Health Behaviors Laboratory
WELCOME!
The primary focus of work in our lab is the PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN FOOD CHOICE BEHAVIOR, with the overarching aim to gain a better understanding of why we eat what we eat when we eat it. We study both pathological and non-pathological aspects of eating behavior, including eating disorders, food cravings, and food avoidance (in particular of meat and other animal products). We are interested in links between eating behavior and reproductive states (e.g., the perimenstrum, pregnancy, and menopause) and emphasize the importance of understanding individual behavior around food and eating within the broader sociocultural context. Additional projects in the lab examine health-compromising and addiction-like behaviors that are often comorbid with disordered eating (e.g., excessive exercise, maladaptive social media use). We develop, implement, and evaluate NOVEL BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS TARGETING DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIORS, BODY IMAGE, AND NUTRITION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN, with a specific focus on ensuring that these interventions can be scaled easily and disseminated widely.
Dr. Hormes has a long-standing interest in the study of the STATUS OF WOMEN IN ACADEMIA and conducts research to identify and eliminate barriers to the successful retention of women in academic careers.
As a natural extension of our devotion to good science and ethics and as part of our commitment to furthering knowledge, fulfilling our educational mission, and providing psychological services to our community, the Clinical Psychology Program seeks to promote diversity in all forms. Our lab similarly values and celebrates diversity, knowing that awareness of, and sensitivity to a wide range of perspectives and ways of life make us better and more effective researchers and clinicians. Our lab welcomes people of any race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, or disability.
Dr. Hormes will be reviewing applications for admission to our clinical psychology Ph.D. training program in the fall of 2027.
LAB NEWS
Congratulations to Jennifer White, who successfully defended her master's thesis entitled "Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) in an Adolescent Sample with Restrictive Eating Disorders."
Congratulations to Grace Haase, who successfully defended her master's thesis entitled "Trait Intolerance of Uncertainty and Eating Disorder Symptoms Interact to Predict Distress During Eating-Related Uncertainty."
Congratulations to Emily Woodworth, who successfully defended her master's thesis entitled "Multi-method Examination of the Implementation, Feasibility, and Acceptability of a Single Session Intervention for Loss of Control Eating in Pregnancy."
Congratulations to Kayla Costello, who matched for a predoctoral internship at University of California, San Francisco!
Congratulations to Jennifer White, who is a recipient of the 2026 Initiative for Women Karen R. Hitchcock New Frontiers Fund Award!
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
The Health Behaviors Laboratory is located in the Department of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Dr. Hormes and the doctoral students in the lab are part of the clinical psychology training program, which integrates scientific and professional training in a series of didactic, practicum, and research experiences. Training focuses primarily on a social learning approach to behavior, with cognitive and more strictly behavioral approaches also represented. The goal of our training program is to prepare our students for eventual roles as research scientists, academics, clinicians, and problem solvers in the public and/or private sphere. You can learn more about the Department of Psychology here. You can read about the clinical training program here.