Dr. Susan Sprecher
Sociology Distinguished Professor
Sociology and Anthropology
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Office
SCH Schroeder Hall 351
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Current Courses
SOC 123.001 Human Sexuality
SOC 499.003 Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
SOC 400.005 Independent Study
SOC 398.001 Professional Practice:Internship In Sociological Research
PSY 391.027 Scholarship Of Teaching & Learning Apprenticeship
PSY 290.027 Special Projects: Research Apprenticeship
PSY 291.027 Special Projects:Undergraduate Teaching
SOC 495.001 Special Topics In Sociology
SOC 291.001 Undergraduate Teaching Experience In Sociology-Anthropology
Teaching Interests & Areas
Susan Sprecher earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She has written on interpersonal attraction, intimacy, and human sexuality, and has had articles published in the Journal of Personal Relationships. She teaches courses on social psychology, human sexuality, marriage and the family, and personal relationships.
Research Interests & Areas
Social Psychology, Marriage and the Family, Close Relationships, Sexuality. Relationship initiation; love; compassionate love; equity and exchange; sexual attitudes; Internet dating services; relationship initiation
Ph D Sociology
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Distingished Career Award
International Association for Relationship Research
2024
Kenneth Mary Ann Shaw Teaching Award
Illinois State University
2020
Grants & Contracts
Connections with Weak Ties. URG; Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2023)
Loving Connections with Weak Ties: A Research Agenda Using a Fast Friends Procedure. John Templeton Foundation. Private. (2023)
How We See Ourselves: Self-Esteem, Perceived Physical Attractiveness and Perceptions of Being Overweight as a Function of Gender and Race. Department of Sociology & Anthropology. Illinois State University. (2022)
Book, Chapter
Kanter, J., Sprecher, S., & Orbuch, T. Relationship quality: Predictors, correlates, and consequences. Research Handbook of Partnering Across the Life Course (2025)
Harasymchuck, C., REgan, P., & Sprecher, S. Desire: The pursuit of physical, psychological, interpersonal (and sexual) pleasure. The Emotionality of Social LIfe (2023): 75-91.
Sprecher, S., Russell, L., Su-Russell, C., & Schmeeckle, M. Social Networks and Extended Families. The Routledge Handbook of Family Communication. Routledge (2022): 277-293.
Sprecher, S., & Fehr, B. The Compassionate Love Scale. O. N. Medvedev et al. (EDs), Handbook of Assessment in Mindfulness. Springer (2022)
Sprecher, S. Creating Closeness and Interdependence: Results of Laboratory-Based Studies Involving Getting-Acquainted Dyads. L. Vanderdrift, C. Agnew, & X. Arriaga (EDs), Interdependence, Interaction, and Relationships. Cambridge Publishers (2020): 343-367.
Sprecher, S. Influence of Self-Disclosure in the Acquaintance Process on Changes in People's Self-Concept, How People Feel About Themselves, and How People Feel About Others. B. A. Mattingly, K. P. McIntyre, and G. W. Lewandowski (EDs), Interpersonal Relationships and Self-Concept (2020): 37-51.
Sprecher, S., Felmlee, D., Stokes, J., McDaniel, B., & . Social networks and relationship maintenance. Brian Ogolsky and Kale Monk (EDs), Relationship Maintenance: Theory, process, and Context. Cambridge University Press (2020): 152-177.
Sprecher, S., & Treger, S. Scale of Sexual Permissiveness for Relationship Stages. R. Milhausen et al. (EDs), Handbook of sexuality-related measures (4th edition) (2019)
Fehr, B., & Sprecher, S. Compassionate love: What we know so far. M. Hojjat & D. Cramer (EDs), Positive psychology of love. Oxford Press (2013): 106-120.
Sprecher, S. Compassionate love. L. Bormans (EDs), The world book of love: The knowledge and wisdom of 100 love professors from all around the world. Lannoo publishers (2013): 64-65.
Sprecher, S., & Metts, S. Logging on, hooking up: The changing nature of romantic relationship initiation and romantic relating. C. Hazan & M. Campa (EDs), Human bonding: The science of affectional ties. Guilford Press (2013): 197-225.
Treger, S., Sprecher, S., Hatfield, E., & Erber, R. Women's sexuality in close relationships. D. Castaneda (EDs), The essential handbook of women's sexuality. Praeger (2013): 47-68.
Schmeeckle, M., & Sprecher, S. Widening Circles: Interactive Connections between Immediate Family and Larger Social Networks. A. Vangelisti (EDs), Routledge Handbook of Family Communication (2ND edition).. Routledge. (2012): 302-317.
Willetts, M., Sprecher, S., & Beck, F. Overview of sexual practices and attitudes within relational contexts. The Handbook of Sexuality in Close Relationships (2004): 57-85.
Sprecher, S., Felmlee, D., Stokes, J., & McDaniel, B. Social Networks and Relationship Maintenance
Encyclopedia
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., & Hatfield, E. Love. Encyclopedia of Quality of Life Research and Well-being Research (2nd ed.). Springer (2021)
Sprecher, S., & O'Sullivan, L. Premarital sex. Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (2nd edition) (2021)
Roberts, L., Sprecher, S., & Roberts, L. Marital sex. J. Ponzetti et al. (EDs), Macmillan Encyclopedia of Intimate and Family Relationships (2019): 551-554.
Sprecher, S., & Fehr, B. Relationship dissolution. J. Ponzetti et al. (EDs), Macmillan Encyclopedia of Intimate and Family Relationships (2019): 714-719.
Verette Lindenbaum, J., & Sprecher, S. Attributions in close relationships. J. Ponzetti et al. (EDs), MacMillan Encyclopedia of Intimate and Family Relationships (2019): 67-73.
Hatfield, E., & Sprecher, S. Seduction. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior. Wiley-Blackwell (2014)
Treger, S., Sprecher, S., & Hatfield, E. Love. Encyclopedia of Quality of Life Research and Well-being Research. Springer (2014): 3708-3712.
Journal Article
Fingerman, K., Birditt, K., Fiori, K., Hall, J., Huxhold, O., Rauer, A., Sandstrom, G., & Sprecher, S. More than an acquaintance less than a friend: Fringeships in everyday life. Review of General Psychology 29 (2025)
Kanter, J., Lannin, D., Ratliff, H., Rauer, A., Sprecher, S., Ogolsky, B., & Yazedjian, A. The efficacy of relationship education for improving children's outcomes: A multi-informant, multi-method study (2025)
Sprecher, S. Barriers to interaction with new weak ties: Are self-presentation concerns and forecasts of benefits miscalibrated? 32 (2025)
Sprecher, S., Verette-Lindenbaum, J., Felmlee, D., Fleming, F., & Odeh, Y. Is there a sexual stereotype linking casual sex with low self-esteem? (2025)
Sprecher, S. Liking gap(s) in getting-acquainted interctions. The Journal of Social Psychology (2025)
Kanter, J., Lannin, D., Rauer, A., Sprecher, S., Yazedjian, A., & McCraig, J. The impacts of specific program components on romantic relationship satisfaction (2024)
Sprecher, S., & Verette-Lindenbaum, J. Is there a kernel of truth to the stereotype that women who engage in casual sex have lower self-esteem?. Personality and Individual Differences (2024)
Kanter, J., Lannin, D., Rauer, A., Sprecher, S., & Yazedjian, A. The longitudinal influence of cumulative risk: Is relationship education a resource? (2023)
Sprecher, S. Listening and responsiveness in getting-acquainted processes. Current Opinion in Psychology 52: 101645 (2023)
Sprecher, S. The vignette method: A flexible method for capstone courses and as a supplemental learning experience in research labs. College Teaching 71.2 (2023): 75-81.
Drouin, M., & Sprecher, S. Is Chatting with a Sophisticated Chatbox as Good as Chatting Online or Face to Face with a Stranger?. Computers in Human Behavior 128 (2022)
Sprecher, S. Acquaintanceships (Weak Ties): Their Role in People's Web of Relationships. Personal Relationships 29.3 (2022): 425-450.
Sprecher, S., Miller, R., Fehr, B., Kanter, J., Perlman, D., & Felmlee, D. Enhanced Mood after a Getting-Acquainted Interaction with a Stranger: Do Shy People Benefit Too? (2022)
Sprecher, S., O'Sullivan, L., Drouin, M., Verette-Lindenbaum, J., & Willetts, M. Perhaps It Was Too Soon: College Students' Reflections on the Timing of Their Sexual Debut. Journal of Sex Research 59.1 (2022): 39-52.
Sprecher, S., & Hatfield, E. Ratings of the Physical Attractiveness of an Interaction Partner After a Getting-Acquainted Interaction. Personal Relationships 29.2 (2022): 366-385.
Perlman, D., Sprecher, S., & Drouin, M. Introduction to the special issue on communication technologies and relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 38.12 (2021): 3417-3428.
Sprecher, S. Attachment Orientation and Reasons for and Reactions to "Virginity" in College. Current Psychology (2021)
Sprecher, S. Closeness and Other Affiliative Outcomes Generated from the Fast Friends Procedure: A Comparison with a Small-Talk Task and an Unstructured Getting-Acquainted Task the Moderating Role of Mode of Communication. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 38.5 (2021): 1452-1471.
Sprecher, S., & Felmlee, D. Social Network Pressure to Enter a Romantic Relationship, Fear of Being Single, and the Role of Gender. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships 15.2 (2021): 246-261.
Sprecher, S. Social bonding in initial acquaintance: Effects of modality and modality order. Social Psychology Quarterly 84 (2021): 216-234.
Sprecher, S. Trends Over Time in Emerging Adults' Self-Reports of Attachment Styles. Emerging Adulthood (2020)
Hampton, A., Fisher, A., & Sprecher, S. "You're Like Me and I Like You": Mediators of the similarity-liking link assessed before and after a getting-acquainted social interaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 36 (2019): 2221-2244.
Sprecher, S. Does dis(similarity) information about a new acquaintance lead to liking or repulsion? An experimental test of a classic social psychology issue. Social Psychology Quarterly 18 (2019): 303-318.
Sprecher, S., Econie, A., & Treger, S. Mate preferences in emerging adulthood and beyond: Cross-sectional and retrospective analyses to examine changes.. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 36 (2019): 3139-3158.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., & Landa, N. Men and women's plans for romantic initiation strategies across four settings. Current Psychology (2019)
Sprecher, S., & Willetts, M. The Significance of Sexual Debut in Women's Lives. Current Sexual Health Reports 11 (2019): 265-273.
Sprecher, S. Inequity Leads to Distress and a Reduction in Satisfaction: Evidence from a Priming Experiment. Journal of Family Issues 39 (2018): 230-244.
Hampton, A., Rawlings, J., Treger, S., & Sprecher, S. Channels of Computer-Mediated Communication and Satisfaction in Long-distance Relationships (2017)
Sprecher, S., & Hampton, A. Liking and Other Reactions after a Get-Acquainted Interaction: A Comparison of Continuous Face-to-Face Interaction versus Interaction that Progresses from Text Messages to Face-to-Face. Communication Quarterly 65 (2017): 333-353.
Sprecher, S., & Hatfield, E. The Importance of Love as a Basis of Marriage: Revisiting Kephart (1967).. Journal of Family Issues (2017)
Sprecher, S., Hampton, A., Jones, H., & Femlee, D. Can I connect with both you and my social network? Access to network-salient communication technology and get-acquainted interactions. Computers in Human Behavior 62 (2016): 423-432.
Sprecher, S., Regan, P., & Orbuch, T. Who does the work? Partner perceptions of relationship initiation and maintenance. Interpersona 10 (2016): 13-27.
Sinclair, C., Felmlee, D., Sprecher, S., & Wright, B. Don't tell me who I can't love: A multi-method investigation of social network and reactance effects on romantic relationships.. Social Psychology Quarterly 78 (2015): 77-99.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., Fisher, A., Hilaire, N., Grzybowski, M., & . Association between self-expansion and actual and perceived (dis)similarity and their joint effects on attraction in initial interactions.. Self and Identity 14 (2015): 369-389.
Sprecher, S., & Treger, S. The benefits of turn-taking reciprocal self-disclosure in get-acquainted interactions.. Personal Relationships 22 (2015): 460-475.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., & . Virgin college students' reasons for and reactions to their abstinence from sex: Results from a 23-year study at a Midwestern U.S. University. Journal of Sex Research 52 (2015): 936-948.
Fehr, B., Harasymchuk, C., Sprecher, S., & . Compassionate love in romantic relationships: A Review and Some Findings. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 31 (2014): 575-600.
Sprecher, S. Effects of Actual (Manipulated) and Perceived Similarity on Liking in Get-acquainted Interactions: The Role of Communication. Communication Monographs 81 (2014): 4-27.
Sprecher, S. Evidence of Change in Men's and Women's Emotional Reactions to First Sexual Intercourse: A 23-year Study in a Human Sexuality Course at a Midwestern University. Journal of Sex Research 51 (2014): 466-472.
Sprecher, S. Initial Interactions Online-text, Online-audio, Online-video, or Face-to-face: Effects of Modality on Liking, Closeness, and Other Interpersonal Outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior 31 (2014): 190-197.
Sprecher, S., Zimmerman, C., & Fehr, B. The Influence of Compassionate Love on Strategies Used to End a Relationship. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 31 (2014): 697-705.
Sprecher, S. Attachment style and sexual permissiveness: The moderating role of gender. Personality and Individual Differences 55 (2013): 428-432.
Sprecher, S. Correlates of couples' perceived similarity at the initiation stage and currently. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships 7 (2013): 180-195.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., & Wondra, J. Effects of self-disclosure role on liking, closeness, and other impressions in get-acquainted interactions. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 30 (2013): 497-514.
Sprecher, S. Predictors of condom use in first sexual intercourse: A consideration of individual, situational, relational, and cohort effects.. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 43 (2013): E71-E84.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., & Sakaluk, J. Premarital sexual standards and sociosexuality: Gender, ethnicity, and cohort differences. Archives of Sexual Behavior 42 (2013): 1395-1405.
Sprecher, S., Brooks, J., & Avogo, W. Self-esteem among young adults: Differences and similarities based on gender, race, and cohort (1990-2012). Sex Roles 69 (2013): 264-275.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., Wondra, J., Hilaire, N., & Wallpe, K. Taking turns: Reciprocal self-disclosure promotes liking in initial interactions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 49 (2013): 860-866.
Sprecher, S., Treger, S., Hilaire, N., Fisher, A., & Hatfield, E. You validate me, you like me, you're fun, you expand me: "I'm Yours!". Current Research in Social Psychology (2013): 22-30.
Treger, S., Sprecher, S., & Erber, R. Laughing and Liking: Exploring the interpersonal effects of humor use in initial social interactions. Europeon Journal of Social Psychology 43 (2013): 532-543.
Sprecher, S., Fehr, B., & Zimmerman, C. Expectations for mood enhancement as a result of helping: The effects of gender and compassionate love. Sex Roles 56 (2007): 543-549.
Sprecher, S. The Role of Expectations for Liking and Other Positive Affiliative Outcomes in the Get-Acquainted Process that Occurs over Computer-Mediated Communication. Current Psychology
Sprecher, S., O'Sullivan, L., Drouin, M., Verette-Lindenbaum, J., & Willetts, M. The significance of sexual debut in women's lives. Current Sexual Health Reports 11: 265-273.
Other
Sprecher, S., Felmlee, D., Metts, S., & Cupach, W. Relationship initiation and development. J. Simpson & J. Dovidio (EDs), Volume 2: Interpersonal Relationships and Group Processes. American Psychological Association (2015)
Presentations
Friendship acceptance (and rejection) across political divides. Midwest Psychological Association. (2025)
Symposium on Social and Intimate Connections. Midwest Psychological Association. (2025)
Who is judged to be compassionate and responsive in first interactions?. Midwest Psychological Association. (2025)
Reflections on IARR. The conference for the International Association for Relationship Research. (2021)
Kanter, J.B., Lannin, D.G., Yazedjian, A., Rauer, A., & Sprecher, S. (November, 2021). Investigating risk and resilience associated with couples’ longitudinal experiences in relationship education programming. [Paper Session]. National Council on Family Relations, Baltimore, MD. [Conference online]
Interdependence and Closeness in Getting-Acquainted Dyads. The International Association for Relationship Research. (2017)
Mate Preferences in Emerging Adulthood and Beyond: Cross-sectional and Retrospective Analyses to Examine Change. The International Association for Relationship Research. (2017)
Can I connect with both you and my social network?: Access to network-salient communication technology and get-acquainted interaction.. Mini-conference for the International Association for Relationship Research. (2015)
Heterosexual couples' perceptions of balance of the work of relationship initiation and maintenance. Society for the Personality and Social Psychology. (2015)
The Study of Get-Acquainted Interactions through the Social Interaction Paradigm. Department of Psychology; University of California - San Bernardino. (2015)
The Study of Get-acquainted Interactions Using the Social Interaction Paradigm. Department of Human and Community Development. (2015)
Elevating Positive Mood Through Getting-Acquainted Interactions: Results from Two Get-Acquainted Interaction Studies. Midwest Psychological Association Meeting. (2014)
"Self-Expansion in Initial Interactions: Effects of Perceived and Actual Similarity". Annual Conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. (2014)
Role of Similarity in Activity Preferences in a Sample of Romantic Couples. Mini-Conference for the International Association for Relationship Research. (2013)
Taking Turns: Reciprocal Self-Disclosure Promotes Liking in Initial Interactions. Society for Personality and Social Psychology. (2013)
The Influence of Compassionate Love on Disengagement Strategies Used to End a Relationship. Mini-Conference for the International Association for Relationship Research. (2013)
The Study of Relationship Initiation: Findings from Three Studies Using the Social Interaction Paradigm. Midwest Psychological Association. (2013)
You Validate Me, You Like me, You're Fun, You Expand Me: I'm Yours!. Mini-conference for the International Association for Relationship Research. (2013)