My research examines the dynamic ways in which our personality traits and attachment styles change across time, life experiences, and social contexts. In my research, I use modern statistical approaches to capture how individual differences are expressed in, and shaped by, people's everyday environments. My research emphasizes the importance of studying the "little moments" in life (e.g., one's partner doing something special, accomplishing something you're proud of) and how they accumulate over time, guiding who we become.

Recent Publications:

Dugan, K. A., Vogt, R. L., Zheng, A., Gillath, O., Deboeck, P. R., Fraley, R. C., & Briley, D. A. (2024). Life events sometimes alter the trajectory of personality development: Effect sizes for 25 life events estimated using a large, frequently assessed sample. Journal of Personality, 92(1), 130-146. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12837

Dugan, K. A., Fraley, R. C., Gillath, O., & Deboeck, P. R. (2024). Testing the canalization hypothesis of attachment theory: Examining within-subject variation in attachment security. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 126(3), 511–541. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000488

Junkins, E. J., Dugan, K. A., Chehab, S., Han, Y. S., Liu, T., Yuan, J., & Derringer, J. (2024). Systematic review of queer and minority identities in romantic relationships research. Psychology & Sexuality, 1-22.

Gillath, O., Deboeck, P. R., Fraley, R. C., & Dugan, K. A. (2024). Person-situation interactions as predictors of variations in attachment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 02654075241262046.