Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Nickola Overall

Nickola Overall

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  • SPN Mentor

Intimate relationships can have immense benefits, such as when support from close others protects individuals from the damaging effects of stressful events. Intimate relationships can also undermine psychological and physical wellbeing, such as when people experience conflict in their relationship or face dissolution and divorce. My research investigates the relative success of different communication strategies used when couples are trying to resolve relationship problems or support each other, including identifying what strategies help couples maintain healthy relationships versus those that lead to dissatisfaction and relationship dissolution. I also examine individual and contextual factors that influence these communication processes, such as attachment insecurity, power, sexist attitudes and depressive symptoms.

Primary Interests:

  • Close Relationships
  • Communication, Language
  • Interpersonal Processes
  • Person Perception
  • Personality, Individual Differences
  • Self and Identity
  • Social Cognition

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Journal Articles:

  • Girme, Y.U., Overall, N.C., Simpson, J.A., & Fletcher, G.J.O. (2015). “All or nothing”: Attachment avoidance and the curvilinear effects of partner support. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108, 450-475.
  • Overall, N.C., Fletcher, G.J.O., & Friesen, M.D. (2003). Mapping the intimate relationship mind: Comparisons between three models of attachment representations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1479-1493.
  • Overall, N.C., Fletcher, G.J.O., & Kenny, D.A. (2012). When bias and insecurity promote accuracy: Mean-level bias and tracking accuracy in couples’ conflict discussions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 642-655.
  • Overall, N.C., Fletcher, G. J. O., & Simpson, J. A. (2010). Helping each other grow: Romantic partner support, self-improvement and relationship quality. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 1496-1513.
  • Overall, N.C., Fletcher, G. J. O., & Simpson, J.A. (2006). Regulation processes in intimate relationships: The role of ideal standards. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 662-685.
  • Overall, N.C., Fletcher, G. J. O., Simpson, J. A. , & Sibley, C.G. (2009). Regulating partners in intimate relationships: The costs and benefits of different communication strategies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 620-639.
  • Overall, N. C., Girme, Y.U., Lemay, E. P. Jr., & Hammond, M.D. (2014). Attachment anxiety and reactions to relationship threat: The benefits and costs of inducing guilt in romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106, 235-256.
  • Overall, N.C. & Hammond, M.D. (2013). Biased and accurate: Depressive symptoms and daily perceptions within intimate relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39, 636-650.
  • Overall, N.C., & Sibley, C.G. (2009). When rejection-sensitivity matters: Regulating dependence within daily interactions with family and friends. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 1057-1070.
  • Overall, N.C., & Sibley, C.G. (2008). When accommodation matters: Situational dependency within daily interactions with romantic partners. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 95-104.
  • Overall, N.C., Sibley, C.G., & Tan, R. (2011). The costs and benefits of sexism: Resistance to influence during relationship conflict interactions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 271–290.
  • Overall, N.C. & Simpson, J.A. (2015). Attachment and dyadic regulation processes. Current Opinion in Psychology, 1, 61-66.
  • Overall, N.C., Simpson, J.A., & Struthers, H. (2013). Buffering attachment avoidance: Softening emotional and behavioral defenses during conflict discussions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104, 854-871.

Courses Taught:

  • Advanced Topics in Social Psychology
  • Interpersonal Psychology and Close Relationships
  • Social Psychology and Interpersonal Processes

Nickola Overall
Department of Psychology
University of Auckland
HSB, 10 Symonds Street
Auckland 1142
New Zealand

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