Judith Feeney

Judith Feeney is an Honorary Associate Professor at the School of Psychology, University of Queensland. She has established herself as a leading researcher in the field of attachment theory and close relationships, with numerous publications spanning over three decades. Her academic contributions include 2 books, 24 book chapters, 72 journal articles, and 22 conference papers.

Dr. Feeney's research primarily focuses on attachment theory and its applications to various relationship contexts. Her work explores how attachment styles influence relationship dynamics, conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and relationship satisfaction across different life stages. She has made significant contributions to understanding attachment in romantic relationships, family communication patterns, and the impact of attachment on mental health and wellbeing. Her research methodology spans laboratory studies, clinical observations, and large-scale meta-analyses, demonstrating methodological rigor and theoretical depth.

The body of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward examining attachment dynamics in contemporary contexts, particularly focusing on how global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic affect relationship security and coping mechanisms. Her work increasingly integrates attachment theory with other psychological frameworks to develop comprehensive models of relationship functioning. She has made notable contributions to understanding intergenerational relationships, caregiver dynamics, and how attachment patterns manifest in diverse relationship contexts including adoption and stepfamilies.

Throughout her career, Dr. Feeney has collaborated extensively with prominent researchers in the field, including Gery Karantzas, Jennifer Fitzgerald, and Patricia Noller. Her work has appeared in leading psychology journals such as Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Family Psychology, and Current Opinion in Psychology. Her extensive publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly productivity and evolving theoretical sophistication in the application of attachment theory to real-world relationship challenges.