PhD, Counseling Psychology, Purdue University (2024)

Training and Research Interests

I am an Assistant Professor and core faculty member in the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I earned my PhD in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University and completed my predoctoral internship at the Dayton VA Medical Center. Clinically, my interests center on evidence-based assessment and intervention for adults, with particular interests in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and health psychology. I also serve as an appointed member of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Socioeconomic Status (CSES). I direct the Murphy Lab for Social Class and Mobility, where we investigate how social class and socioeconomic mobility shape psychological and health-related outcomes.

Research Statement

My research examines how social class and socioeconomic mobility shape psychological and health-related outcomes across the lifespan. Drawing on perspectives from social, counseling, and health psychology, I investigate the interpersonal, cognitive, and contextual processes through which socioeconomic experiences influence well-being.

A primary focus of my work is upward social mobility (USM), particularly among individuals who move from lower- to middle- and upper-class contexts. Rather than viewing upward mobility as inherently beneficial or detrimental, I seek to understand the conditions under which it promotes resilience and flourishing versus psychological distress. My research explores how experiences such as status-based identity uncertainty, belonging, and classism—including interpersonal, downward, and internalized forms—shape adjustment to new social class environments.

More recently, my research has expanded to examine how social class and socioeconomic mobility influence health-related beliefs and behaviors, including sleep, stress management, physical activity, nutrition, and oral health. By integrating social-psychological theory with clinical and health perspectives, my research seeks to advance scientific understanding of how socioeconomic experiences shape psychological functioning and health across social contexts. Ultimately, this work aims to generate evidence that informs psychological theory, clinical practice, and public policy related to socioeconomic experiences and health.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Murphy, P. K., Allan, B. A., & Case, A. S. (2026). Climbing the ladder: Moderators and mediators of upward social mobility and mental health. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, 7(1), 173-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770251359605

Murphy, P. K., Kim, T., Joy, E. E., Shein, B., & Allan, B. A. (2025). Social mobility through doctoral education: Exploring identity, classism, and belongingness. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 18(1), 16-24. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000477

Kim, T., Joy, E. E., Murphy, P. K., Shein, B., & Allan, B. A. (2023). The myth of social mobility: Subjective social mobility and mental health. The Counseling Psychologist, 51(3), 395–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000221148671

Case, A. S., Allan, B.A., Murphy, P. K., & Nikalje, A. (2023). Development and validation of the privileged social class attitudes scale (PSCAS). The Counseling Psychologist, 51(5), 655-683. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000231165453

Murphy, P. K., & Allan, B. A. (2022). Social class as a moderator of positive characteristics and subjective well-being: A test of resilience theory. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 7(2), 207-225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-022-00061-7

Owens, R., Allan, B. A., Maslowski, A. K., & Murphy, P. K. (2021). Strengths use, environmental factors, and academic outcomes in newly matriculated college students. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 6(3), 277-299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-020-00049-1

Book Chapters

Allan, B. A., Joy, E., & Murphy, P. K. (2023). Social class in work and career psychology. In W. B. Walsh (Ed.), Career psychology: Models, concepts, and counseling for meaningful employment. American Psychological Association.