Stephanie Spielmann
Associate Professor
Social-Personality Psychology; Close Relationships
Website(s)
Department
PsychologyStephanie Spielmann
Research interest(s)/area of expertise
- What motivates people to pursue romantic relationships with undesirable partners, such as someone unresponsive, someone who doesn't meet their needs, or an ex-partner who has recently rejected them? With literally millions of possible romantic partners to choose from, what forces drive people to put themselves in risky or dissatisfying relationships?
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My program of research broadly explores the dynamics of romantic relationships. In particular, much of my research has explored the role of insecurity in unhealthy relational choices. For instance, I examine how insecurities promote maladaptive relational outcomes by exaggerating perceptions of threats and restraining perceptions of rewards. My research demonstrates that insecure individuals make many maladaptive relational choices based on threat avoidance motivations, such as the fear of rejection or the fear of being single. My research also suggests that the less examined motivating force of perceived opportunity for rewards, such as intimacy and close connection, is an important predictor of romantic decisions. Furthermore, I have been careful to examine the impact of these forces through the lens of relevant theoretical frames, especially attachment theory. Taken together, my program of research highlights the importance of individual differences in perceptions of social threat and reward for romantic relationship regulation and sheds light on the factors underlying maladaptive relational choices.
**Dr. Spielmann will not be accepting new graduate students for Fall 2025**
Research
Social Psychology, Close Relationships
Education
- Ph.D., Psychology, University of Toronto, 2013
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Psychology, University of Toronto, 2013-2014
Selected publications
Spielmann, S. S., Nehmeh, S., & Cantarella, I. A. (in press). Worth the risk? Fear of being single and willingness to make risky health decisions in sex and dating contexts. Social and Personality Psychology Compass.
Cantarella, I. A., Spielmann, S. S., Partridge, T., MacDonald, G., Joel, S., & Impett, E. A. (2023). Validating the Fear of Being Single Scale for Individuals in Relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40, 2969-2979.
Spielmann, S. S., & Gahman, K. P. (2021). Detectability and desirability of fear of being single in online dating profiles. Journal of Personality, 89, 531-548.
Roberson, J., Spielmann, S. S., & Kopetz, C. (2020). When more means less: The impact of instrumentality dilution on evaluations of romantic relationships. Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology, 4, 345-359.
Spielmann, S. S., Gere, J., Cantarella, I. A., Roberson, J., & Brindley, S. L. (2020). Relationship quality and accuracy of detecting a romantic partner’s fear of being single. Journal of Research in Personality, 87, 103967.
Spielmann, S. S., & Cantarella, I. A. (2020). Fear of being single priming predicts maladaptive relationship pursuits. Personal Relationships, 27, 801-819.
Spielmann, S. S., Maxwell, J. A., MacDonald, G., Peragine, D., & Impett, E. A. (2020). The predictive effects of fear of being single on physical attractiveness and less selective partner selection strategies. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37, 100-123.
Spielmann, S. S., Joel, S., & Impett, E. A. (2019). Pursuing sex with an ex: Does it hinder breakup recovery? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48, 691-702.
Joel, S., Impett, E. A., Spielmann, S. S., & MacDonald, G. (2018). How interdependent are stay/leave decisions? On staying in the relationship for the sake of the romantic partner. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115, 805-824.
Spielmann, S. S., & MacDonald, G. (2016). Nice guys finish first when presented second: Responsive daters are evaluated more positively following exposure to unresponsive daters. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 64, 99-105.
Spielmann, S. S., MacDonald, G., Joel, S., & Impett, E. A. (2016). Longing for ex-partners out of fear of being single. Journal of Personality, 84, 799-808.
Spielmann, S. S., MacDonald, G., Maxwell, J. A., Joel, S., Peragine, D., Muise, A., & Impett, E. A. (2013). Settling for less out of fear of being single. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105, 1049-1073.
Gere, J., MacDonald, G., Joel, S., Spielmann, S. S., & Impett, E. A. (2013). The independent contributions of social reward and threat perceptions to romantic commitment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105, 961-977.
Spielmann, S. S., Maxwell, J. A., MacDonald, G., & Baratta, P. L. (2013). Don't get your hopes up: Avoidantly attached individuals perceive lower social reward when there is potential for intimacy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39, 219-236.
Spielmann, S. S., Joel, S., MacDonald, G., & Kogan, A. (2013). Ex appeal: Current relationship quality and emotional attachment to ex-partners. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4, 175-180.
Maxwell, J. A., Spielmann, S. S., Joel, S., & MacDonald, G. (2013). Attachment theory as a framework for understanding responses to social exclusion. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7, 444-456.
Spielmann, S. S., MacDonald, G., & Tackett, J. L. (2012). Social threat, social reward, and the regulation of investment in romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 19, 601-622.
Spielmann, S. S., MacDonald, G., & Wilson, A. E. (2009). On the rebound: Focusing on someone new helps anxiously attached individuals let go of ex-partners. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 1382-1394.