Department of Psychology
Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481-8203
Phone: 781-283-3010
Email: sschiavo@wellesley.edu
Office: Science Center 496

Many, many years ago, in fall of my junior year as a chemistry major at Lehigh, I took introductory psychology. In addition to being fascinated by the content, I recognized a way out of chem labs forever. I next headed to Columbia to study social psychology, because it dealt with interpersonal interaction and group behavior, which I believed would facilitate my then career goal of becoming eventually a dean of students. Within two weeks I had become committed to social psychology itself. During my recent years at Wellesley I have taught group psychology, research methods in social psychology, and a perennial favorite of mine, introductory psychology. As advanced seminars, I teach environmental psychology, which looks at the relationship between the physical environment and behavior, and also applied psychology, in which we examine various programs and interventions designed to change behavior. I also do research in these areas. My recent work in environmental psychology has included: how preschool children use the physical environment to regulate social interaction, the meaning of decorations in professors’ offices, and gender differences in attachment to and activities within the home. In the area of applied psychology I have mostly done evaluation research including assessment of a Safe Space program, a support program for lesbian, bisexual, queer, and questioning college students, and evaluation of two programs for pre-and post doctoral minority students. My own students have done research in many areas, including stereotypes and discrimination towards women with Anorexia Nervosa and how women who break their diets are perceived.