Research Interests 

My research interests primarily fall within the domains of interpersonal processes, psychological strengths, social anxiety and resilience following adversity. I tend to view these, and many other, psychological domains not as distinct, but as interactive. Therefore a great deal of my research focuses on the relationships and interactions between these phenomena. As a budding clinical psychologist, I am most interested in the process of conducting basic and applied research in these interest areas and the application and dissemination of research findings.

Currently I am interested in exploring the romantic relationships of individuals who suffer from distressing and debilitating social anxiety. In line with this interest, I have taken the role of project coordinator of a complex experiment exploring emotional experiences within the context of romantic relationships of individuals with varying levels of social anxiety. I am studying how positive relationship processes and interpersonal behavior influence the ability to have meaningful life experiences for these individuals despite various interpersonal deficits. This work is being completed during my time as a Graduate Research Assistant under the supervision of Todd Kashdan in the Laboratory for the Study of Social Anxiety, Character Strengths, and Related Phenomena. 

More recently I am also working to elucidate the nature of Internet-based communication in socially anxious individuals. Stay tuned for more developments on this line of research...

Prior to my arrival at George Mason University I devoted several years working at the New York University Child Study Center Institute for Trauma and Resilience. While at NYU I worked on treatment-based studies providing skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation and exposure therapy to adolescents and adults with histories of sexual and/or physical abuse, community violence, and individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to the September 11th World Trade Center attacks. Through this work, I became intrigued by the variability and complexity of reactions in the face of distress. More specifically, it fostered my interest in studying emotion regulatory processes and psychological strengths contributing to resilience in the face of adversity.

Publications

Ferssizidis, P., Kashdan, T. B., & Marquart, R. (in press). Positive psychological processes and psychopathology. In J. Vitterso (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Happiness. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Kashdan, T. B., Ferssizidis, P., Collins, R. L., & Muraven, M. (in press). Emotion differentiation as resilience to excessive alcohol use: An ecological momentary assessment in underage social drinkers. Psychological Science.

Cloitre, M., Stovall-McClough, C., Nooner, K., Zorbas, P, Cherry, S., Jackson, C. L., Gan, W., & Petkova, E. (in press). Treatment for PTSD related to childhood abuse: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Cloitre, M., Stovall-McClough, C., Zorbas, P., & Charuvastra, A. (2008). Adult attachment organization, emotion regulation and expectations of support in a clinical sample of women with childhood abuse histories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21(3), 282-289. pdf

For a complete listing of research work and experience, please see C.V.