Research interests

I am a 5th year graduate student at Northwestern University, working with Wendi Gardner and Eli Finkel. I am primarily interested in investigating how individuals use other people in their social environment to help construct and maintain their sense of identity. I also conduct research examining how individuals use their social environment to help them self-regulate toward achieving their goals, and the consequences that occur when individuals' self-regulatory efforts fail. Across all of my research, I focus on the cognitive and affective impact that other individuals in our social world have upon us.

teaching interests

In addition to my passion for research, I also am a dedicated teacher. I have had the opportunity to teach several of my own courses at Northwestern, including courses on Emotion, Close Relationships, and Research Methods; I look forward to teaching a variety of courses in the future. Across my courses, my overarching goal is to have students leave the classroom, not only with the knowledge of psychological principles, but also having critically examined their preconceptions regarding human cognition, affect, and behavior.

Representative Publications

Slotter, E. B. & Finkel, E. J. (2009). The strange case of dedication to an unfulfilling relationship: Predicting relationship commitment from need satisfaction within relationships and attachment anxiety. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 85-100. [Download article]

Slotter, E. B., & Gardner, W. L. (2009). Where do “You” end and “I” begin? Pre-emptive self-other inclusion as a motivated process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 1137-1151. [Download article]

Slotter, E. B., Gardner, W. L., & Finkel, E. J. (in press) Who am “I” without “you”? The influence of romantic breakup on self-concept clarity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. [Download article]