The research foundation of our lab is rooted in cultural psychology with interests in promoting the health of underserved communities. The overarching research goal of our lab is to address and understand health problems and health disparities of underrepresented populations. One primary branch of our research examines how culture shapes the ways individuals cope with stress, utilize emotion regulation, and the impact of these processes on physiological and psychological well-being. We utilize diverse methodologies such as experimental, community-based longitudinal, daily diary, and survey designs, and assess multiple levels of inquiry, including physiological, behavioral, and self-report measurements. Our research findings have implications for public health, especially with regard to Asian and Asian American mental health.
Recently, we have begun a line of research on understanding factors associated with HPV vaccine intention and uptake among East Asian / East Asian American adolescents and young adults. We are interested in applying cultural psychology insights about interdependent self-views (e.g., adaptive behavior involves being receptive to others, communal orientations) with psychosocial interventions to overcome cultural barriers regarding the HPV vaccine.
CURRENT RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Developing Psychosocial Interventions for Improving Mental Health and Health Behaviors
This line of research investigates the development of psychosocial interventions (e.g., writing-based interventions, narrative interventions) for improving mental health and changing health behaviors (e.g., HPV vaccine uptake). We are especially interested in examining how social (e.g., support giving) and cultural (e.g., collectivistic values) processes can be harnessed in interventions to influence behavior and cognition.
Self-Reflecting over Negative Experiences
Why does reflecting on negative experiences sometimes succeed in helping individuals make sense of their emotions, but at times fail by entangling individuals in depressive rumination? This line of research examines mechanisms (e.g., self-distancing, self-enhancement, & self-improvement) through which individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds reflect over negative experiences with positive and negative outcomes.