What are you currently working on?

What is most relevant to the mobile theme might be a methodology paper with Dr. Joseph Bayer that classifies different types of linkage designs between intensive survey data and mobile trace data. Besides this, I am also working on a project with my advisor Dr. David Lydon-Staley that explores how flourishing, which is generally viewed as an optimal well-being state, influences people’s emotional responses to daily positive events on different time scales, as well as a paper with Dr. Miriam Brinberg and Dr. Liesel Sharabi on online dating that explores whether and how self-presentation in dating profiles translates into offline dating outcomes.

 

Can you share a project that changed the way you think or work? 

Interestingly, the project that recently reshaped my way of thinking was one I designed for a class this semester. In this course, we were asked to conduct an n-of-1 trial on ourselves as an intervention. For my study, I plan to test a 30-minute exercise intervention on randomly selected days over a two-week period and examine its effects on my emotion and motivation.

The underlying idea of this approach is that the “average” survey participant does not truly exist, but is instead a statistical abstraction; as a result, conclusions based on group averages may not apply to any given individual. An alternative, bottom-up approach focuses on analyzing data at the level of single individuals and then building broader insights from these patterns. The following paper provides a nice illustration of how such an approach can be scaled to a wider population and I think this approach might have unrealized potential outside of the intervention context.

 

Kravitz, R. L., Aguilera, A., Chen, E. J., Choi, Y. K., Hekler, E., Karr, C., ... & Schmid, C. H. (2020). Feasibility, acceptability, and influence of mHealth-supported N-of-1 trials for enhanced cognitive and emotional well-being in US volunteers. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00260

​

Which piece of work feels closest to your heart, and why?

I think the project that resonated most with me is one I contributed to on social anxiety and social interaction quality. As someone who experiences social anxiety, I am aware that my perceptions of social interactions often differ from those of others. This study used an experience sampling (ESM) dataset to empirically examine which types of social interactions help socially anxious individuals feel relatively better. In brief, the findings suggest that interactions that are smaller in size and conducted through mediated channels tend to be more beneficial. I find that these results strongly resonate with and validate my lived experiences, reinforcing my preference for ecologically valid methods.

 

What's a question you keep returning to?

How do dispositional traits, for example, social anxiety, shape how people act, feel, and understand others’ behaviors in interactions? What are the contextual factors that interact with dispositional traits to shape the interaction processes and outcomes?

 

If you had a tagline or motto, what would it be? 

“One step at a time.” I feel that, as junior scholars, we often place too many expectations on ourselves—whether they come from external pressures or our own internal standards. This is something I want to remind myself of: that taking a slower, steadier approach may ultimately be a more effective way to truly learn and grow.

 

If time, money, and logistics weren't a concern, what dream project would you dive into?

I have long been fascinated by research that tracks the development of individuals’ social networks, for example, how freshmen’s social networks evolve over time and how these trajectories are shaped by dispositional traits. I guess my dream project would involve recruiting a cohort of freshmen to complete a baseline survey, participate in a conversation task that captures how they communicate, and report on their social network structure every six months over a two-year period. This design would allow me to examine whether observable communication behaviors predict later social network outcomes above and beyond dispositional traits, and to identify which specific behaviors matter most.

 

What's one thing you wish someone had told you when you were starting out as a scholar? 

I am still early in my research journey, so I am not sure I am in the good position to answer this. However, one thing I have realized and wish I had realized earlier is that developing the ability to meaningfully engage with others’ work is essential and is actually much harder than imagined but it goes a long way toward doing good research.

 

Who's someone whose work deserves more attention - and who you want to nominate as the next featured scholar? 

Gaëlle Vanhoffelen! She has a lot to share about authentic self-presentation on social media and well-being.