CV | Rachel Vanderbilt

Education

2016 - 2020

Penn State University

Ph.D. Communication Arts and Sciences

Advisor: Denise Solomon, Ph.D.

Dissertation: Antecedents and Consequences of Communication about Serial Arguments: A Longitudinal Study of Associations Within and Between Conflict Episodes

2104 - 2016

University of Central Florida

M.A. Interpersonal Communication

Advisor: Harry Weger Jr., Ph.D.

Thesis: An Examination of Serial Arguing and Marital Satisfaction in Premarital Cohabiters and Direct Marriers

2011 - 2014

Syracuse University

B.S. Communication and Rhetorical Studies

Peer Reviewed Publications

Worley, T, Vanderbilt, R. R., & Liu, E. (2022). “Are You Doing What I Think You’re Doing?” Momentary Goal Projection and Goal Contagion in Romantic Conflict. Communication Research, 50(1), 53-79.

Vanderbilt, R. R. & Solomon, D. H. (2021). The role of perceived resolvability in serial arguments across the lifespan. Personal Relationships.

Brinberg, M., Vanderbilt, R. R., Solomon, D. H., Brinberg, D., & Ram, N. (2021). Using technology to unobtrusively observe relationship development. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 38, 3429-3450.

Worley, T, Liu, E, Vanderbilt, R. R. (2021). Initial goals, goal trajectories, and changes in perceived resolvability during serial arguments. Personal Relationships, 28, 61– 79.

Morley, V.J., Firgens, E.P.C., Vanderbilt, R. R. et al. (2020) Factors associated with antibiotic prescribing for acute bronchitis at a university health center. BMC Infect Dis, 20, 177.

MacGeorge, E. L., Foley, K. A., Firgens, E. P. C., Vanderbilt, R. R., Worthington, A. K., & Hackman, N. M. (2020). “Watchful Waiting” Advice for Pediatric Ear Infections. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 39, 414–424.

Peng, L., Shen, L., Vanderbilt, R. R., Kim, Y., & Foley, K. A. (2018). The impact of fear versus state empathy on persuasion and social stigma. Media Psychology, 23, 1-24.

Book Chapters

Brinberg, M., Vanderbilt, R. R., & Solomon, D. H. (2022). Unobtrusive observational approaches to studying the texting life of couples: A case study of interpersonal conflict. In J.H. Lipschultz, K. Freberg, & R. Luttrell (Eds.), The Emerald Handbook of Computer Mediated Communication and Social Media. Emerald Publishing.

Awards

Top Paper Award, 2023, Interpersonal Communication Division, NCA

Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2021, National Communication Association

Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2021, Interpersonal Communication Division, NCA

Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2021, Interpersonal Communication Division, ICA

Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award, 2016, Nicholson School of Communication

Research Experience

Serial Argument Lab

Co- Primary Investigator with Tim Worley, PhD

The serial argument lab recorded conversations from undergraduate daters about a persistent, difficult to resolve conflict issue. We then utilized video assisted recall in tandem with a guided survey to assess cognitions during the conversation.

Specific work examines:

How goal perceptions (one's own) mirror perceptions of a partners' goals from minute to minute
How goal trajectories influence change in the perceptions of perceived resolvability from pre to post interaction
How emotions change from pre to post interaction as a function of perceiving a partner is interfering with or facilitating one's own goals over time

Texting Life of Couples Study

Primary Investigator: Mimi Brinberg, PhD

The Texting Life of Couples (TLC) Study examines how new romantic couples text in their daily lives.

Using text message logs from new romantic couples, we are able to examine when and what couples text each other over the course of their relationship.

Specific work examines:

How texting behaviors, such as frequency, responsiveness, and message length, change during relationship development
How couples' language use becomes more similar over time
How couples' frequency of texting is associated with different personal (e.g., attachment style) and relational characteristics (e.g., relationship satisfaction)

Communication Scientists Against Antibiotic Resistance Lab

Primary Investigator: Erina MacGeorge, PhD

Collaborators: Kasey Foley, Emily Firgens, Amber Worthington, Yanmengqian (Alison) Zhou, Yuwei Li

The CSaAR lab attempts to reduce instances of antibiotic resistance through improving provider discussions of treatments for antibiotic eligible illnesses.

Through recording provider patient interactions, collecting chart data, and survey responses from both providers and patients after visits, we are able to make recommendations around effective medical advising.

Specific work examines:

Provider communication about treatment options (e.g., antibiotics, watchful waiting, no antibiotics) for diagnoses of acute otitis media (inner ear infections) or upper respiratory tract infections in a primary care setting.
Predicting patient satisfaction regarding treatment recommendations from providers treatment advising patterns.

Conference Presentations

May 2022 International Communication Association Conference

Table, B., Holland, M., Vanderbilt, R. R., Weger, H. ‘It’s Not A Public Matter Nor Am I Very Private About It’: Understanding Privacy Management of the Polyamorous Identity

Nov 2020 National Communication Association Conference

Vanderbilt, R. R., Solomon, D. H. "The role of perceived resolvability in serial arguments across the lifespan."

Nov 2018 National Communication Association Conference

Foley, K. A., MacGeorge, E.L., Caldes, E. P., Vanderbilt, R. R., Hackman, N., Hall, J., Yu, P. A., Li, J. T., Chen, Z., & Worthington, A. "Analysis of provider communication about antibiotics for pediatric ear infections (Otitis Media): Implications for antibiotic stewardship."

May 2018 International Communication Association Conference

MacGeorge, E. L., Caldes, E. P., Foley, K., Reymann, R., Hall, J., Yu, P. A., Li, J. T., Chen, Z., Worthington, A. K. "Providers’ communication of watchful waiting advice for acute otitis media."

April 2018 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication

Foley, K. A., MacGeorge, E. L., Caldes, E. P., Vanderbilt, R. R., Hackman, N., Hall, J., Yu, P. A., Li, J. T., Chen, Z., & Worthington, A. "What providers say when prescribing antibiotics for pediatric ear infections: Implications for antibiotic stewardship"

Nov 2017 National Communication Association Conference

MacGeorge, E. L., Caldes, E. P., Foley, K. A., Worthington, A. K., Reymann, R. E. "Parental disclosure of distress and physician support during pediatric outpatient visits: A mixed- method analysis"

MacGeorge, E. L., Caldes, E. P., Foley, K. A., Worthington, K. A., Reymann, R. E."'Watchful waiting' advice for pediatric ear infections: A descriptive analysis of your doctor-parent interactions"

Nov 2016 National Communication Association Conference

Reymann, R. E., Weger, H., "Premarital cohabitation history, married couples’ serial argument behavior, and associations between serial argument topics and relationship satisfaction"

Nov 2015 National Communication Association Conference

Reymann, R. E., Table, B., Weger, H., "Relational dialectical tensions in polyamorous relationships"

April 2016 Graduate Research Forum, University of Central Florida

Reymann, R. E., Weger, H., "Premarital cohabitation history, married couples’ serial argument behavior, and associations between serial argument topics and relationship satisfaction."

March 2015 Graduate Research Forum, University of Central Florida

Reymann, R. E., Miller, A. N., Kinnally, W., Appelbaum, M., Bowels, M., "The meanings of sexual media: Examining the perceptions and interpretations of sexual messages among college students."

Invited Talks

Penn State Communication Arts and Sciences Department

Success Within and After Graduate School Colloquium, February 2024

Penn State College of Liberal Arts

Careers Outside of the Academy for Humanities and Social Science Ph.D.’s, April 2023

Penn State Donald P. Bellisario College of Communication, Dr. Stephanie Madden - COMM420

Experiments and AB Testing Lecture , October 2020, October 2021, March 2023

Claremont Graduate College, Positive Psychology - Positive PsyDays Program

The importance of creating tangible meaning from our research: Public scholarship on TikTok and beyond, November 2022

Christopher Newport University, Dr. David Roache - COM 395

Viral TikTok to Podcast Host, How to Prepare for a Podcast Episode, September 2021

Penn State Communication Arts and Sciences Department

Alternative Careers to Academia Colloquium, September 2020

Teaching Experience

Graduate Instructor, Pennsylvania State University

CAS100A: Effective Speech, 3 sections, Fall 16, Spring 17

CAS204: Communication Research Methods, Fall 17

CAS203: Interpersonal Communication, 2 sections, Summer 18, Spring 19

CAS101N: Introduction to Human Communication, Fall 18

CAS100B: Effective Speech, COVID-Virtual, 1 section, Fall 20

Graduate Instructor, University of Central Florida

SPC1608: Fundamentals of Oral Communication, 4 sections, Fall 15, Spring 16

Teaching Assistant, University of Central Florida

COM1000: Introduction to Human Communication

MMC3420: Mass Media Research Methods

MMC3630: Social Media as Mass Communication

SPC4548: Persuasion and Communication

SPC1608: Fundamentals of Oral Communication

VIC3001: Visual Communication

Professional Development

Penn State University

Essentials of Online Teaching, Summer 2019

University of Central Florida

Preparing Future Faculty Program, Summer 2015

Advanced Distributed Learning for Technology: Mediated Course Delivery, Summer 2015

Service

International Communication Association

Dissertation Award Committee, Interpersonal Communication Division

National Communication Association

Reviewer, Interpersonal Communication Division

Reviewer, Health Communication Division

Student Section Reviewer

Argumentation & Advocacy

Editorial Assistant

Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State University

President, Graduate Forum

Graduate Student Representative, Faculty Search Committee

Graduate Relations Representative, Graduate Forum

Graduate Student Representative, Graduate Committee