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Department of Psychology

Kyla Cary

Assistant Professor
Psychology
Office
DEG Degarmo Hall 435
Office Phone
(309) 438-8651office
phone
Email
kmcary@ilstu.eduemail
  • About
  • Education
  • Research

Biography

I grew up in central Illinois and attended ISU for my BS and MS in Psychology. I spent 5 years in Michigan while working on my PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University. I then briefly lived in Indiana for a postdoctoral fellowship in the School of Public Health at Indiana University. My research takes a developmental approach to understanding gender-based violence, media use, and sexual/reproductive health among adolescents and emerging adults. I also have training and experience in advanced statistical analyses, rigorous qualitative methods, and mixed method approaches.

Current Courses

PSY 400.046 Independent Study

PSY 331.004 Laboratory In Research Methods For Psychology: Developmental

PSY 290.046 Special Projects: Research Apprenticeship

PSY 340.003 Statistics For The Social Sciences

PSY 340.004 Statistics For The Social Sciences

Teaching Interests & Areas

Statistics, research methods, adolescent development, human sexuality

Research Interests & Areas

My program of research broadly explores sexuality development in adolescence and emerging adulthood with a focus on the intersection of socialization, gender-based violence, and sexual/reproductive health. I also infuse into my work an understanding of the impact of media on development. I aim to inform primary violence prevention and sexual health education. Research topics that I am interested in: sexual violence, sexual consent, sexual objectification, social media use, body image, sexual health behaviors and education, reproductive justice.

PhD Human Development and Family Studies

Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

MS Developmental Psychology and Quantitative Psychology

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

BS Psychology

Illinois State University
Normal, IL

Journal Article

Cary, K., Crawford, B., Turner, R., & Jozkowski, K. Associations between US adults' abortion attitudes and abortion-related helping intentions. Women's Reproductive Health 12.2 (2025): 330-350.
Cary, K., Jozkowski, K., Crawford, B., Turner, R., Layton, D., Lohrmann, C., & Paiz, J. US adults' attitudes toward abortion as a (non)essential procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health 25 (2025): 1-16.
Cary, K., Greer, K., Hoffacker, C., Crawford, B., Turner, R., & Jozkowski, K. Who were you thinking about? Participant reports of people they imagined while responding to an abortion attitudes survey. Social Science Quarterly 106.2 (2025): e70014.
Greer, K., Cary, K., PettyJohn, M., Casaburo, G., Graves, C., & Jozkowski, K. A qualitative meta-synthesis of women's experiences of internalized sociocultural sexual pressure. The Journal of Sex Research 62.7 (2025): 1395-1412.
Greer, K., Simić Stanojević, I., Baugh, M., Cary, K., Piatt, J., Yarber, W., Clark, C., Sciara, T., & Okolocha, A. An exploration of condom use beliefs, barriers, and experiences among blind and low-vision adults in the United States. Sexuality and Disability 43.26 (2025)
Greer, K., PettyJohn, M., Cary, K., Sciara, T., Simić Stanojević, I., & Lester, J. Man or bear?: A thematic analysis of men's responses to gender-based violence discourse on TikTok. Leisure Sciences (2025): 1-20.
Greer, K., Cary, K., Lester, J., & Jozkowski, K. The persistence of sexual scripts and compromised sexual agency: A critical discourse analysis of the songs "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "Blurred Lines". Sexuality & Culture 29 (2025): 2861-2884.
Maas, M., Cary, K., Nason, J., Moylan, C., & Brown, C. Sexual misconduct policies in secondary schools: A mixed-method analysis of in-person and online behaviors and consequences. Journal of School Health 95.12 (2025): 1112-1120.
Nolen, E., Cary, K., Mendoza, R., Vohra-Gupta, S., & Cubbin, C. "It's more important than ever for men to play a role": Women's perspectives on safe sex responsibilities following the Dobbs decision. The Journal of Sex Research (2025): 1-10.
PettyJohn, M., Cary, K., Nolen, E., & Gallegos, T. "I'm not experienced… please send advice": Teens seeking information and advice about sexual behaviors on Reddit. The Journal of Sex Research 62.7 (2025): 1186-1197.
Cary, K., Maas, M., & Bowles, R. Development and validation of the online sexual objectification experiences scale among college women. Psychology of Women Quarterly 48.3 (2024): 443-459.
Cary, K., Maas, M., Greer, K., & Meshi, D. Observed Instagram use and satisfaction with life: Associations with received communications and exploration of others' content after posting a selfie. PLOS ONE 19.3 (2024): e0297392.
Greer, K., Simić Stanojević, I., Cary, K., PettyJohn, M., Piatt, J., & Yarber, W. Barriers to reporting and lack of equitable support: Abortion access for adults with autism experiencing rape-related pregnancy post-Roe. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation 24.4 (2023): 506-519.
PettyJohn, M., Reid, T., Cary, K., Greer, K., Nason, J., Agundez, J., Graves, C., & McCauley, H. "I don't know what the hell you'd call it": A qualitative thematic synthesis of men's experiences with sexual violence in adulthood as contextualized by hegemonic masculinity. Psychology of Men & Masculinities 24.4 (2023): 272-290.
PettyJohn, M., Cary, K., & McCauley, H. Rape myth acceptance in a community sample of adult women in the post #metoo era. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 38.13-14 (2023): 8211-8234.
Cary, K., Reid, T., PettyJohn, M., Maas, M., & McCauley, H. "They are assuming that we are going to accuse them of rape, and we are assuming that they are going to rape us": A developmental perspective on emerging adults' consent conversations post #metoo. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 37.23-24 (2022): NP22759-NP22783.
Greer, K., Cary, K., Maas, M., Drouin, M., & Cornelius, T. Differences between gender and relationship status in motivations and consequences of consensual sexting among emerging adults. Sexuality & Culture 26.4 (2022): 1432-1451.
Cary, K., Maas, M., & Nuttall, A. Self-objectification, sexual subjectivity, and identity exploration among emerging adult women. Self and Identity 20.7 (2021): 845-853.
Maas, M., Cary, K., Clancy, E., Klettke, B., McCauley, H., & Temple, J. Slutpage use among US college students: The secret and social platforms of image-based sexual abuse. Archives of Sexual Behavior 50.5 (2021): 2203-2214.