Encyclopedia of Human Relationships

Harry T. Reis is Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester. He studies the factors that influence the quantity and closeness of social interaction, and the consequences of different patterns of socializing for health and psychological well-being. He is also investigating some of the psychological processes that affect the course and conduct of close relationships. He is particularly interested in intimacy, attachment and emotion regulation. He is well-versed in the field, having served as editor of its leading journal, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, having recently edited The SAGE Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, and having served as president of both the world's largest organization of social psychologists (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) and the world's pre-eminent organization devoted to researching relationships (International Association of Relationship Research). I am a social psychologist at Illinois State University. My primary appointment is in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, but I also have a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology. My major research interests focus on issues related to PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS (romantic pairs, friendships, social networks). I have also conducted research on young adult (premarital) sexuality. Courses that I teach at ISU include: Social Psychology (Soc 223), Senior Experience (Soc 300), Personal Relationships (Soc 265), and a graduate seminar on Personal Relationships/Family (Soc 469). I received my Ph.D. in Sociology in 1985 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.