S. Katherine Nelson-Coffey, Ph.D.
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Parenthood & Well-Being 

For years, scholarly and media accounts painted a dismal picture of parenting. My work, however, suggests that happiness and parenthood can indeed coexist, but also that the link between parenthood and well-being is incredibly complex. Some groups of parents report relatively high well-being (e.g., fathers, those who are married), and some report relatively low well-being (e.g., those with an insecure attachment). 

I propose that parenthood is associated with greater well-being to the extent that it provides opportunities to pursue meaningful goals and enhanced life purpose, greater fulfillment of human needs, more positive emotions, and enhanced social roles. By contrast, I propose that parenthood is associated with lower well-being when it leads to subsequently greater negative emotions, financial stress, sleep disturbance and fatigue, and strained partner relationships. 

Selected Publications: 
  • Nelson, S. K., Kushlev, K., English, T., Dunn, E. W., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). In defense of parenthood: Children are associated with more joy than misery. Psychological Science, 24, 3-10. <pdf>
  • Nelson, S. K., Kushlev, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The pains and pleasures of parenthood: When, why, and how is parenthood associated with more or less well-being? Psychological Bulletin, 140, 846-895. <pdf>​
  • Nelson-Coffey, S. K., Killingsworth, Layous, K., Cole, S. W., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Parenthood is associated with greater well-being for fathers than mothers. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45, 1378-1390. <pdf> 

Relationship Promoting Behaviors 

Close relationships are vital to human flourishing. My research explores the causal effects of simple, intentional actions--such as being kind or expressing gratitude--on personal well-being. In several longitudinal experiments, I have studied how and why expressing gratitude and being kind to others leads to well-being improvements. I am also investigating how engaging in relationship promoting behaviors improve subjective well-being, but also how they might trigger downstream benefits for physical health, parent-child relationships, and family thriving. 

Selected Publications: 
  • Nelson, S. K., Layous, K., Cole, S. W., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2016). Do unto others or treat yourself? The effects of prosocial and self-focused behavior on psychological flourishing. Emotion. ​<pdf>
  • ​Nelson-Coffey, S. K., Fritz, M., Lyubomirsky, S., & Cole, S. W. (2017). Kindness in the blood: A randomized controlled tiral of the gene regulatory impact of prosocial behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 81, 8-13. <pdf> 

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