Ph.D., Psychology, University California, Santa Barbara, 2006    Emphasis in Statistics
M.A., Psychology, University California, Santa Barbara, 2003

B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Biology, Santa Clara University, 1996

The role of the self in close relationships in 3 major areas: (1) the influence of relationship processes on health and well-being, (2) social support processes, with a focus on support-seeking and caregiving, (3) social perception processes in interpersonal interactions.

Dr. Máire Ford joined LMU’s Psychology department in 2006. She completed her undergraduate training at Santa Clara University where she majored in Psychology and minored in Biology. Following her graduation from college she taught high school biology and chemistry for four years. She then attended graduate school at the University of California in Santa Barbara, where she earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Social Psychology with an emphasis in Statistics.

Dr. Ford’s research interests focus on the role of the self in close relationships, with an emphasis on romantic relationships. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Ford's husband also works at LMU.  They have a wonderful daughter and two adorable labrador retrievers. 

Ford, M.B., Collins, N.L. (2006) The effects of self-esteem on cortisol reactivity in response to social rejection. (Manuscript submitted for publication).

Collins, N.L, Ford, M.B., Guichard, A. C., Allard, L. M. (2006). Working models of attachment and social construal processes in intimate relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 201-219.

Collins, N.L., Guichard, A.C., & Ford, M.B., & Feeney, B. C. (2006) Responding to need in intimate relationships: Normative processes and individual differences. In M. Mikulincer & G. Goodman (Eds.), Dynamics of Love: Attachment, Caregiving, and Sex. New York: Guilford Press.

Collins, N.L., Guichard A.C., Ford, M.B., & Feeney B.C. (2004). Working models of attachment: New developments and emerging themes. In W.S. Rholes & J.A. Simpson (Eds.), Adult Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Implications (pp. 196-239). New York: Guilford Press.

Plante, T.G., Coscarelli, L. & Ford, M. (2001). Does exercising with another enhance the stress reducing benefits of exercise? International Journal of Stress Management, 3, 201-213.

Plante, T.G., & Ford, M.B. (2000). The association between cardiovascular stress responsivity and perceived stress among subjects with irritable bowel syndrome and temporomandibular joint disorder: A preliminary analysis. International Journal of Stress Management, 2, 103-119.