completed by parents of children at any developmental stages.

Back from the Brink. The Back from the Brink study seeks to better understand characteristics of marriages that endured challenges times and remained intact. Insights from this study will be used to create new resources to assist couples considering separation and divorce. More information is available at the project website.

Illinois Youth Survey – Secondary Data Analyses.  In collaboration with the Center for Prevention Research and Development, we are examining the ways in which family processes influence substance use among youth across the state of Illinois.  The Illinois Youth Survey is a biennial survey of tens of thousands of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders across the state of Illinois. Current analyses involving this unique data set are focused on the following questions: (1) Are there particular ages during adolescence when parental monitoring is most beneficial for deterring youth substance use, and (2) What are the unique effects of shared family mealtimes.for youths’ mental, behavioral, and physical health?