Christina Leckfor is a fourth-year Social Psychology graduate student in the Behavior and Brain Sciences program where she examines the factors that facilitate and interfere with social connection. Christina is also dedicated to being an effective teacher and mentor, as demonstrated by her acceptance into UGA's Future Faculty Fellows program, receiving the Richard L. Marsh Mentoring Award from the Department of Psychology, and serving as a Graduate Advisor for UGA's Psi Chi Chapter. Education Education: M.S., Social Psychology, University of Pittsburgh B.A., Psychology, Youngstown State University Research Research Interests: Christina's research aims to understand the factors that facilitate and interfere with relationship processes and how social interactions and supportive relationships influence well-being. Her work has examined how social technologies can be used to foster and maintain relationships through deep meaningful conversations (e.g., over video chat and texting), while also impeding social connection by making it easier to displace minimal social interactions with strangers and end existing relationships (e.g., through ghosting). Ultimately, Christina aims to understand how people can maximize the benefits of social relationships to lead happier and healthier lives. Selected Publications Selected Publications: (* indicates shared first authorship) Wood, N. R., Leckfor, C. M., Wicks, S. G., & Hales, A. H. (accepted, under open review). Ghosting from the workplace: The impact of feedback (or lack thereof) on applicants’ psychological needs satisfaction. Routledge Open Research. Leckfor, C. M., Wood, N. R., Kwiatek, S. M., & Orehek, E. (in press). Expectations and experiences of screen time, social interaction, and solitude. Journal of Social Psychology. *Leckfor, C. M., *Wood, N. R., Slatcher, R. B., & Hales, A. H. (in press). From close to ghost: Examining the relationship between the need for closure, intentions to ghost, and reactions to being ghosted. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Juergensen, J., & Leckfor, C. (2019). Stop pushing me away: Facebook addiction relates to automatic approach motivation for Facebook stimuli. Psychological Reports, 122(6), 2012-2025. Other Information Of note: Christina's research has received coverage in the following media outlets: "Socializing boosts mood compared to screentime" by Erica Techo (2023, September, 14). UGA Today “What does being ‘ghosted’ mean and why does it make us feel so bad?” by Sara Novak (2023, July 26). Discover Magazine Interview on Ghosting and the Need for Closure with River Gracey (2023, May 3). WUGA Athens News Matters “What to do if a friend ghosts you” by Catherine Pearson (2023, April 12). The New York Times “What science knows about ghosting: It’s worse than direct rejection” by Karelia Vázquex. (2023, March 7). El País (Spanish and English versions) “There's a weird link between people who seek closure and those who ghost” by Dayna McAlpine. (2023, February 14). HuffPost “People who ‘ghost’ actually have a stronger need for closure. Wait, what?” by Faima Baker. (2023, February 20). Metro “People with a high need for closure are more likely to ghost, yet also feel more distressed when they are ghosted” by Eric. W. Dolan (2023, February 19). PsyPost “Love in 2023: Ghosting ‘new normal’ for ending relationships, research shows” by John Anderer. (2023, February 14). StudyFinds “The relationship between ghosting and closure” by Erica Techo. (2023, February 13). UGA Today
