Jody L. Davis

Assistant professor

Contact information

Phone: (804) 828-8227
E-mail: jldavis@vcu.edu
Web site: Dr. Davis's teaching and research

Education

Ph.D. (2000), University of North Carolina

Program affiliation

Social Psychology

Research interests

My research areas bridge the domains of close relationships and attitudes theory. My first research interest centers on what I have termed attitude alignment (i.e., the tendency for individuals to change their attitudes toward those of close others). My second research interest is examining processes related to relationship maintenance, such as interpersonal respect and forgiveness. A third research interest is using close relationships theory to understand how the person-environment relationship affects pro-environment behaviors.

Selected publications

Davis, J. L., Green, J. D., & Reed, A. (In press). Interdependence with the environment: Commitment, interconnectedness, and environmental behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Green, J. D., Burnette, J., & Davis, J. L. (2008). Third-party forgiveness: (Not) Forgiving your close other's betrayer. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 407-418.

Green, J. D., Campbell, W. K., & Davis, J. L. (2007). Ghosts from the past: An examination of close relationships and self-discrepancy. The Journal of Social Psychology, 147, 243-264.

Davis, J. L., & Rusbult, C. E. (2001). Attitude alignment in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 65-84.

Rusbult, C. E., Olsen, N., Davis, J. L., & Hannon, P. A. (2001). Commitment and relationship maintenance mechanisms. In J. H. Harvey & A. E. Wenzel (Eds.), Close romantic relationships: Maintenance and enhancement, 87-113. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Reprinted in H. T. Reis & C. E. Rusbult (2004, Eds.), Close relationships: Key readings (pp. 287-303). Philadelphia, PN: Taylor and Francis.

Recent/current courses taught at VCU

• Interpersonal Relations, undergraduate level
• Social Psychology, undergraduate level
• Teaching Practicum, graduate level