Chris Davis
| Degrees: | Ph.D. (British Columbia) |
| Email: | chris.davis@carleton.ca |
Keywords: meaning-making, posttraumatic growth, adjustment, bereavement, secret-keeping
Research Interests
One line of research concerns the cognitive and emotional adaptations people make following life-changing experiences, including those associated with loss of significant others (e.g., bereavement), injury (e.g., spinal cord injury), chronic debilitating health conditions (such as tinnitus), as well as those experiences most people look forward to (e.g., transition to parenthood). My research examines how people find meaning in loss and transitions of this sort and how these factors promote personal growth and well-being.
A second line of research concerns the psychological consequences of secret-keeping. A lot of research suggests that people who keep secrets from their significant others are more anxious, depressed, and are less satisfied with their relationships, yet we do not have a good understanding of the mechanisms by which secrets have their negative effects on health and wellness. In our research, we are investigating the processes through which secret-keeping affects health.
Selected Publications
Davis, C. G., Brazeau, H., Xie, E. B., McKee, K. (2020). Secrets, psychological health, and the fear of discovery. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. (online ahead of print) doi: 10.1177/0146167220946195
Brazeau, H. & Davis, C. G. (2018). Hope and psychological health and well-being following spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation Psychology, 63, 258-266. DOI:10.1037/rep0000209
Davis, C. G., & Porter, J. E. (2018). Pathways to growth following trauma and loss. In C.R. Snyder, S. J. Lopez, L. M. Edwards, and S. C. Marques, (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology, 3rd Ed. New York: Oxford University Press.