The RELATE Lab

The Relationships, Latent Traits, and Emotions (RELATE) Lab is interested in unconscious psychological processes, interpersonal relationships, projective assessment, and personality functioning. Our research utilizes methods of psychological assessment that do not rely on self-report or one’s own perceptions of themselves. So much of human thought, emotion, and behavior is motivated and directed by unconscious psychological forces. Our lab is focused on exploring and understanding these hidden parts of ourselves.

The RELATE Lab is led by Dr. Joseph Salande. Dr. Salande and the students of the RELATE Lab are interested object relations theory, social cognition, personality organization, personality pathology, cult membership, attachment theory, psychological flexibility, and projective psychological assessment.

Current Research Projects:

• Attachment, Relationships, and the Unconscious: A study of the Thematic Apperception Test
• Psychological Flexibility and the Thematic Apperception Test: An Integrative Study
• To What Extent Do Social Media ‘Likes’ Influence People’s Beliefs about Misinformation
• Attachment and Interpersonal Problems in College Students
• Examining Relationships between Thematic Apperception Test Narratives and Narratives of Witnessed Events

Membership:

Membership in the RELATE Lab is open to all ULL psychology graduate and undergraduate students. You do not need to commit to participating in a research project and are welcome to attend in order to simply learn. Please email Dr. Salande at joseph.salande@louisiana.edu if you are interested.

Key Conceptual Areas of Our Lab’s Work:

• Psychoanalytic/Object Relations Theory
• Attachment Theory
• Relationships and Interpersonal Issues
• Mindfulness and Acceptance
• Harmful interpersonal and social influences

About Dr. Salande

Dr. Salande is a clinical psychologist with expertise in psychological assessment and psychotherapy. Dr. Salande’s clinical background is in psychological assessment, evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD, and integrated psychotherapy utilizing humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic psychotherapeutic strategies and interventions. He has published theoretical contributions regarding unconscious psychological processes of cult membership and research literature on psychological flexibility, attachment, and personality organization. Dr. Salande teaches courses in psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and forensic psychology.