Emily Impett

Assistant Professor

office: 905-560-4632, Academic Annex Building room 220
email: emily.impett@utoronto.ca

Relationships and Well-Being Laboratory website (link)
SPA Website (link)

Area of research: Social Psychology, Close Relationships, Well-Being, Motivation, Sexuality

Profile:  The main goal of my research is to investigate how close relationships influence our happiness and well-being. In one line of research, I examine how an approach-avoidance motivational perspective can help us to understand why some relationships are successful while others falter and fail. In a second line of work, I study the role of prosocial emotions, such as gratitude, love, and compassion, in relationships across the lifespan. In a third line of research, I investigate the benefits of being authentic or "true" to oneself in relationships, with a particular emphasis on how authenticity shapes the sexual health and well-being of adolescent girls and young adult women.

Recent representative publications:

Impett, E. A., English, T., & John, O. (in press). Women's emotions during interactions with their grown children in later adulthood: The moderating role of attachment avoidance. Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Impett, E. A., Gordon, A., Kogan, A., Oveis, C., Gable, & S. L., & Keltner, D. (in press). Moving toward more perfect unions: Daily and long-term consequences of approach and avoidance goals in romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Impett, E. A., & Gordon, A. (2010). Why do people sacrifice to approach rewards versus to avoid costs? Insights from attachment theory. Personal Relationships, 17, 299-315.

Impett, E. A., Sorsoli, L., Schooler, D., Henson, J. M., & Tolman, D. L. (2008). Relationship authenticity and girls' self-esteem across adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 44, 722-733.

Impett, E., A., Strachman, A., Finkel, E. J., & Gable, S. L. (2008). Maintaining sexual desire in intimate relationships: The importance of approach goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 808-823.