I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow with Drs. Celia Moore and Edward Tronick. I was recently named a Harvard University Sackler Scholar Fellow in Psychobiology (2011-2012).

I attained my Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Brandeis University in 2011.
My research activities include:

• Autonomic nervous system monitoring, including cardiovascular and neuroendocrine parameters
• Psychophysiological processes in the development of emotion regulation and social engagement, including the etiology of pathophysiological disorders, including hair cortisol and immune parameters
• Social class and health disparities, resilience, etiology and epidemiology of disease related to social processes
• Stress associated with intergroup interactions, social identity threat (e.g., challenge and threat processes)
• Social emotions in healthy and pathological populations (e.g., shame, pride, empathy) in shaping physiological responsiveness, appraisal and behavior (e.g., social identity, self-esteem, bias, moral judgments, relationship formation and maintenance)

Primary Interests:

Health Psychology
Helping, Prosocial Behavior
Intergroup Relations
Neuroscience, Psychophysiology
Prejudice and Stereotyping

Health Psychology
Helping, Prosocial Behavior
Intergroup Relations

Neuroscience, Psychophysiology
Prejudice and Stereotyping

Journal Articles:

Other Publications:

O'Brien, K. (2011). Moral Certainty Under Stress: Physiological and Psychological influences on Moral Judgments.
O’Brien, Afzal, & Tronick, (2012). Relational psychophysiology and mutual regulation during dyadic therapeutic and developmental relating. Interdisciplinary Handbook of the Person Centered Approach: Connections Beyond Psychotherapy, Eds. Jef Cornelius-White, Renate Motschnig, Michael Lux.
O’Brien, Koslov, Argo, & Mendes, (2010). Embodied Bias: Explicit attitudes and Psychophysiology during Arab/White intergroup interactions (abstract). Observer Vol.23, No.6 July/August, 2010
O’Brien & Moore (2011). Early Life Stress, the Development of Physiological Stress Systems, and Potential Personality Moderators (abstract). International Journal of Developmental Psychobiology, 53(7), 761.
O’Brien & Moore (2011). Subjective and Objective Socioeconomic Status influences Differential Autonomic Stress Reactivity (abstract). International Journal of Developmental Psychobiology, 53(7),761.
O’Brien, Tronick, & Moore (2012). Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Biological and Perceived Chronic Stress: Does Group Identification Matter? escholarship.umassmed.edu.
O’Brien, Wingfield & Rohleder, (2011). Low Vagal Tone predicts greater Threat Perceptions and Refusal to harm Others in Socio-Moral Judgments After Social Stress. Psychophysiology, 48 (supplement 1), 593.

Courses Taught:

Advanced Psychological Statistics
Postive and Health Psychology
Psychophysiology
Social Psychology

Advanced Psychological Statistics
Postive and Health Psychology

Psychophysiology
Social Psychology

Kymberlee M. O'Brien
Horizon Center of Excellence, Psychology
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02115
United States

Phone: 617 287 3169 / 617 287 5685
Email: kymberlee.obrien@umb.edu