Heather L. Littleton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology

Research interests include women's health, sexual assault recovery, coping and trauma, body image

Curriculum Vita
hll002@shsu.edu
(936) 294-4621
Doctoral Home page
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Research Program

Women's Health Issues

As both a researcher and clinician I have a strong commitment to women's health issues. I have investigated the role of sexual scripts in labeling instances of unwanted sex. I have also investigated how women's label for their own experience of unwanted sex affects their post-assault experiences, including their coping strategies, disclosure behaviors, and trauma-related cognitions. I currently am conducting a longitudinal study of these processes in a sample of college rape victims.

Much of my work intersects clinical, social, and health psychology. For example, I have conducted several studies related to women's body image including developing a measure of dysmorphic appearance concern. I also have conducted research evaluating factors associated with sexual risk-taking behavior among women. In addition, I conducted a meta-analysis assessing the association between women's anxiety symptoms and negative perinatal outcomes.

I have also conducted several other studies related to coping and recovery following interpersonal violence. For example, I conducted a meta-analysis of the frequency of self-blame following traumatic events and two studies of women's coping patterns following sexual assault. I am also currently conducting a meta-analysis of the association between various coping patterns and psychological distress following trauma.