Mapping the HEART across Cultures and the Lifespan
Our lab explores how love, emotional experiences, and social bonds shape well-being across cultures and throughout the lifespan. To this end, we bring together cutting-edge developmental methods such as various experience sampling methods (e.g., Ecological Momentary Assessment, Day Reconstruction Method, Daily Diaries) to study indicators of well-being, particularly affective states, from a dynamical systems perspective.
CROSS-CULTURAL LOVE PROJECT
Love is a universal phenomenon that shapes our emotions, relationships, and wellbeing—but its meaning can differ across cultures. Funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, our multicultural research study examines what makes people feel loved in everyday life.
Lab Director
Saida Heshmati, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Positive Developmental Psychology
Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences
Claremont Graduate University
International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) 2023 Early Career Researcher Award Recipient
Recent News & Updates!
Recent News & Updates!
News & Updates (SEP, 2024)
CONGRATULATIONS — JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION GRANT
Congratulations to Dr. Saida Heshmati (Project Leader) and Dr. Zita Oravecz (Project Co-Leader) for recently being awarded a John Templeton Grant (#63364). Their project is titled, “Embracing Love Across Cultures: Decoding Cultural Beliefs on Love and Their Impact on Wellbeing” and is a 5-year cross-cultural study that will last from 2024–2028.
Be on the lookout for detailed updates about this new project and our multi-year journey!
Research team
Learn more about our team of graduate students and faculty working on making a difference in people’s lives through research projects centered on positive development and well-being.
Current Projects
Find out about our current research projects, such as our love project, mindfulness project, and more!
Questions? Collaborations?
Contact us for any further information about our projects or whether you would like to participate or collaborate with us!
