معرفی
Rachel McLaren, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on interpersonal communication, social cognition, and the impact of hurtful messages within personal relationships. She examines how relationship dynamics and situational factors influence individuals’ processing of relational messages, particularly in contexts of relational turbulence and parental-adolescent interactions.
Dr. McLaren holds a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. Her work emphasizes understanding relational framing theory and turbulence theory, exploring how communication during transitions (e.g., family changes, conflicts) shapes relational perceptions and emotional responses. She teaches courses on communication challenges in relationships and conflict management.
Her research has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Outstanding Dissertation of the Year (2009) and Top Paper awards from the National Communication Association (2009–2017). Her recent studies address parent-adolescent conversations about self-disappointments, empathy in hurtful interactions, and the role of support gaps in relational outcomes.
Rachel advises graduate students in communication studies and contributes to interdisciplinary research on family communication, emotional regulation, and relational maintenance strategies. Her work bridges cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of interpersonal dynamics.
