Dr. Aron is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Interpersonal Relationships Lab. His research centers on the self-expansion model of motivation and cognition in personal relationships. His major current research programs focus on the following topics: (a) the cognitive overlap of self and other in close relationships, (b) how shared participation in novel and arousing activities can enhance relationship quality, (c) the role of friendship with members of ethnic outgroups in reducing intergroup prejudice, and (d) identifying the neural circuits engaged by relationship-relevant cognitions and emotions. In addition, he is engaged in a major collaborative research program with Dr. Elaine Aron on the “highly sensitive person,” including studies of the interaction of childhood environment with this apparently inherited trait in predicting adult functioning. He is an associate editor for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and serves on the editorial boards of Personal Relationships and the Journal of Personal and Social Relationships. He is also a principal investigator on a major National Science Foundation research grant.
Awards and Credentials
- Distinguished Career Award, International Association for Relationship Research, 2006
- Fellow of the American Psychological Society
- Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Grant
- Fellow of the Society for General Psychology
- Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching by a Faculty Member, 2002
Related Links
Recommended Reading List
- Love and the Expansion of Self: Understanding Attraction and Satisfaction. Aron, A., et al. (1986). Hemisphere.
- “Reward, Motivation and Emotion Systems Associated with Early-Stage Intense Romantic Love.” Aron, A., et al. (2005). Journal of Neurophysiology, 93.
- “Including Close Others in the Self.” Aron, A., et al. (2004). European Review of Social Psychology, 15.
