Amanda Dillard
Professor - Health/Social Psychology
- B.A. Psychology, Ohio State University
- M.S., Ph.D. Psychology, North Dakota State University
Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award 2014
Office: 2307 Au Sable Hall
Phone: (616) 331-2865
E-mail: [email protected]
Awards
Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award 2014
Specialization
Health/Social Psychology
Courses Taught
PSY 101 - Introductory Psychology
PSY 367 - Health Psychology
Research Interests
Broadly I am interested in the roles of emotion and risk perception in motivating health behaviors and behavior change. My work often examines the interactions of emotion and risk perception in influencing behaviors. For example, how do perceptions of high (or low) risk of skin cancer influence one's response to a health message about tanning, and ultimately the decision to use tanning beds? Moreover, how do these risk perceptions interact with emotions like anxiety or regret to influence behavior?
Another interest is in developing messages that use first-person narratives to reduce defensive processing of health information. Although narratives may be a particularly effective means of communicating health information, little is known about what components are most effective and why. For example, will increasing identification with a character or promoting narrative transportation in a message best reduce defensiveness?
Publications
Lappas, C. M., Coyne, N., Dillard, A. J., & Meier, B. P. (2023). Do physicians prefer natural drugs? The natural versus synthetic drug bias in physicians. European Journal of Health Psychology, 30, 40-47.
Dillard, A. J., Lester, J.*, & Holyfield, H.* (2022). Associations between COVID-19 risk perceptions, behavior intentions, and worry. Health Psychology Report, 10, 139-148.
Dillard, A. J., Weber, A.*, Chassee, A. & Thakur, M. (2022). Perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic among women with infertility: Correlations with dispositional optimism. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 2577.
Dillard, A. J., & Meier, B. P. (2021). The association between trait mindfulness and distress related to COVID-19. Personality and Individual Differences, 179, 1-8.
Meier, B. P., Dillard, A. J., & Lappas, C. M. (2021). Predictors of attitude toward and intention to receive a SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in a nationally represented sample in the U.S. Journal of Public Health, 1-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7989339/
Dillard, A. J., Dean, K. K., Gilbert, H.*, & Lipkus, I. M. (2021). You won’t regret it (or love it) as much as you think: Impact biases for everyday health behavior outcomes. Psychology & Health, 36, 761-786.