Kristin Mickelson
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Phone: 602-543-1632
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Interdisciplinary B Rm 255 Tempe, AZ 85287
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Mail code: 3051Campus: Tempe
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Kristin D. Mickelson is Assistant Dean of Data Analytics & Graduate Program Performance in the ASU Graduate College and Professor of Psychology in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She earned her PhD in Social Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy.
Mickelson is a social and health psychologist whose research examines how stress, social relationships, social support, and social inequalities shape health and well-being. Drawing on both psychological and sociological perspectives, her work explores resilience, mental health, and health disparities across diverse populations. Her research has focused on the transition to parenthood, postpartum distress, discrimination and birth outcomes, social class and health, stigma, communal coping, and the role of digital technologies in fostering social connection and support.
She is the author of Gender and the Transition to Parenthood: Understanding the A, B, C’s (Springer Nature, 2023) and has published extensively in leading journals, including Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Marriage and Family, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Social Science & Medicine, and Sex Roles. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, Dignity Health–Arizona State University Strategic Partner Initiative, and several other funding agencies.
In addition to her research, Mickelson provides strategic leadership for graduate education at ASU, overseeing graduate analytics, academic integrity initiatives, and program performance. She previously served as Psychology Area Head, Director of the MS Psychology Program, and a founding executive board member of ASU’s Resilience in Social Environments (RISE) Initiative.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Mickelson has advised more than 50 master’s students and 13 doctoral students and received an Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award. Her teaching interests include social psychology, interpersonal relationships, gender, social inequality, health psychology, and multivariate statistics.
- Ph.D. Social Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University 1995
- M. S. Social Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University 1993
- M. A. Social Sciences, University of Chicago 1990
- B. A. Psychology, Wheaton College 1989
Dr. Mickelson’s research examines how social relationships shape health and well-being within broader social contexts. Her work focuses on understanding how stress, social support, social connection, and resilience influence mental and physical health, and how these processes are shaped by factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, race/ethnicity, and stigma.
Drawing on both psychological and sociological perspectives, she investigates the social mechanisms underlying health disparities and relationship functioning across the life course. Her research has addressed topics including perceived discrimination, social support processes, communal coping, gender attitudes, stigma, and the impact of social inequalities on health outcomes.
Current research focuses on three primary areas: (1) psychosocial and environmental contributors to racial and socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes and maternal health; (2) the transition to parenthood, including risk and protective factors associated with postpartum distress, relationship adjustment, and resilience among mothers and fathers; and (3) the role of digital and social media environments in fostering social connection, coping, and well-being among adolescents, parents, and families.
To address these questions, Dr. Mickelson employs interdisciplinary approaches that integrate survey research, longitudinal studies, field research, secondary data analysis, and dyadic methods.
For more information about Dr. Mickelson’s research lab, visit: https://sites.google.com/view/social-relationships-health-la
Book
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Mickelson, K.D., & Marcussen, K.A. (2023). Gender and the Transition to Parenthood: Understanding the A, B, C’s. Springer Nature
Selected Recent Articles in Refereed Journals
- Seely, H., & Mickelson, K.D. (2025). Measurement development and psychometric evaluation of the Emotionality Stigma Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2025.2575496
- Kilby, R., & Mickelson, K.D. (2025). Combating weight-stigmatization in online spaces: The impacts of body neutral, body positive, and weight-stigmatizing TikTok content on body image and mood. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1577063. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1577063
- Witsoe, M., Mickelson, K.D., Kang, P., Dinh, S., Krzyzanowski, B., Doddamreddy, S.A., Doehrman, P., Zhou, G., & Nguyen, J. (2025). Climate, pollution, and maternal health: Investigating the impact of temperature and ozone on birth outcomes in Phoenix, Arizona. Environments, 12(4), 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12040118
- Mickelson, K.D., Witsoe, M., Krzyzanowski, B., Doehrman, P., Dinh, S., Zhou, G., & Nguyen, J. (2025). A retrospective analysis evaluating the impact of neighborhood deprivation on birth weight in Phoenix, Arizona. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(1), 112. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010112
- Seely, H.D., & Mickelson, K.D. (2025). Why regulate? Understanding the role of perceived parental emotion regulation in offspring emotional development. Family Relations, 74(2), 985-1001. http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13142
- Schodt, K. & Mickelson, K.D. (2025). Emotion expressivity and regulation in romantic relationships: The role of social anxiety. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 14(2), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000249
- Mostoller, A., & Mickelson, K.D. (2024). Masculinity and mental well-being: The role of stigma surrounding seeking help for mental illness. Sex Roles, 90, 353-362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-024-01457-2
- Mickelson, K.D., Doehrman, P., Chambers, C., Seely, H., Kaneris, M., Stancl, R., Stewart, C., & Sullivan, S. (2022). Role of discrimination and resilience on birth weight: A systematic examination in a sample of Black, Latina and White Women. Women’s Health, 18, 1-13. DOI: 10.1177/17455057221093927
- Burleson, M.H., Roberts, N.A., Duncan, C.J., Sioni, S. Randall, A.K., Ha, T., & Mickelson, K.D. (2022). Feeling the absence of touch: Distancing, distress, regulation, and relationships in the context of COVID-19. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 39(1) 56–79. DOI:10.1177/02654075211052696
- Don, B. P., Eller, J. Simpson, J. A., Fredrickson, B. L., Algoe, S. B., Rholes, S., & Mickelson, K.D. (2022) New parental positivity: The role of positive emotions in promoting relational adjustment during the transition to parenthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 123(1), 84-106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000371
Courses
2026 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 517 | Quantitative Analysis III |
| FAS 590 | Reading and Conference |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
| FAS 792 | Research |
| CDE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| FAS 592 | Research |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2026 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 598 | Special Topics |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 517 | Quantitative Analysis III |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2024 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 553 | General Psychology Capstone |
| FAS 792 | Research |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 517 | Quantitative Analysis III |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 553 | General Psychology Capstone |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 517 | Quantitative Analysis III |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 515 | Quantitative Analysis I |
| PSY 553 | General Psychology Capstone |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 580 | Practicum |
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 599 | Thesis |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| PSY 493 | Honors Thesis |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
2021 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
| PSY 592 | Research |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project |
| PSY 515 | Quantitative Analysis I |
| PSY 553 | General Psychology Capstone |
| PSY 595 | Continuing Registration |
Guest Editor:
Sex Roles, Special Issue: "Gender and the Transition to Parenthood" (2017, Volume 76, Issue 5-6)
Editorial Board Member:
Sex Roles, 2016-present
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2011 – 2014
- Journal of Family Psychology, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2014 - Present)
- School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Awards Committee, Chair (2014 - Present)
- Population Research and Policy Review, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2014 - Present)
- Social Problems, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2014 - Present)
- European Journal of Social Psychology, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2014 - Present)
- Worth Publishers, Textbook Reviewer (2013 - Present)
- Oxford Press, Textbook reviewer (2013 - Present)
- Health Psychology, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013 - Present)
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013 - Present)
- Routledge Publishers, Textbook Reviewer (2013 - Present)
- Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Journal of Family Issues, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Preventive Medicine, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Social Forces, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- American Journal of Community Psychology, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Sage Publications, Book Proposal Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Sex Roles, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- Behavioral Medicine, Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012 - Present)
- National Science Centre of Poland, Ad Hoc Grant Reviewer (2014 - 2014)
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Editorial Board Member (2011 - 2014)
- National Science Centre of Poland, Ad Hoc Grant Reviewer (2014 - 2014)
- International Association for Relationship Research, Future Conferences Committee Member (2009 - 2013)
- National Science Foundation, Ad Hoc Grant Reviewer (2011 - 2011)