Maria Testa, PhD

Dr. Testa’s current research focuses on intimate partner aggression (IPA), examining what role either alcohol or marijuana play as proximal or distal predictors, in addition to how fluctuations in self-control strength affect couple functioning, conflict, and IPA perpetration of intimate partner aggression. Another area of study is on the role of alcohol in men’s perpetuation of sexual aggression and women’s experiences of sexual victimization. Currently, she is developing a personalized normative feedback intervention around drinking and hookups, to be delivered to college freshman women, to help reduce college sexual.

• Sexual victimization – role of alcohol, incapacitated rape, college sexual victimization and heavy episodic drinking, interventions to reduce alcohol-related sexual assault
• Intimate partner aggression (IPA) – role of alcohol or marijuana as proximal or distal predictors, role of self-control in IPA, independently and as it interacts with substance use
• Alcohol administration studies (including with couples)
• Daily report/EMA studies (including dyadic studies with couples)