Theresa E. DiDonato, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, MD 21210
tedidonato @ loyola .edu

To what extent do you see yourself in others?

How does social exclusion affect your perception of other relationships?

Does your romantic partner contribute to your own sense of authenticity?

As a social psychologist, I am fascinated by our social relationships and their influence on our well-being, broadly construed. I believe that personal connections are at the heart of the human experience, and I aim to advance our understanding of how, why, and when our relationships with others shape our subjective and objective realities. This work has recently included an investigation into the effects of romantic relationship partners on self-authenticity and the modeling of ingroup favoritism as a function of social projection (seeing the self in others).

My current research projects focus on:
      - Social exclusion
      - Stereotypes
      - Social projection and non-zero sum games
      - Online dating
      - God as an attachment figure

(Learn more about my research interests).



 

Great reads for the social psychology enthusiast:

This is a short compilation of trade books focused on different aspects of psychology.  I think all of these books will appeal to you if you're interested in the mind, the brain, and human behavior (no psychology experience necessary!). 

On understanding others...

....and their stupidity: Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid - Robert Sternberg

...from their stuff:  Snoop - Sam Gosling

...and the situational forces that explain their ability to do horrible things to each other: The Lucifer Effect - Philip Zimbardo

...and the importance of culture:  The Cultural Animal - Roy Baumeister

...and their obedience to authority even when it goes against their own or others' wellbeing: The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram - Blass

On emotions...

...and their biological underpinnings:  Why We Love - Helen Fisher

...and how we can't forecast our own feelings:  Stumbling on Happiness - Dan Gilbert

...and their interpretation, as a form of intelligence:  Emotional Intelligence; Why It Can Matter More Than IQ - Daniel Goleman

On gender...

...from a modern psychological perspective: The Psychology of Gender - Alice Eagly, Anne Beall, Robert Sternberg

...and the challenge of being an adolescent girl:  Reviving Ophelia - Mary Pipher

...and the challenging of being an adolescent boy: Raising Cain: Protecting The Emotional Life of Boys - Dan Kindlon & Michael Thompson

On decision-making...

...when we aggregate diverse information:  The Wisdom of Crowds - James Surowiecki

...in today's world of prediction markets and online knowledge sharing:  Infotopia: How Many Minds Produce Knowledge - Carl Sunstein

...and rationalization, and responsibility: Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts - Carol Tavris

On irrational thinking...

...in the form of thin-slices and quick judgments: Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

...and behavior: Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior - Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman

...and how it's everwhere: Everyday Irrationality: How Pseudo-Scientists, Lunatics, and the Rest of Us Systematically Fail to Think.  - Robyn Dawes

On understanding social trends...

...and how small things make a difference: The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

On psychological well-being...

...and rare clinical conditions: The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat - Oliver Sacks

...and diagnosing clinical personality disorders:  Girl, Interrupted - Kaysen

...and the importance of social relationships: Loneliness - Cappaccio

...and the role of belongingness: Why People Die By Suicide - Thomas Joiner

...and one physical expression of hurt: Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation - Steven Levenkrov

...and one woman's experience of being bipolar:  Night Falls Fast - Kay Jamison

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Thoughts of contemporary social psychologists

Check out the blogs on Psychology Today's website!  One Among Many has just started and is written by my colleague Joachim Krueger.    http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/one-among-many