Kyla Cary
Assistant Professor
Psychology
- 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. WOMENS 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 25.1 (2025)
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)
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. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 62.7 (2025): 1395-1412.
Greer, K., Stanojevic, 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 43.3 (2025)
Greer, K., Pettyjohn, M., Cary, K., Sciara, T., Stanojevic, I., & Lester, J. Man or Bear?: A Thematic Analysis of Men's Responses to Gender-Based Violence Discourse on TikTok. LEISURE SCIENCES (2025)
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-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL (2025)
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 (2025)
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 (2025)
Mena-Meléndez, L., Bueno, X., Cary, K., Asamoah, N., Crawford, B., Turner, R., & Jozkowski, K. English- and Spanish-speaking US adults' perceptions of the most common reasons for abortion: a study of open-ended data before and after <i>Dobbs v. Jackson</i>. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 22.1 (2025)
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 <i>Dobbs</i> Decision. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH (2025)
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. 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)
Greer, K., Stanojevic, 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.
Maas, M., LaBrenz, C., Cary, K., Buenabad, N., & Parra-Cardona, JR. Gender, romantic relationships and sexual health in Mexico: Parents' experiences of discussion with their children. CULTURE HEALTH & SEXUALITY 25.6 (2023): 762-775.
Maas, M., Slaker, J., Holt, K., Ratan, R., Cary, K., & Greer, K. Sexual Experiences and Beliefs Vary by Patterns of Pornography Genre Preferences Among Women. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 49.6 (2023): 659-672.
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-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL 26.4 (2022): 1432-1451.
Maas, M., Gal, T., Cary, K., & Greer, K. Popular Culture and Pornography Education to Improve the Efficacy of Secondary School Staff Response to Student Sexual Harassment. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SEXUALITY EDUCATION 17.4 (2022): 435-457.
Reese Weber, M., Zimmerman, C., Cary, K., & McLeese, M. Hookup experiences and feelings of regret: The effects of gender, college context, and hookup characteristics. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH 70.5 (2022): 1552-1562.
Beffel, J., Cary, K., Nuttall, A., Chopik, W., & Maas, M. Associations between the broad autism phenotype, adult attachment, and relationship satisfaction among emerging adults. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 168 (2021)
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.