Elizabeth Ribarsky

Dr. Elizabeth Ribarsky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois Springfield, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on dating and sexual communication, media impacts on romantic expectations, and the persistence of traditional relationship scripts in modern contexts.

• Examines how early relationship communication patterns shape long-term dynamics
• Investigates media portrayals like "The Bachelor" and their societal implications
• Highlights tensions between progressive ideals and 1950s-era dating norms

Her work reveals how gendered communication expectations reduce relational satisfaction. She integrates this research into her teaching, engaging students in self-reflective relationship studies.