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Welcome! » Faculty & Staff » Kathleen Lawler


Kathleen Lawler

Research Interests

Relationships between forgiveness, hostility and cardiovascular reactivity to stress; psychological predictors of health in older adults, especially spirituality and social support; coping strategies and reactivity.

Research statement

One aspect of our research concerns the relationship between psychological processes and cardiovascular responses. The psychological processes under investigation include forgiveness, spirituality, hostility, modes of anger expression, Type A behavior, and styles of coping. These characteristics are examined for their relationship to stress-induced increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and health, both physical and psychological. A second aspect focuses on the predictors of successful aging in older adults. We are exploring three primary predictors: spirituality, provision of social support and health behaviors as they predict physical and psychological health.

Honors

  • 2003 University Studies award for outstanding contributions to indisciplinary scholarship
  • Chancellor’s Award for Research and Creative Achievement, 2002
  • UTK Department of Psychology Psi Chi Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award 1989
  • UTK Department of Psychology Faculty Appreciation Award for Graduate Teaching and Research 1992 and 2001
  • UTK College of Arts and Sciences Public Service Award 1992
  • Editorial Board, International Journal of Psychophysiology
  • Editorial Reviewer, Health Psychology
  • Editorial Reviewer, Psychosomatic Medicine
  • Editorial Reviewer, Psychophysiology

Grants

  • Templeton Foundation (1998-2000) grant for the study of forgiveness.

Selected Publications

Lawler, K. A., Volz, R. L., & Martin, M. A. (2005). Stress and illness. In V. J. Derlega, B. A. Winstead, & W. H. Jones (Eds.), Personality (pp. 457-480). Wadsworth Press.

Lawler, K. A., Younger, J. W., Piferi, R. L., Jobe, R. L., Edmondson, K., & Jones, W. H. (2005). The unique effects of forgiveness on health: An exploration of pathways. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28, 157-167.

Edmondson, K., Lawler, K. A., Jobe, R. L, Younger, J. W., Piferi, R. L., & Jones, W. H. (2005). Spirituality predicts health and cardiovascular responses to stress in young adult women. Journal of Religion and Health, 44, 161-171.

Younger, J. W., Piferi, R. L., Jobe, R., & Lawler, K. A. (2004). Dimensions of forgiveness: The Views of Laypersons. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21, 837-855.

Lawler, K.A., Younger, J.Y., Piferi, R.A., Billington, E., Jobe, R., Edmondson, K., Jones, W.H. (2003). A change of heart: Cardiovascular correlates of forgiveness in response to interpersonal conflict. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 26, 373-393.

Lawler, K.A., Younger, J.W. (2002) Theobiology: An analysis of spirituality, cardiovascular responses, stress, mood and physical health. Journal of Religion and Health 41, 347-362.

Lawler, K.A., Younger, J.W. (2002) Theobiology: An analysis of spirituality, cardiovascular responses, stress, mood and physical health. Journal of Religion and Health 41, 347-362.

Lawler, K.A., Kline, K. A., Adlin, R. F., Wilcox, Z. C., Criag, F. W., Krishnamoorthy, J. S., & Piferi, R. L. (2001) Psychophysiological correlates of individual differences in patterns of hemodynamic reactivity. International Journal of Psychophysiology 40, 93-107.

Williams, D., Lawler, K.A. (2001) Stress and illness in low income women: The roles of hardiness, John-Henryism, and race. Women and Health 30, 61-75.

Piferi, R. L, Kline, K. A., Younger, J., & Lawler, K. A. (2000). An alternative approach for achieving cardiovascular baseline: viewing an aquatic video. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 37, 207-217.

Piferi, R. L., & Lawler, K. A. (2000). Hostility and the cardiovascular reactivity of women during interpersonal confrontation. Women & Health, 30, 111-129.

Kathleen Lawler

Kathleen Lawler

Professor
Ph.D., University of North Carolina (1974)

Email: klawler@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-8458

Key words: Cardiovascular psychophysiology, blood pressure, heart rate, forgiveness, hostility, gender, family history of hypertension, aging, reactivity.