Psychology > Faculty > Claudia Brumbaugh


Claudia Brumbaugh

Claudia Brumbaugh, PhD

Basic Information

Title: Professor
Area: Social-Personality Psychology
PhD: University of Illinois
Email: claudia.brumbaugh@qc.cuny.edu
Office: Science Building D304
Office Phone: 718-997-3250
Lab: Science Building D304
Lab Phone: 718-997-3250
Website: My Lab ; BASP Training Area


Professional Activities

Society Memberships

  • Association for Psychological Science
  • Society for Personality and Social Psychology, elected Fellow 2020
  • Eastern Psychological Association, elected Fellow 2023
  • International Association for Relationship Research

Editorial Boards

  • Personality and Social Psychology Review (2022-present)
  • Frontiers in Psychology (2022-present)
  • Personal Relationships; Associate Editor (2017-2020)
  • Social Psychological and Personality Science (2016-2018)

Research Interests

My research focuses on uncovering the processes that lead people to experience similar thoughts and emotions across different relationships. The framework of adult attachment theory, coupled with social-cognitive paradigms, has been especially useful in guiding my research. . My research touches on questions such as the following: Do people’s desires for predictability and to confirm their existing beliefs sometimes sabotage their interpersonal growth? How do people select their social environments and what leads them to make those choices? What level of awareness do people have over their relational choices? How do people of different attachment types “fit” with their social environments and what are the features they value most in others?


Selected Publications

  1. Joel, S., Eastwick, P. W., Allison, C., Arriaga, X. B., Baker, Z. G., Bar-Kalifa, E., Bergeron, S., Brock, B., Brumbaugh, C. C., et al., (2020). Machine learning uncovers the most robust self-report predictors of relationship quality across 43 longitudinal couples studies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117, 19061-19071.
  2. Brumbaugh, C.C. (2017). Transferring connections: Friend and sibling attachments’ importance in the lives of singles. Personal Relationships, 24, 534-549.
  3. Brumbaugh, C.C., & Fraley, R. C. (2015). Too fast, too soon? An empirical investigation into rebound relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32, 99-118.
  4. Brumbaugh, C. C., Baren, A., & Agishtein, P. (2014). Attraction to attachment insecurity: Flattery, appearance, and status’ role in mate choice. Personal Relationships, 21, 288-308.
  5. Brumbaugh, C. C., & Wood, D. O. (2013). Mate preferences across life and across the world. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4, 100-107.
  6. Fraley, R. C., Vicary, A. M., Brumbaugh, C. C., & Roisman, G. I. (2011). Patterns of stability in adult attachment: An empirical test of two models of continuity and change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 974-992.
  7. Brumbaugh, C.C. & Fraley, R.C. (2010). Adult attachment and dating strategies: How do insecure people attract mates? Personal Relationships, 17, 599 – 614.
  8. Wood, D. O., & Brumbaugh, C. C. (2009). Using revealed mate preferences to evaluate market force and differential preference explanations for mate selection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 6, 1226 – 1244.