Biography

Dr. Jackie Woerner is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Sociology and Psychology at the University of Central Florida and is a core member of the Violence Against Women Faculty Cluster. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from Wayne State University in 2017, and subsequently completed a 2-year NIDA postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Woerner currently directs the Social Theory, Relationships, & Interpersonal Violence Exposure (STRIVE) Lab at the University of Central Florida. Broadly, the goal of her research is to investigate the psychosocial precursors of risk taking and aggression. In one line of research, she evaluates the goal pursuit processes linked to the initiation and maintenance of health risk behaviors, such as substance use and sexual risk behavior. In her second line of research, Dr. Woerner investigates the etiology of violence perpetration – primarily men’s sexual aggression. She also aims to identify and implement strategies to prevent violence perpetration and to promote well-being among victims. Across her research, she uses innovative methodological designs, including experiments, virtual reality, experience sampling, physiological measures, surveys, and alcohol administration in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of these processes and behaviors.

Research Interests

  • Interpersonal violence
  • Substance use
  • Relationships
  • Health risk behaviors

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