Connection Lab
As a positive psychology researcher, I lead a team of academic researchers at Connection Lab who conduct scholarly research and publish findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. We examine how deep connection is foundational to subjective well-being and flourishing—the holy grail of happiness. Our team uses quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how connection is defined, measured, felt and formed, along with the relationships between connectedness and meaning-making, values alignment, and mindfulness. We also test and validate practices that help people connect more deeply with themselves, others and their environments.
Published Papers
International Journal of Psychology
Meaning gained versus meaning lost: The effects of meaning salience on anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic.
Current Psychology
Mental health in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal examination of the ameliorating effect of meaning salience.
Journal of Personal Psychology
Meaning, Purpose, and Job Satisfaction: The Importance of Making Meaning Salient During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
European Journal of Health Psychology
The relationship between physical activity, health, and well-being: Type of exercise and self-connection as moderators.
European Review of Applied Positive Psychology
Does positive affect lead to perceptions of meaning in life?
International Journal of Wellbeing
Connection and disconnection as predictors of mental health and well-being.
The Humanistic Psychologist
A qualitative examination of the experience of self-disconnection.
Psychological Reports
Fostering stress resilience among business students: The role of stress mindset and self-connection.
Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology
Examining the effect of mindfulness on well-being: self-connection as a mediator.
Europe's Journal of Psychology
The Importance of Awareness, Acceptance, and Alignment With the Self: A Framework for Understanding Self-Connection.
Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology
Stress mindset and well-being: The indirect effect of self-connection.
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
The role of self‐connection in the relationship between mindfulness and meaning: a longitudinal examination.
Applied Research in Quality of Life
The relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being: Examining the indirect effects of self-connection and meaning in life.
Baltic Journal of Management
Finding meaning in our everyday moments: testing a novel intervention to increase employee well-being.
Journal of Anxiety & Depression
A longitudinal examination of the effect of daily emotions on mental health: The moderating role of meaning salience.
International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology
What’s stopping us from connecting with ourselves? A qualitative examination of barriers to self-connection.
European Journal of Social Psychology
Self-connection and Well-being: Development and validation of a Self-connection scale.
The Career Development Quarterly
Goal Congruence and Positivity Toward College Major: The Role of Self-Connection.