Loyola University Maryland

Department of Psychology

Theresa E. DiDonato, Ph.D.

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Theresa DiDonatoAssistant Professor of Psychology
Advisor, Psychology Club

Office: Beatty Hall, Room 214
Telephone: 410-617-5135
Email: TEDiDonato@loyola.edu

Education:

  • B.A. (Psychology with English double major, graduated with Honors), Wellesley College
  • Sc.M. Brown University
  • Ph.D. Brown University

Scholarly Interests:

My research focuses on the cognitive processes that take place at the intersection of self and other. In my first line of work, I study social perception and explore questions related to stereotypes and social projection.  My second focus is on close relationships. This work includes the study of how romantic relationship partners foster self-authenticity, how social ostracism affects our perceptions of our relationships, and online dating.

My teaching interests include core psychology courses, such as introductory psychology, research methodology, and social psychology, as well as specialized courses in social psychology including courses in social cognition, close relationships, self psychology and the psychology of gender.

Representative Publications:

Krueger, J.I., Freestone, D., & DiDonato, T.E. (2012). Twilight of a dilemma: A réplique.
     Psychological Inquiry, 23, 85-100. doi:10.1080/1047840X.2012.666930

Krueger, J. I., DiDonato, T. E., & Freestone, D. (2012). Social projection can solve social dilemmas.
     Psychological Inquiry, 23, 1-27. doi:10.1080/1047840X.2012.641167  

DiDonato, T.E., Krueger, J. I., & Ullrich, J. (2011). Social perception as induction and inference:
     an integrative model of intergroup differentiation, ingroup favoritism, and differential accuracy.
     Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(1), 66-83. doi:10.1037/a0021051

DiDonato, T. E. & Krueger, J.I. (2010). Interpersonal affirmation and self-authenticity: A test of
     Rogers’s self-growth hypothesis. Self and Identity, 9(3), 322-336. doi: 10.1080/15298860903135008

Krueger, J. I. & DiDonato, T. E. (2010). Sources of social projection: Self-protection and inductive
    reasoning. Acta Psychologica, 134, 85-93. doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2009.12.010

DiDonato, T. E. (2008), The surprising effect of facial appearance on political decision-making.
       Inquisitive Mind (In-mind) Magazine, 7.

Krueger, J. I., Massey, A. & DiDonato, T. E. (2008). A mater of trust: From social preferences
       to the strategic adherence to social norms. Negotiation & Conflict Managment Research,
       1, 1, 31.52.

Kruger, J. I. & DiDonato, T. E. (2008). Social categorization and the perception of groups and
       group differences. Personality and Social Psychology Compass, 2, 2, 733-750.

Course Offerings:

PY201.01: Social Psychology
PY292.01: Research Methods II
PY419.01: Advanced Topics in Research Psychology

Self and Social Relationships Lab webpage:

http://evergreen.loyola.edu/~tedidonato