Biography
Dr. Rhonda N. Balzarini is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Texas State University and a Research Fellow with the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.
Dr. Balzarini received dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies from Sonoma State University in 2009. She subsequently gained research experience at Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Boston College before earning her M.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook University in 2013 where she worked with Dr. Art Aron. She completed her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Western University in 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Lorne Campbell, with support from the Ontario Trillium Scholarship. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Amy Muise at York University, funded by a Mitacs Elevate grant in partnership with Meta and a Mitacs Accelerate Grant with Standard Innovations, before joining the faculty at Texas State University in 2020. Her research has been supported by more than half a million dollars in funding from government, foundation, and industry sources.
Dr. Balzarini received dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies from Sonoma State University in 2009. She subsequently gained research experience at Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Boston College before earning her M.A. in Psychology from Stony Brook University in 2013 where she worked with Dr. Art Aron. She completed her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Western University in 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Lorne Campbell, with support from the Ontario Trillium Scholarship. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Amy Muise at York University, funded by a Mitacs Elevate grant in partnership with Meta and a Mitacs Accelerate Grant with Standard Innovations, before joining the faculty at Texas State University in 2020. Her research has been supported by more than half a million dollars in funding from government, foundation, and industry sources.
Research Interests
Dr. Balzarini studies romantic and sexual relationships, with a particular focus on how social and technological change is reshaping intimacy. Her research examines three interconnected areas: the social and structural factors that shape opportunities for in-person intimacy and sexual connection; the growing role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in how people form, maintain, and experience romantic and sexual relationships; and the implications of these changing contexts for sexual health, desire, and relationship well-being. Her work draws on large national surveys, experiments, longitudinal and dyadic designs, and immersive technology (e.g., virtual reality).
Across this work, she is especially interested in understanding the gap between people's desires for intimacy and connection and their ability to realize those desires in everyday life.
Across this work, she is especially interested in understanding the gap between people's desires for intimacy and connection and their ability to realize those desires in everyday life.
Teaching Interests
Social psychology; psychology of human sexuality; romantic relationships; research methods; history and theory of psychology; graduate research mentorship.