The Positive Relationships and Effective Interventions (PREI) Lab is a counseling psychology research group at Auburn University that is directed by Marilyn Cornish, Ph.D. Other members of the lab range from undergraduate counseling minor students to doctoral students in counseling psychology. We also collaborate with other psychology and counseling research groups on campus and elsewhere. A core interest in the lab is psychotherapy process and outcome. However, interests branch out to other types of positive relationships and effective interventions.

Positive Relationships with Self and Other

A good working relationship between the counselor and client is a cornerstone of effective psychotherapy. Our lab members are interested in promoting positive intrapersonal and interpersonal wellbeing (that is, positive relationships with oneself and with others). Current positive relationships projects include:

  • Attachment, Forgiveness of Self and Others, and Wellbeing
  • Family and Relationships Study (PI: Cassandra Grey)
  • Intergroup Relations Study (PI: Aleah Horton)
  • Self-Forgiveness and Interpersonal Functioning
  • Self- and Other-Forgiveness in Romantic Relationships
  • Trait Responses to Interpersonal Offenses (TRIO) Scale Development
  • Understanding the Lived Experiences of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (PI: Kylee Short)

Effective Interventions: Counseling, Supervision, and Teaching

How do we best work with psychotherapy clients, counseling trainees, and students in higher education? How do we encourage potential clients to seek help? Members of our research team have projects to identify effective interventions for counselors, supervisors, and educators. Current effective intervention projects include:

  • Counseling Trainee Responses to Clinical Regrets
  • Events Related to Race and Ethnicity in Group Counseling
  • Self-Forgiveness Counseling for Substance Abuse

Current Dissertations of Lab Members

Students advised by Dr. Cornish develop a dissertation study on a topic of interest to them and within the realm of positive relationships and effective interventions (broadly defined). Current dissertation projects of lab members include:

  • LaJae Coleman-Kirumba: Breaking the Chains of White Supremacy: Examining the Psychological Effects of Skin-Tone Discrimination among African Americans in the United States
  • Cassandra Grey: Are you Satisfied? A Look at How Adult Attachment Style and Perfectionism Alter Romantic Relationship Satisfaction
  • LaVarius Harris: Racial Identity Alignment and Sense of Belonging: Implications for psychological well-being and Imposter Phenomenon in response to Race-based Stress
  • Aleah Horton: Cultural Competence and Intergroup Relations: Exploring Collective and Competitive Victim Beliefs in the U.S.
  • Jessica Townsdin: Sexual Assault as a Potentially Morally Injurious Event: The Role of Religiosity in Post-Assault Outcomes

Recently Completed Projects

(Student authors marked with an asterisk)

*Coleman-Kirumba, L. M., Cornish, M. A., *Horton, A. J., & *Alvarez, J. C. (2022). Experiences of Black men: Forms of masculinity and effects on psychological help-seeking variables. Journal of Black Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00957984221098122

Cornish, M. A., Meyer, J., *Short, K., *Harris, L., Hunter, E., & *Quadlander, E. (2022). Forgiveness and wellbeing after spinal cord injury: Perceived stress and adaptation to disability as mediators. Rehabilitation Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000459

*Word, M., Cornish, M. A., *Coleman, K., & *Grey, C. (2021). How does the general public define self-forgiveness? Examination in a college student sample. Current Psychology. Online first publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02241-1

*Ballester, E., Cornish, M. A., & *Hanks, M. A. (2021). Predicting relationship satisfaction in LGBQ+ people using internalized stigma, outness, and concealment. Journal of GLBT Family Studies. Online first publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/1550428X.2021.1923104

Cornish, M. A., Griffin, B. G., & *Morris, G. W. (2020). Promotion of self-forgiveness. In E. L. Worthington, Jr., & N. G. Wade (Eds.), Handbook of Forgiveness (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Cornish, M. A., Guyll, M., Wade, N. G., Lannin, D. G., Madon, S., & *Chason, K. C. (2020). Does empathy necessarily lead to greater forgiveness? An experimental examination. Current Psychology, 39, 1001-1011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9816-8

Cornish, M. A., Woodyatt, L., *Morris, G., & *Conroy, A., & *Townsdin, J. (2018). Self-forgiveness, self-exoneration, and self-condemnation: Individual differences associated with three patterns of responding to interpersonal offenses. Personality and Individual Differences, 129, 43-53. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.03.003

 

(Student authors marked with an asterisk)

*Alvarez, J., McCabe, B. E., & Cornish, M. A. (2022, August). Psychocultural factors and stigma in minoritized populations: How to increase treatment seeking. Poster presented at the 130th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN.

*Short, K., Meyer, J., & Cornish, M. A. (2022, August). Conceptualizing connections between ambiguous loss, adverse childhood experiences, and forgiveness. Poster presented at the 130th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Minneapolis, MN.

*Short, K., & Cornish, M. A. (2021, August). Conceptualizing situational forgiveness with spinal cord injuries. Poster presented at the 129th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, virtual conference.

*Coleman, L. *Horton, A, & Cornish, M. A. (2020, August). Exploring the effects of Black masculinity on psychological help-seeking attitudes. Poster presented at the 128th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

*Horton, A. J., *Coleman, L., & Cornish, M. A. (2020, August). The role of empathy and resilience in collective and competitive victimization. Poster accepted for presentation at the 128th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

*Ballester, E., *Hanks, M. A., Cornish, M. A., & Jones, A. (2020, August). Internalized homophobia, outness, and concealment: Predicting relationship satisfaction in LGBQ+ people. Poster presented at the 128th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Cornish, M. A., *Grey, C., & *Rossi, C. (2019, August). Adult attachment, forgiveness of self & other, and personal & relational wellbeing. Poster presented at the 127th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

Cornish, M. A., Meyer, J. M., *Harris, L., & Hunter, E. A. (2019, August). Forgiveness and wellbeing in individuals with spinal cord injury: Exploration of potential mediators. Poster presented at the 127th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

*Grey, C. J., Cornish, M. A., Ray, G. E., & *Horton, A. J. (2019, August). Confirmatory factor analysis of the McGill Friendship Questionnaire for romantic partners. Poster presented at the 127th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

*Grey, C., Cornish, M. A., & Ray, G. E., (2018, August). The link between personal relationships’ quality, satisfaction, and interparental conflict. Poster presented at the 126th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

*Harris, L., *Grey, C., *Ballester, E., & Cornish, M. A. (2018, August). What to do when client microaggressions are directed at identities not held by the therapist? Conversation hour presented at the 126th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, San Franscisco, CA.

*Harris, L., *Chason, C., *Townsdin, J., & Cornish, M. (2018, August). Undergraduate psychology education: A multicultural training review. Poster presented at the 126th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

*Phillips, K., *Harris, L., Cornish, M., & *Horton, A. (2018, August). Black graduate students’ experiences at a predominately White institution. Poster presented at the 126th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

*Harris, L., *Chason, C., *Townsdin, J., & Cornish, M. A. (2017, March). Multi-cultural education: A review of undergraduate psychology curriculums. Paper presented at the College of Liberal Arts Diversity Research Symposium, Auburn, AL

Dissertations completed by graduates of the PREI lab include: 

  • Christine Dyas (2022): Attachment Anxiety as a Moderator for the Relationship between Maternal Influence and Body Image Dissatisfaction among Women
  • Taylor Langley (2022): The Impact of Traditional, Black, and Athlete-Based Masculinity on Psychological Help-Seeking Among Black Men College Athletes
  • Mary Anne Messer (2022): Teaching Diversity: An Exploration of the Experience of Instructors Teaching Diversity Courses to Mental Health Professionals
  • Graham Morris (2020): Mental Health Labels and Their Effects on Public Stigma among College Students
  • Kayla Phillips (2020): The Association Between Race Based Traumatic Stress and Academic Self Efficacy as Moderated by Tailored Social Support in Black and African-American Students
Last updated: 01/22/2024