Contact Information
Phone: 804-828-8227
Office: 820 W Franklin, rm 205
E-mail: jldavis@vcu.edu
Web site: Dr. Davis' Teaching and Research
Research Interests
I have three research areas: close relationships, conservation psychology, and educational psychology. My first research interest is examining processes related to relationship maintenance, such as interpersonal respect, forgiveness, and attitude alignment. My second research interest is examining antecedents and consequences of felt commitment to the natural environment. My third research interest is examining the psychology of teaching and learning.
Selected Publications
Coy, A. E., Green, J. D., & Davis, J. L. (in press). With or without you: The impact of
partner presence and attachment on exploration. Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology.
Davis, J. L., Le, B., & Coy, A. C. (2011). Building a model of commitment to the environment to predict ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31, 257-265.
Davis, J. L.., Burnette, J. L., Allison, S. T., & Stone, H. (2011). Against the odds: Academic underdogs benefit from incremental theories. Social Psychology of Education, 14, 341-346.
Davis, J. L., Green, J. D., & Reed, A. (2009). Interdependence with the environment: Commitment, interconnectedness, and environmental behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29, 173-180.
Davis, J. L., & Rusbult, C. E. (2001). Attitude alignment in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 65-84.
Recent Courses Taught at VCU
- Interpersonal Relations, undergraduate level
- Social Psychology, undergraduate level
- Teaching Practicum, graduate level
Recent Grant
Wisdom as Learning From Life Experiences: Affective Forecasting for Benevolent and Selfish Behaviors. Co-Principal Investigator (Principal Investigator, Green). October 2008-September 2010. The Arete Initiative’s Defining Wisdom project (University of Chicago), funded by the John Templeton Foundation, $90,000.
Recent Award
- Outstanding Teaching Award, VCU Psychology Department, 2011

