Erica Slotter, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Villanova University
- Villanova PA
Erica Slotter, PhD, is an expert in social psychology and romantic relationships.
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Dr. Slotter can explore other relationship paradoxes, like how a romantic partner can simultaneously develop aggression and attachment anxiety toward a loved one. She can also speak to the self-identity confusion that sometimes ensues after a relationship ends.
Education
Northwestern University
PhD
Northwestern University
MA
New College of Florida
BA
Select Media Appearances
Do Opposites Really Attract in Relationships?
Live Science
2024-08-17
"When people talk about opposites attracting, that's thought of as being, 'Oh, I know this one couple; they got together, and they don't have a lot in common.' But it tends to be the exception to the rule," Erica Slotter, a psychologist at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, told Live Science. "Similarity is still a robust predictor of attraction."
Crushes Make Everyone Embarrassing, Not Just You
Glamour
2024-06-05
Regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation, almost everyone has done something foolish to get closer to a crush. According to Erica Slotter, PhD, a social psychologist and associate professor in Villanova University's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, that's because initial attraction—as in, a new crush—typically activates different neural circuits in our brains.
What to Know Before Getting Back Together With an Ex
New York Magazine
2018-07-10
It's common for people to rekindle relationships after years apart. And often those relationships are at a unique advantage. "You already know that you're attracted to this person," explains Erica Slotter, an assistant professor of psychology at Villanova University, "and are aware of their strengths and weaknesses in relationships, as well as the strengths and weaknesses they bring out in you."
Why You Reach Out to Your Ex After a Breakup, and What It Means
Elite Daily
2017-07-28
In "Who Am I Without You? The Influence of Romantic Breakup on the Self-Concept," authors Erica B. Slotter, Wendi L. Gardner and Eli J. Finkel conclude that "romantic relationships alter the selves of the individuals within them." "Partners develop shared friends and activities and even overlapping self-concepts. This intertwining of selves may leave individuals' self-concepts vulnerable to change if the relationship ends."
Listening to Jealousy
Psychology Today
2016-11-01
Katie didn't see herself as the jealous type. Why should she be? The New York City writer was smart and attractive, and she was dating Sandy, a man 23 years her senior. "He saw me as this young pretty thing," she says. "I felt very confident in our roles"... "Envy is 'I want what you have.' Jealousy is 'I have something that I think you want, that I think you're coming after,'" says Erica Slotter, a professor of psychology at Villanova University.
If Your Potential Lover Is Clumsy, You Will Be, Too
NBC News Digital
2012-06-01
When it comes to dating, opposites often attract. A new study, which is available online in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, examines the phenomenon: The research looks at which negative qualities people are most willing to adopt for a potential romantic partner—and where they draw the line. "We were especially interested in how a romantic partner changed an individual to be something less than his or her best self," says study author Erica Slotter, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Villanova University.
Select Academic Articles
Motivated Self-Change to Protect the Relational Self: Romantic Jealousy Promotes Spontaneous Self-Change, but Only When Aligned With the Ideal Self
Self and IdentityErica B. Slotter & Jillian Umstead
2025
Saint or Villain? Perceptions of Stepparenting vs. Biological/Adoptive Parenting Familial Roles
Family TransitionsErica B. Slotter & Patrick M. Markey
2025
All Role Transitions Are Not Experienced Equally: Associations Among Self-Change, Emotional Reactions and Self-Concept Clarity
Self and IdentityErica B. Slotter & Courtney M. Walsh
2017
An Unclear Self Leads to Poor Mental Health: Self-Concept Confusion Mediates the Association of Loneliness With Depression
Journal of Social and Clinical PsychologyStephanie B. Richman, Richard S. Pond, Jr., C. Nathan DeWall, Madoka Kumashiro, Erica B. Slotter & Laura B. Luchies
2016
Reaching Out by Changing What's Within: Social Exclusion Increases Self-Concept Malleability
Journal of Experimental Social PsychologyStephanie B. Richman, Erica B. Slotter, Wendi L. Gardner & C. Nathan DeWall
2015
Remind Me Who I Am: Social Interaction Strategies for Maintaining the Threatened Self-Concept
Personality and Social Psychology BulletinErica B. Slotter & Wendi L. Gardner
2014
