SOSS Seminar | Coping or Thriving? Understanding the Myths and Truths about Singlehood

Yuthika Girme is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University and the Director of the Singlehood Experiences and Complexities Underlying Relationships (SECURE) Laboratory. Dr. Girme’s research program focuses on reconciling the complexities inherent in romantic relationships and singlehood experiences, with specific focus on how social support, attachment insecurities, emotion regulation, and stigma and discrimination impact single and coupled peoples’ well-being. She regularly publishes in leading social psychology outlets and has been recognized by numerous early career awards, including the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Relationship Research Interest Group Graduate Student Paper Award, Society of Experimental and Social Psychology (SESP) Dissertation Award, Association of Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star Award, and Caryl Rusbult Early Career Award. Dr. Girme is an award-winning teacher and co-hosts an Educational Podcast called ‘Merlot with my Beau’ where she discusses the psychology behind close relationships and peoples' unique and complex personalities.

Dr Kenneth Tan is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. He obtained his BS and MA from the National University of Singapore, and his PhD from Purdue University (USA). He was also the recipient of the Singapore Ministry of Education Early Career Award. His field of research is in social-personality psychology, with a focus on examining cognition, emotion, motivation and behavior in the context of close, interpersonal relationships. Specifically, his research interests revolve around commitment, relationship receptivity, singlehood, and relationship dissolution, with the long-term goal to understand how individuals can overcome emotional and motivational challenges to support positive relationships and enhance wellbeing. He has published his research in journals such as Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Social Psychological and Personality Science, and Journal of Family Psychology, amongst others.