Singlehood and Well-Being

Geoff MacDonald is a full professor as well as the current chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Dr. MacDonald is a fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) and the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR). He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of IARR and previously served as an associate editor and a lead editor of the IARR's Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (with the journal's impact factor doubling during his tenure as lead editor). Dr. MacDonald's research focus has been on the intersection of attachment security and intimacy in romantic relationships. More recently, his focus on the emotional distance preferred by individuals higher in attachment avoidance led him to become interested in the experiences of individuals who stay single. Long-term singlehood is an increasing phenomenon worldwide, yet little is known about the different patterns of psychological functioning of singles. Dr. MacDonald's work has been published in a number of prestigious outlets including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, as well as Archives of Sexual Behavior. He has also co-edited an influential book, Social Pain: Neuropsychological and Health Implications of Loss and Exclusion (2010, American Psychological Association). He has received numerous awards including Honourable Mention for the SPSP Theoretical Innovation Prize, the Australian Psychological Society's Early Career Award, multiple University of Toronto Dean's Excellence Awards, and many research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. MacDonald is also a proud mentor of his former students (inter alia: Samantha Joel, Jessica Maxwell, and Yoobin Park) occupying research positions around the globe and winning prestigious international awards.