Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Rick Gibbons

Rick Gibbons

I apply social psychology to the study of health (e.g., substance use, risky sex, cancer-risk behavior), with a particular focus on the effects of racial prejudice. I'm also interested in health decision-making among adolescents and young adults (from a dual-processing perspective), long-term health effects of interpersonal stress during adolescence, and the effects of gene by environment interactions on health.

Primary Interests:

  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Interpersonal Processes
  • Personality, Individual Differences
  • Social Cognition

Research Group or Laboratory:

Journal Articles:

  • Gerrard, M., Gibbons, F.X., & Houlihan, A.E., Stock, M.L., & Pomery, E.A. (2008). A dual-process approach to health risk decision making: The prototype willingness model. Developmental Review, 28, 29 – 61.
  • Gerrard, M., Stock, M.L., Roberts, M.E., Gibbons, F.X., O’Hara, R.E., & Weng, C-Y. (in press). Coping with racial discrimination: The role of substance use. (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors).
  • Gibbons, F.X., Etcheverry, P.E., Stock, M.L., Gerrard, M., Weng, C.-Y., Kiviniemi, M., & O’Hara, R.E. (2010). Exploring the link between racial discrimination and substance use. What mediates? What buffers? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 99(5),785-801.
  • Gibbons, F.X., Houlihan, A.E., & Gerrard, M. (2009). Reason and reaction: The utility of a dual-focus, dual-processing perspective on promotion and prevention of adolescent health risk behavior (special issue). British Journal of Health Psychology, 14, 231-248.
  • Gibbons, F.X. Kingsbury, J.H., & Gerrard, M. (2011) Social-psychological theories and adolescent health risk behavior. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10, 1 - 14.
  • Gibbons, F.X., Kingsbury, J.H., Gerrard, M., & Wills, T.A. (2011) Two ways of thinking about dual processing: A response to Hofmann, Friese, & Wiers (2008). Health Psychology Review, 5, 158 - 161.
  • Gibbons, F.X., O’Hara, R.E., Stock, M.L., Gerrard, M., Weng, C-Y., Wills, T.A. (2012). The erosive effects of racism: Reduced self-control mediates the relation between perceived racial discrimination and substance use in African American adolescents. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 1089 – 1104.
  • Gibbons, F.X., Pomery, E.A., Gerrard, M., Sargent, J.D., Weng, C-Y., Wills, T.A., Kingsbury, J.H., Dal Cin, S., Worth, K.A., & Stoolmiller, M., Tanki, S.E. & Yeh, H-C. (2010). Media as social influence: Racial differences in the effects of peers and media on adolescent alcohol cognitions and consumption. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24, 649 – 659.
  • Gibbons, F.X., Roberts, M.E., Gerrard, M., Li, Z., Beach, S.R.H., Simons, R.L., Weng, C-Y., & Philibert, R.A. (2012). The impact of stress on the life history strategies of African American adolescents: Cognitions, genetic moderation, and the role of discrimination. Developmental Psychology, 48, 722 – 739 (special issue on evolutionary-developmental psychology).
  • Mahler, H.I.M., Kulik, J.A., Gerrard, M., & Gibbons, F.X. (2010). Effects of upward and downward social comparison information on the efficacy of an appearance-based sun protection intervention. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 33, 496 - 507.
  • O’Hara, R.E., Gibbons, F.X., Sargent, J.D., Gerrard, M., & Li, Z. (in press). Exposure to Sexual Content in Popular Movies Predicts Earlier Sexual Debut and Increased Sexual Risk-taking. (Psychological Science).
  • O’Hara, R.E., Gibbons, F.X., Weng, C-Y., Gerrard, M., & Simons, R.L. (2012) Perceived racial discrimination as a barrier to college attendance for African Americans: Mediation by academic orientation and expectations Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 77 – 89.
  • Pomery, E.A., Gibbons, F.X., Reis-Bergan, M., & Gerrard, M. (2009). From Willingness to Intention: Experience moderates the shift from reactive to reasoned behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 894 - 908.
  • Roberts, M.E., Gibbons, F.X., Gerrard, M., & Alert, M. (2011) Optimism and adolescent perception of skin cancer risk. Health Psychology, 30, 810 - 813.
  • Roberts, M.E., Gibbons, F.X., Gerrard, M., Weng, C.-Y., Murry, V.M., Simons, L.G., Simons, R.L., & Lorenz, F.O. (2012). From racial discrimination to risky sex: Prospective relations involving peers and parents. Developmental Psychology, 48, 89 - 102.
  • Stock, M.L., Gerrard, M., Gibbons, F.X., Dykstra, J.L., Mahler, H.I.M., Walsh, L., & Kulik, J.A. (2010). A sun protection intervention for highway workers: Long-term efficacy of UV photography and skin cancer information on men’s protective cognitions and behavior. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 38, 225-236.
  • Stock, M.L., Gibbons, F.X., Gerrard, M., Houlihan, A.E., Simons, R.L. & Weng, C.-Y. (in press) Racial identification, integration, and substance use vulnerability among African American adolescents. (Health Psychology).
  • Stock, M.L., Gibbons, F.X, Peterson, L.M., & Gerrard, M.(in press). The effects of racial discrimination and general life stressors on the HIV-risk behaviors of Black adolescents and young adults. (Health Psychology; special issue on social psychology theory and health behavior).
  • Stock, M.L., Gibbons, F.X., Walsh, L. & Gerrard, M., (2011) Racial identification, racial discrimination, and substance use vulnerability among African American young adults Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 1349 - 1361.
  • Wills, T. A., Gibbons, F. X., Sargent, J. D., Gerrard, M., Lee, H-R., & Dal Cin, S. (2010). Good self-control moderates the effect of mass media on adolescent tobacco and alcohol use: Tests with studies of children and adolescents. Health Psychology 29, 539-549.

Courses Taught:

  • Advanced Social Psychology (Theories and Principles)
  • Health – Social Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Introduction to Psychology

Rick Gibbons
Department of Psychology, Unit 1020
University of Connecticut
406 Babbidge Road
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-1020
United States of America

  • Phone: (860)486-5060

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