Bonnie Le
Assistant Professor of Psychology
- Rochester NY UNITED STATES
Le's research focuses on how emotions and motivations shape well-being in interpersonal relationships
Areas of Expertise
Media
Social
Biography
Education
University of Florida
Master's
Social Psychology
University of Toronto
PhD
Philosophy
University of California Berkeley
BS
Psychology
Selected Media Appearances
You might not be as good of a friend as you think you are
Vox online
2026-04-23
Most people say friendship is important to them, but act in ways that contradict that.
Here’s the Truth about Honesty in Romantic Relationships
WAMC Academic Minute radio
2025-06-13
Are you honest with your romantic partner?
Bonnie Le, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, explains the benefits of doing so.
How to Feel Loved
WXXI Connections radio
2026-02-12
So how can you nurture that loving feeling? This hour, we sit down with Harry Reis and his University of Rochester colleague, psychology professor Bonnie Le, to explore the science of love and happiness and what it takes to feel more of both.
Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?
MindFood online
2025-02-12
While a truthful answer may offend, a dishonest one may create trust issues down the road. So does telling the truth strengthen romantic relationships, or does it backfire?
Bonnie Le, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rochester, may have the answer — based on a recent study with more than 200 couples. Published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, her team’s research looked at the role of honesty in romantic relationships.
The truth may hurt. But for couples, it’s worth it.
University of Rochester online
2025-01-30
“Honey, do you think I look good in this outfit?” That’s hands down a loaded question. One that begs an even deeper question—is honesty always the best policy in a relationship? While a truthful answer may offend and lead to a quarrel, a dishonest one may create trust issues down the road. Does telling the truth strengthen romantic relationships, or does it backfire?
Bonnie Le, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rochester, may have the answer—based on a recent study with more than 200 couples. Published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, her team’s research looks at the role of honesty in romantic relationships.
Conservatives Are Happier Than Liberals. Discuss.
New York Times print
2021-10-21
Do liberals or conservatives experience higher levels of satisfaction, happiness or meaning in life? Is the left or the right more inclined to intolerance, bigotry or conspiratorial thinking? Are Democrats or Republicans more loyal to family and friends?
Reading your partner’s emotions correctly when it matters
University of Rochester online
2020-05-19
Are you good at reading your partner’s emotions? Your perceptiveness may very well strengthen your relationship. Yet when anger or contempt enter the fray, little is to be gained and the quality of your relationship tanks, researchers find.
A new study by a team of psychologists from the University of Rochester and the University of Toronto tried to figure out under what circumstances the ability to read another person’s emotions—what psychologists call “empathic accuracy”—is beneficial for a relationship and when it could be harmful. The study examined whether the accurate perception of a romantic partner’s emotions has any bearing on the quality of a relationship and a person’s motivation to change when a romantic partner asks for a change in behavior or attitude.
The Benefits of a Communal Orientation
Psychology Today print
2013-04-16
Research explains why helping others makes us happier.
Selected Articles
When the truth helps and when it hurts: How honesty shapes well-being
NIH National Library of Medicine2022-06-17
Despite honesty being valued in many settings, there is some ambiguity regarding the conditions under which it is beneficial or harmful for individual and relational well-being. We review and evaluate current work linking honesty to well-being. Specifically, we highlight and distinguish associations between honesty and different types of well-being within people, between people, and among broader groups, organizations, and societies. Importantly, we provide additional context that explains why honesty is not universally associated with greater well-being-and how it may even incur costs for individuals. We provide suggestions for future directions for moving toward a more holistic understanding of honesty and the ways in which honesty can be used to understand individual and relational functioning.