ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Research Domains and Manuscripts

Romantic Partner Choice

Although I have studied different topics, I have always had a strong interest in initial romantic partner choices and formation. Under the mentorship of Dr. Shanhong Luo, most of my early research in this area focused on food-based mate preferences, couple similarity, and evolutionary factors. However, my focus shifted after learning about research by Dr. Dale Cohen, who developed Psychological Value Theory (PVT), which is a theory that puts forth a general‐purpose computational cognitive model of value and choice that accounts for various types of preferential decisions (e.g., moral dilemmas, health decisions). I began collaborating with Drs. Luo and Cohen to examine whether PVT could model and predict how people select romantic partners.

Ongoing work — manuscripts in preparation or being reviewed.

2026

Cognitive Science

Vol. 50, Issue 2
e70181

Link to article ↗

Psychological Value Theory: Predicting Initial Romantic Partner Choice From a General-Purpose, Computational Cognitive Model of Value-Based Choice

Cohen, D. J., White, T. D., & Luo, S.

Collegiate Mental Health

At the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) at Penn State University, I worked on projects related to mental health among college and university students. CCMH is a large international practice-research network that aids university/college counseling centers in collecting and using data to inform treatment. The center conducts both applied and peer-reviewed research. Research at CCMH focuses on two key populations. First, research is conducted on the clinical population, those who received treatment at a university or college counseling center. Data on the clinical population is collected from hundreds of counseling centers, where we have studied factors related to baseline mental health symptoms (e.g., experiences of discrimination) and treatment effectiveness. CCMH also conducts research on the Penn State student body to examine how mental health factors relate to academic outcomes (e.g., reenrollment, graduation). In this work, I served as a data analyst, contributing to peer-reviewed research by preparing data and editing manuscripts.

Ongoing work — manuscripts in preparation or being reviewed.

2026

Psychological Services

Vol. 23, Issue 1
1–10

Link to article ↗

Psychotherapy Dose, Clinical Outcome, and Academic Withdrawal at University Counseling Centers

Trusty, W. T., Scofield, B. E., Janis, R. A., Cummins, A. L., & White, T. D.

Academic withdrawal from colleges and universities is a common occurrence, particularly among students with mental health concerns. Receiving a successful course of psychotherapy may reduce students’ risk of academic withdrawal, but outcomes in university counseling centers (UCCs) could be hindered by strategies used to meet high service demands with limited resources, such as offering a low number or frequency of sessions. The present study examined associations among psychotherapy dose, clinical outcome, and academic withdrawal among students (N = 16,197) in short-term individual psychotherapy at 85 UCCs in the United States. Structural equation modeling results indicated that after controlling for baseline psychological distress, the number of psychotherapy sessions attended positively predicted, and the average number of days between sessions negatively predicted, clients’ self-reported reductions in psychological distress. In turn, after controlling for pretreatment characteristics associated with academic withdrawal (prior psychiatric hospitalization, gender, academic distress) reductions in psychological distress negatively predicted therapists’ report of clients voluntarily withdrawing from their academic institution during psychotherapy. This indicates that students who receive higher psychotherapy doses within a short-term context (i.e., 10 or fewer sessions) are less distressed by the end of treatment, which then predicts a lower likelihood of academic withdrawal during psychotherapy. UCC leadership and clinicians might enhance clinical and academic outcomes by providing flexibility in the number and frequency of psychotherapy sessions available to students. However, centers may need additional resources from their academic institutions to provide this flexibility.

Cite

Trusty, W. T., Scofield, B. E., Janis, R. A., Cummins, A. L., & White, T. D. (2026). Psychotherapy dose, clinical outcome, and academic withdrawal at university counseling centers. Psychological Services, 23(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000895

2025

Journal of College Student Mental Health

Vol. 39, Issue 4
776–796

Link to article ↗

Psychological Symptoms and Academic Dropout in Higher Education: A Six-Year Cohort Study

Trusty, W. T., Scofield, B. E., Christensen, A. E., White, T. D., Murphy, Y. E., Janis, R. A., … & Hochstedt, K. S.

Parental Substance Use and Youth Development

During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a research assistant on a large-scale NIDA grant-funded (R01 DA024740) longitudinal research project conducted by Dr. Michelle Kelley’s Youth and Family Development Lab. The project examined how parental substance abuse and mental health impacted the development, substance use, and mental health of their children. The study design included three stages. First, data on substance use, mental health, and other relevant constructs were collected from parents and one of their children using structured interviews and a battery of self-reported questionnaires. Then, the parents went to couples counseling. After receiving counseling, data on the parents’ and children’s substance use and mental health were collected at two follow-up time periods.

Work completed – no manuscripts in preparation or being reviewed.

2018

Journal of Family Issues

Vol. 39, Issue 3
796–816

Link to article ↗

Mental Health Symptoms and Parenting Among Father-Only and Dual Substance Use Disorder Couples

Kelley, M. L., Bravo, A. J., Braitman, A. L., Price, R. A., & White, T. D.

2017

Journal of Child and Family Studies

Vol. 26, Issue 6
1646–1654

Link to article ↗

Parents’ Reports of Children’s Internalizing Symptoms: Associations With Parents’ Mental Health Symptoms and Substance Use Disorder

Kelley, M. L., Bravo, A. J., Hamrick, H. C., Braitman, A. L., White, T. D., & Jenkins, J.

This brief report examined the unique associations between parents’ ratings of child internalizing symptoms and their own depression and anxiety in families with parental substance use disorder (SUD). Further, we examined whether parental SUD (father only, mother only, both parents) was related to discrepancy in mothers’ and fathers’ reports of children’s internalizing symptoms. Participants were 97 triads (fathers, mothers) in which one or both parents met criteria for SUD. Polynomial regression analyses were conducted to examine whether father-mother reports of child internalizing symptoms had unique associations with parents’ own symptoms of depression and anxiety while controlling for child gender, child age, and SUD diagnoses. Controlling for fathers’ symptoms and other covariates, mothers experiencing more depression and anxiety symptoms reported more symptoms of child internalizing symptoms than did fathers. Mothers’ and fathers’ SUD was associated with higher anxiety symptoms among mothers after controlling for other variables. A second set of polynomial regressions examined whether father-mother reports of child internalizing symptoms had unique associations with parents’ SUD diagnoses while controlling for child gender and child age. After controlling for mothers’ symptoms and other covariates, parents’ reports of children’s internalizing symptoms were not significantly associated with either parent’s SUD or parental SUD interactions (i.e., both parents have SUD diagnoses). Taken together, mothers’ ratings of children’s internalizing symptoms may be accounted for, in part, by her reports of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Cite

Kelley, M. L., Bravo, A. J., Hamrick, H. C., Braitman, A. L., White, T. D., & Jenkins, J. (2017). Parents’ reports of children’s internalizing symptoms: Associations with parents’ mental health symptoms and substance use disorder. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26(6), 1646–1654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0677-9

2016

Journal of Child and Family Studies

Vol. 25, Issue 3
1024–1034

Link to article ↗

Youth Emotional Reactivity, Interparental Conflict, Parent Hostility, and Worrying Among Children With Substance-Abusing Parents

Kelley, M. L., White, T. D., Milletich, R. J., Hollis, B. F., Haislip, B. N., Heidt, E. K., … & Henson, J. M.

2016

Journal of Child Custody

Vol. 13, Issue 4
250–268

Link to article ↗

Acceptability of Aggression Among Children Who Reside With Substance-Abusing Parents: The Influence of Behavioral Dysregulation, Exposure to Neighborhood Violence, and Interparental Violence

Kelley, M. L., Braitman, A. L., Milletich, R. J., Hollis, B. F., Parsons, R. E., White, T. D., … & Henson, J. M.

Moral Injury

Dr. Michelle Kelley’s Youth and Family Development Lab also examined how a relatively new construct, called moral injury, related to the substance use and mental health of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As an undergraduate research assistant on the project, I helped modify a measure of moral injurious experiences (e.g., to better capture veterans’ experiences). We then examined how these experiences interacted with constructs like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to influence mental health and substance use.

Work completed – no manuscripts in preparation or being reviewed.

2019

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

Vol. 11, Issue 3
337–344

Link to article ↗

Sex Differences in Mental Health Symptoms and Substance Use and Their Association With Moral Injury in Veterans

Kelley, M. L., Braitman, A. L., White, T. D., & Ehlke, S. J.

This study examines potential sex differences in 3 types of experiences (i.e., atrocities of war, cognitive and emotional changes from combat, and leadership failure or betrayal) that may result in moral injury (i.e., guilt, shame, inability to forgive one’s self, inability to forgive others, and withdrawn behavior associated with these three types of experiences). In addition, we examine whether moral injury results in different associations with mental health and substance use outcomes for female versus male veterans. We expected more symptoms of depression and anxiety for women and more symptoms of hazardous alcohol use and drug abuse for men. Also, we examined sex as a moderator between moral injury and outcomes, expecting stronger relationships between moral injury and symptoms of depression and anxiety among women and stronger associations between moral injury and alcohol use and drug abuse symptoms for men. Participants (n = 256; 60.9% [n = 156] males) were a community sample of recent-era military personnel who completed a measure of morally injurious experiences (MIEs) and associated moral injury. After correcting for Type I error rate, sex was not associated with mental health or substance use. Further, no Sex × Moral Injury interactions were present; however, moral injury significantly positively predicted all negative mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and hazardous alcohol use, but not drug abuse symptoms. Results reveal the need for improved screening and treatment of moral injury and integrated treatments that may assess moral injury and associated disorders.

Cite

Kelley, M. L., Braitman, A. L., White, T. D., & Ehlke, S. J. (2019). Sex differences in mental health symptoms and substance use and their association with moral injury in veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(3), 337–344. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000407

2018

Traumatology

Vol. 24, Issue 4
246–254

Link to article ↗

Moral Injury and PTSD as Mediators of the Associations Between Morally Injurious Experiences and Mental Health and Substance Use

Battles, A. R., Bravo, A. J., Kelley, M. L., White, T. D., Braitman, A. L., & Hamrick, H. C.

The present study examined the degree to which morally injurious experiences (MIEs; i.e., atrocities of war, psychological consequences of war, and leadership failure/betrayal) and moral injury (i.e., guilt, shame, difficulties with forgiveness, and withdrawal associated with exposure to MIEs) were associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidality, hazardous alcohol use, and drug abuse symptoms. In addition, we examined moral injury and PTSD symptoms as mediators of the association between MIEs and these outcomes (exploratory model). Participants (n = 244) were a predominantly veterans community-based military sample. Our primary model (i.e., single mediation model) revealed that moral injury mediated associations between two MIEs (i.e., atrocities of war and leadership failure/betrayal) and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, hazardous alcohol use, and PTSD symptoms. However, our exploratory model (i.e., a dual simultaneous mediation model) revealed that moral injury was not significantly associated with any health outcomes after controlling for the effects of MIE dimensions and PTSD symptoms. Within this model, PTSD symptoms significantly mediated the effects of both atrocities of war MIEs and leadership failure/betrayal MIEs on depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, suicidality, and hazardous alcohol use. Findings provide preliminary support for moral injury as a mechanism linking exposure to MIEs to both mental health and hazardous alcohol use. Taken together, moral injury appears to be an important target for intervention among combat military personnel.

Cite

Battles, A. R., Bravo, A. J., Kelley, M. L., White, T. D., Braitman, A. L., & Hamrick, H. C. (2018). Moral injury and PTSD as mediators of the associations between morally injurious experiences and mental health and substance use. Traumatology, 24(4), 246–254. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000153

2017

APA PsycTests

Database record

Link to record ↗

Modified Moral Injury Questionnaire—Military Version (MIQ-M)

Robbins, A. T., Kelley, M. L., Hamrick, H. C., Bravo, A. J., & White, T. D.

Gender Role

Under the mentorship of Dr. Shanhong Luo, I helped edit several manuscripts on gender roles and beliefs among U.S. college-aged adults and Chinese adolescents.

Work completed – no manuscripts in preparation or being reviewed.

2023

Psychological Reports

Vol. 126, Issue 2
791–811

Link to article ↗

Gender Roles in the Millennium: Who Pays and Is Expected to Pay for Romantic Dates?

Wu, H., Luo, S., Klettner, A., White, T., & Albritton, K.

2021

The Journal of Sex Research

Vol. 58, Issue 1
29–40

Link to article ↗

Relating Gender to Sex: Gendered Attitudes, Sexual Double Standard, Sexual Intentions and Behaviors in Two Chinese Adolescent Samples

Wu, H., Luo, S., Espinosa-Hernández, G., Klettner, A., White, T. D., & Li, H.

Parental Control

Under the mentorship of Dr. Shanhong Luo, I also helped edit several manuscripts on the effects of parental control on mental health among Chinese adolescents.

Work completed – no manuscripts in preparation or being reviewed.

2025

Psychological Reports

Vol. 128, Issue 5
3282–3306

Link to article ↗

Predicting Chinese Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms From Their Cultural Orientations and Perceived Parental Psychological Control

Klettner, A. M., Luo, S., White, T. D., Elkin, T. B., Hersey, G. C., & Wu, H.

2024

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology

Vol. 18

Link to article ↗

Academic but Not Social Self-Esteem Mediates the Association Between Chinese Adolescents’ Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Depressive Symptoms

Wu, H., Luo, S., White, T., Klettner, A., & Wei, C.

Theses and Dissertation

2024

Doctoral Dissertation

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Psychological Value Theory: Modeling Perceived Obtainability on Romantic Partner Choice

White, T. D.

Individuals are more likely to choose potential partners perceived as more obtainable; however, little is known about how partner obtainability interacts with mate value to influence initial romantic partner choices. When one partner is more obtainable than an alternative, we hypothesized that information on partner obtainability would result in a specific response bias (start point bias towards the more obtainable partner) and/or impact mate value, increasing the probability that individuals would choose the more obtainable partner. Three experiments were conducted to examine how different proposed obtainability cues (e.g., partner distance from the chooser, predicted interest in the chooser, and predicted selectiveness) influence initial romantic partner choice. Participants completed a preferential choice task where they had to choose between two presented partners to ask out on a first date. Each presented partner was assigned one feature (e.g., jealous, intelligent) and obtainability as being low or high. The partners presented in some trials differed considerably in obtainability, while obtainability was equivalent in other trials. The Robust Random Walk model specified under Psychological Value Theory was used to examine how obtainability (high/low) interacts with mate value (based on assigned feature) to influence choice (i.e., no influence, start point bias, and/or value change). In Experiments 1 and 2, partner distance and predicted interest influenced the value of the presented partners, increasing the probability that individuals would choose the partner residing closer by or predicted to be more interested in dating the participant. Unexpectedly, Experiments 1 and 2 also found a boundary bias, where individuals were biased to make slower but more accurate choices (i.e., not mistakenly choose the lower-valued partner) when partner obtainability was equivalent. Experiment 3 found that partner selectiveness did not influence choice, suggesting that individuals did not find information on partner selectiveness important to making a choice. Based on the results of all three experiments, we contend that some obtainability cues substantially influence initial romantic partner choices, where the more obtainable partner has an increased probability of being chosen. However, not all obtainability cues have the same impact on choice.

Cite

White, T. D. (2024). Psychological Value Theory: Modeling perceived obtainability on romantic partner choice [Doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina Wilmington]. University of North Carolina Wilmington.

2019

Master’s Thesis

University of North Carolina Wilmington

No. 1258876064

Full text ↗

Food Preferences and Ideal Partner Preferences: Do People Prefer Their Partners to Share Similar Food Preferences?

White, T. D.

Research on couple similarity has generally examined similarity on various characteristics in actual couples; however, it is necessary to examine similarity between individuals’ and their ideal partners as well. Examining similarity with an ideal partner allows researchers to test for an important assumption required for the initial active choice mechanism to explain similarity within couples, which contends the individuals desire for similarity. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether people desire similarity in their partner’s food preferences. As an effort to replicate previous research, this study also examined to what degree individuals desire their partner to share similar demographical characteristics (e.g., education, religious affiliation), health-related variables (e.g., alcohol consumption, self-report physical mental health), and psychological characteristics (i.e., personality, relationship attitudes, values). Participants were a convenient sample of 378 undergraduate students. They completed an online survey assessing demographic, health-related, and psychological characteristics and two Q-sort tasks newly designed to assess both participants’ own and their ideal partner’s food preference. Using both variable-centered and person-centered approaches, results suggested that individuals desire similarity in almost all variables related to food preference, demographic characteristics, health-related variables, and psychological characteristics. Further, after controlling for similarity in demographic, health-related, and psychological characteristics, individuals’ desire for a partner with similar food preferences continued to uphold. Overall, the findings of the current study suggest that initial active choice could be a primary mechanism to explain how couple similarity occurs in romantic relationships on many different characteristics including food preferences.

Cite

White, T. D. (2019). Food preferences and ideal partner preferences: Do people prefer their partners to share similar food preferences? (Publication No. 1258876064) [Master’s thesis, University of North Carolina Wilmington]. University of North Carolina Wilmington. https://dl.uncw.edu/etd/2019-3/whitet/tylerwhite.pdf

2017

Honor’s Thesis

Old Dominion University

Combat Experiences, Moral Injury, Religious Coping, and Depression Among Active Duty Military Personnel and Veterans

White, T. D.

Although PTSD is commonly associated with combat trauma, a second form of trauma, moral injury, may also be associated with combat exposure and may be related to negative mental health outcomes, such as depression. The present study examined models of the association between combat exposure, morally injurious experiences (MIEs), primary components of moral injury (i.e., guilt and shame), religious coping, and depressive symptoms in a sample of 224 (138 men, 86 women) recent-era veterans and military members who had experienced at least one deployment. Results indicated combat exposure was positively correlated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, MIEs, and guilt and shame associated with morally injurious experiences mediated, that is, explained the association between combat exposure and depressive symptoms. Positive religious coping moderated both the association between combat exposure and guilt associated with MIEs, and the association between combat exposure and shame associated with MIEs. Specifically, higher levels of positive religious coping strengthened both the association between combat exposure and guilt associated with MIEs, and between combat exposure and shame associated with MIEs. In addition, negative religious coping negatively moderated the association between combat exposure and MIEs, and between MIEs and depressive symptoms. In other words, the association between combat exposure and MIEs, and between MIEs and depressive symptoms was significantly weaker among respondents who reported higher negative religious coping. Moral injury may help explain the association between combat exposure and depressive symptoms; however, findings indicate complex relationships among combat exposure, components of moral injury, depression, and religious coping.

Cite

White, T. D. (2017). Combat experiences, moral injury, religious coping, and depression among active duty military personnel and veterans [Honor’s thesis, Old Dominion University]. Old Dominion University.

Posters

Note: The list below does not represent every poster on which I am cited as an author. Rather, it is a selection of posters to which I made major contributions. An asterisk (*) indicates undergraduate students whom I mentored.

*Freedland, S., White, T. D., & Luo, S. Predictors of Reproduction Desire. (2021, November). Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellows Conference, Wilmington, NC.

*Freedland, S., White, T. D., & Luo, S. Gender Attitudes Fully Account for Gender Differences in Impulsivity (2022, April). Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellows Conference, Wilmington, NC.

*Freedland, S., White, T. D., & Luo, S. Gender Attitudes Fully Account for Gender Differences in Impulsivity (2022, May). Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

Kelley, M. L., Bravo, A. J., Braitman, A. L., Price, R. A., & White, T. D. (2016, August). Depression and parenting behavior among father only and couples with substance use disorder. American Psychological Association. Denver, CO.

Klettner, A. M., Luo, S., & White, T. D., Luo, S., Klettner, A., McPherson, J. L. (2018, July). Reactions to being snooped in romantic relationships: The role of relationship status. International Association for Relationship Research. Fort Collins, CO.

Klettner, A. M., *McGillicuddy, E., *Whitley, A. B., *Ellers, D., White, T. D., & Luo, S. (2020, June). Self-Regulation as mediator between insecure attachment and physical health. Southeastern Psychological Association. New Orleans, LA.

McPherson, J. L., White, T. D., & Espinosa-Hernandez, G. (2018, July). Attachment Style Mediates the Association Between the Friend Zone and Depression. International Association for Relationship Research, Fort Collins, CO.

Price, R. A., White, T.D., Hollis, B. F., Bravo, A. J., Milletich, R. J., Kelley, M. L. (2016, May). Kids on Drugs: Parenting Practices and Substance Use Among Children of Substance-Abusing Parents. Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

White, T. D., Bravo, A. J., Hollis, B. F., Kelley, M. L., Price, R. A., Robbins, A. T. (2016, May). Moral Injury and Alcohol-Related Problems among Male and Female Veterans. Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

White, T. D., *Freedland, S., & Luo, S. “Real Men Eat Meat?”: Gender and Food Preferences. (2022, May). Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

White, T. D., *Hershey, G. C., *Ellers, D. W., Klettner, A. M., & Luo, S. (2020, August). Does Your Masculinity or Femininity Predict Your Preference For Meat and Vegetables? American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

White, T. D., Hollis, B. F., Milletich, R. J., Davis, C. A., Haislip B. N., Kurtz, E. D., Heidt, E. J., Cooke, C. G. Henson, J. M., Lawrence, H. R., Stockstad, M., & Kelley, M. L. (2015, August). Parental hostility and child anxiety in children who reside with a substance-abusing parent. American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.

White, T. D., Luo, S., Klettner, A. M., & McPherson, J. L. (2018, July). Predicting reproductive desire from resources, childhood experiences, and personal characteristics. International Association for Relationship Research, Fort Collins, CO.

*Xiong, A., *Bravo, N., White, T. D., & Luo, S. (2019, March). Religiosity and Spirituality Relations with Reproductive Desires and Sexual Strategy. Carolina Research in Social Psychology and Personality, Durham, NC.

Other Academic Materials

Symposiums

Note: The list below does not represent every symposium on which I am cited as an author. Rather, it is a selection of symposiums to which I made major contributions.

Kelley, M. L., Robbins, A. T., Braitman, A. L., Hamrick, H. C., Bravo, A. J., White, T. D. (August, 2017). Moral Injury Dimensions: Atrocities, Changes, and Betrayal. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

Robbins, A. T., Braitman, A. L., Hamrick, H. C., Bravo, A. J., White, T. D., Kelley, M. L. (August, 2017). Dimensions of Moral Injury and Substance Use among Recent Veterans. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

White, T. D. (February, 2016). Does Poor Mental Health Influence Parenting Behavior among Substance Use Disorder Parents? An Examination across Father Only and Dual Couple with a Substance Use Disorder. Undergraduate Research Symposium, Norfolk, VA.

Grants

Hester, J. A., Kalmykov, A. H., & White, T. D. Using undergraduate students to conduct focus groups for university departments. $2,500. National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Awards

Old Dominion University 2017 Alan L. Chaiken Psychology Honors Thesis Award

Old Dominion University 2017 Provost’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher

Old Dominion University 2016 Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Fellowships

Special Acknowledgments

I want to give a special acknowledgment to Drs. Michelle Kelley (Eminent Professor at Old Dominion University), Shanhong Luo (James B. Hunt Jr. Distinguished Professor at Fayetteville State University), and Dale Cohen (Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington). We all stand on the shoulders of giants, and that is very much the case for me.