Professor, Ph.D. (Colorado)
As a social psychologist, I have been conducting research on subjective health and health-related behaviours and problems in non-clinical and clinical populations. Our method of investigation is intensive questionnaire measurements within multivariate designs. We have several extensive data sets in hand or in progress: a three-year graduating follow-up of a first-year “double cohort” students, a longitudinal follow-up of graduating students, a sample of clients at an addiction treatment agency, a WEB-based sample of people with chronic health problems, and a sample of couples Our work tests multiple-path models of problem drinking and subjective health within the framework of adult attachment theory. Here are some of the areas of recent interests and publication: 1) How adult attachment orientations, and related concepts such as social support and loneliness may contribute to health status and health behaviours, including problem drinking. 2) Studies of subjective well-being, the interplay among life satisfaction, positive and negative affect; 3) The impact of unemployment and underemployment amongst young adults on their health and on health-related behaviours such as problem drinking; 4) a two-dimensional structural model of problem drinking in which patterns of drinking behaviour and alcohol-related problems are conceived as related but distinct dimensions. This enables us to investigate why drinkers with similar patterns of consumption experience varying levels of adverse consequences as a result of their drinking; As co-author of the only Canadian-authored textbook in social psychology, I also have a general interest in the Canadian context of social psychology.
Social psychology of health
- relationship intimacy, attachment orientations and health
- health related behaviours, determinants and outcomes
- vulnerability to alcohol problems
- influence of employment & relationship problems
Social psychology topics
- relationship problems: loneliness, attachment
- Canadian context of social psychology
- positive psychology, particularly in health and wellbeing
Alcock, J.D., Carment, D.W. and Sadava, S.W. (2005). A textbook of social psychology. Fifth edition. Scarborough: Pearson Educational.
Molnar, D., Reker, D., Culp, N. & Sadava, S.W. (2006). Journal of Research on Personality, 40.
Busseri, M., DeCourville, N. & Sadava, S.W. (2006). A hybrid model for research on subjective wellbeing: Examining common- and component-specific sources of variance in life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect. Social Indicators Research.
Sadava, S.W., O’Connor, R. & McCreary, D. (2000). Employment status and health in young adults: economic and behavioural mediators. Journal of Health Psychology, 5 (4), 549-560.
McCreary, D.R. & Sadava, S.W. (2000). Stress, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems: The influence of positive and negative affect in two cohorts of young adults. Journal of studies on Alcohol, 61, 466-474.
DeCourville, N. & Sadava, S.W. (1997). The structure of problem drinking in adulthood: A confirmatory approach. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 58, 146-154.
