New Faculty 2014-2015: Stephanie Spielmann

Stephanie Spielmann

I joined the department as an assistant professor in Social Psychology in August 2014. Before coming to Wayne State, I was at the University of Toronto, where I completed my doctoral training and a postdoctoral fellowship. My research focuses on romantic relationships, with the goal of understanding what motivates people to pursue romantic relationships with undesirable partners, such as someone unresponsive, someone who doesn't meet their needs, or an ex-partner who has recently rejected them. With literally millions of possible romantic partners to choose from, what forces drive people to put themselves in risky or dissatisfying relationship situations? My research shows that people's insecurities-such as low self-esteem, anxious attachment, and fear of being single-play an important role in decision-making and relational outcomes.

I am honored to be a member of a department full of such bright and enthusiastic faculty and students. And it is exciting to be part of a city and institution on the rise. I look forward to further developing my program of research at Wayne State and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in their research careers. Thank you all for the very warm welcome and for helping to make this a smooth and enjoyable transition. I hope to see you all much more around the department!