Susan Sprecher will deliver the Illinois State University Distinguished Professorship Lecture at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, in the Bone Student Center Prairie Room, with a reception immediately following. Sprecher is a distinguished professor of sociology and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology.
In her lecture titled Scientific Perspectives on Relationship Compatibility, Compatible Matches, and Compatibility Matching, Sprecher will discuss the conceptualization and predictors of relationship compatibility and compatible matches from the perspective of relationship science. She will touch upon select findings from her research that relate to compatibility in initial interactions and existing couples. She will then present a critical analysis of the science behind compatibility matching at major dating websites.
Sprecher earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She has pursued research from an interdisciplinary perspective on various topics related to close relationships including love, attraction, equity, self-disclosure, sexuality and relationship initiation. She has also contributed to research on young adulthood sexuality by examining demographic, relational, situational and cohort predictors of attitudes and behaviors. She has published over 100 scientific articles and chapters as well as authored or edited eight books.
Sprecher has served in many positions for the International Association for Relationship Research, including editor of its premier journal Personal Relationships, board of directors member, publication committee chair and conference organizer. She also reviews manuscripts submitted for publication to many social psychology and interdisciplinary journals.
Sprecher’s joint appointment in the sociology and anthropology and psychology departments allows her not only to teach courses in social psychology, but also mentor undergraduate and graduate students from both departments interested in social psychology and relationship research.
