Matthew D. Johnson

I am a professor of psychology at Binghamton University (State University of New York). My research in Clinical Psychology examines the developmental course of marital distress and family dysfunction. In doing so, I seek to determine the mechanisms by which relationship distress and dissolution follow the positive emotions of courtship. I focus especially on those predictors that are more readily amenable to change, including the behaviors, cognitions, and emotions during discussions between the two partners. More recently, I have directed my attention to determining the applicability of past findings to the relationships and marriages of people of color. Having published more than 25 articles and chapters, I'm a reviewer for several national and international journals. I've also received external funding for my research, including from the American Psychological Association and the Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation.

In terms of my education, I earned my B.A. degree in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Denver, then completed both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. As a licensed psychologist (New York), I maintain a small private practice focusing on couple therapy and trains doctoral students to conduct psychological research, teach at the college level, and practice couple and adult individual psychotherapy.