Robin Edelstein

My work is motivated by a desire to understand how important emotional and interpersonal processes, which are typically assumed to apply to all people, may instead differ across people in meaningful ways. I am particularly interested in individual differences in people’s approaches to and experiences in close relationships; how individual differences develop and change over time and across the lifespan; and the implications of these differences for interpersonal, dyadic, and physiological outcomes. I approach my work from an integrative, multidisciplinary perspective, including both gender- and sexually diverse individuals and couples. I also incorporate measures of biological markers (e.g., hormones) and use dyadic and longitudinal data analytic techniques, to address meaningful questions about human behavior. Most of my recent projects focus on links between hormones and romantic relationship processes in both men and women (e.g., Chin et al., 2021; Edelstein et al., 2019). For instance, we have assessed changes in hormones and adjustment among couples during the transition to first-time parenthood in mixed- and same-sex couples. We have also assessed hormone changes in couples as a function of emotionally intimate interactions.