Research Overview

Professor Le will be accepting applications for graduate students for the 2024-2025 academic year. A strong preference will be given to candidates with a Master's degree or post-grad experience as a lab manager or RA.

Professor Le's research focuses on how emotions and motivation shape well-being in interpersonal relationships. In particular, she examines how and when the regulation of emotions, the perception of emotions, and the motivation to care for others predict well-being for better or for worse. To do so, she uses naturalistic methods including surveying people in daily life, observing them in lab interactions, and following-up with them over time. Given that supportive relationships are vital to psychological well-being and physical health, the goal of Professor Le's research is to understand how emotional and motivational processes may help or hinder the maintenance of satisfying relationships.

Selected Publications

• Sisson, N.M., Wilroth, E. C., Le, B. M., & Ford, B. Q. (2021). The benefits of living with close others: A longitudinal investigation of mental health before and during a global stressor. Clinical Psychological Science.
• Le, B. M., Côtè, S., Stellar, J.E., & Impett, E. A. (2020). The distinct effects of empathic accuracy for a romantic partner's appeasement and dominance emotions. Psychological Science. 31(6), 607-622.
• Park, Y., Visserman, M. L. Sisson, N., Le, B. M., Stellar, J., & Impett, E. A. (2020). How can I thank you? Highlighting the benefactor's responsiveness or costs when expressing gratitude. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Advanced online publication.
• Sakaluk, J. K., Biernat, M., Le, B. M., Lundy, S., & Impett, E. A. (2020). On the strength of ties that bind: Measuring the strength of norms in romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 37(3), 906–931.
• Le, B. M. & Impett, E. A. (2019). Parenting goal pursuit is linked to emotional well-being, relationship quality, and responsiveness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(3), 879-904
• Le, B. M., Impett, E. A., Lemay, Jr., E. P., Muise, A., & Tskhay, K. O. (2018). Communal motivation and well-being in interpersonal relationships: An integrative review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 144(1), 1-25.
• Le, B. M. & Impett, E. A. (2016). The costs of suppressing negative emotions and amplifying positive emotions for parents. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42(3), 323-336.
• Le, B. M. & Impett, E. A. (2015). The rewards of caregiving for communally motivated parents. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6(7), 758-765.
• Impett, E. A., Le, B. M., Kogan, A., Oveis, C., & Keltner, D. (2014). When you think your partner is holding back: The costs of perceived partner suppression during relationship sacrifice. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5(5), 542-549.
• Le, B. M., & Impett, E. A. (2013). When holding back helps: Suppressing negative emotions during sacrifice feels authentic and is beneficial for the highly interdependent. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1809-1815.
• Le, B. M., Impett, E. A., Kogan, A., Webster, G. D., & Cheng, C. (2013). The personal and interpersonal rewards of communal orientation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(6), 695-712.