Richard Slatcher

Dr. Richard B. Slatcher is the Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor in the Behavior and Brain Sciences area of the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. Slatcher's research centers on the effects of close relationships on health and well-being from a social psychological perspective. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond and a doctorate in social and personality psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in health psychology at UCLA. Before joining the University of Georgia, Slatcher served on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Wayne State University, where he also chaired the RoBUST program.

Slatcher's work encompasses basic research on close relationship processes, particularly intimacy, and investigations into the connections among close relationships, biological processes, and physical health. His studies frequently address the roles of self-disclosure and interpersonal responsiveness in the development and maintenance of relationships. Slatcher has also examined how smartphones, social media, and emerging technologies influence relationships. He led the "Love in the Time of COVID" study, which explored the effects of the pandemic on social relationships. His research on ghosting and its psychological impacts has been featured in The New York Times.

Slatcher has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has secured over $10 million in grant funding. He is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Slatcher has received the Caryl Rusbult Close Relationships Early Career Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the award for outstanding contributions to health psychology by an early career professional from the Society for Health Psychology. He has served on the board of the International Association for Relationship Research and as an associate editor of Social Psychological and Personality Science.

His work has been featured in National Public Radio, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Globe & Mail, and The Guardian. Slatcher's presentations address questions about human connection, synthesizing research on the benefits of responsiveness—the ability to make someone feel heard and appreciated—as a key factor in successful relationships, friendships, and leadership. He also explores the psychology of art and teaches a course on this topic at the University of Georgia Cortona Program, reflecting his broad approach to understanding human experience.