Shelby Scott of the University of Texas San Antonio joins RCGD's Fall Seminar Series on the Science of Social Relationships.

Intimate relationships play a critical role in shaping mental and physical health across the lifespan. However, LGBTQ+ couples and families face unique stressors rooted in stigma, discrimination, and systemic inequities. In this talk, I will present a programmatic line of research that integrates dyadic and longitudinal methods to understand how minority stress intersects with core relationship processes (e.g., communication, stability). Drawing from studies of same-gender couples, transgender and nonbinary partners, and sexual minority women of color, I will highlight findings from actor–partner interdependence models (APIM) that demonstrate both within-person and cross-partner effects of minority stress on relational outcomes. I will then describe the systematic approach my team has taken to intervention development, including community-engaged qualitative work, quantitative modeling of dyadic processes, and the creation and testing of culturally informed relationship education programs. Collectively, these studies underscore the importance of moving beyond deficit-based models to highlight both the vulnerabilities and cultural strengths of LGBTQ+ families, with the goal of dismantling systemic barriers and advancing health equity. The talk will conclude by outlining ongoing and future directions, including intervention refinement for transgender and nonbinary populations, the development of minority stress prevention programs for LGBTQ+ youth, and frameworks for supporting queer parents.

Shelby B. Scott, Ph.D. (she/her), is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Director of the Promoting Resilience in DiversE Family (PRIDE) Studies Lab. Her research examines how minority stress shapes the relational and health outcomes of LGBTQ+ couples and families, with a focus on same-gender couples, transgender and nonbinary populations, and sexual minority women of color. Using dyadic and longitudinal methodologies, Dr. Scott’s work evaluates both universal and culturally specific relationship processes, aiming to identify pathways that foster resilience and well-being. She has led intervention development efforts, including relationship education programs for female same-gender couples and developed clinical guidelines for working with same-gender couples. Her research has been supported by the American Psychological Foundation, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Dr. Scott is deeply committed to community-engaged scholarship, dismantling systemic barriers to culturally responsive care, and training the next generation of equity-focused researchers and clinicians.

About the series:
Humans are social animals and from the earliest days of life, are dependent on the quality of social relationships with significant others: family, kin, friends, and a growing social network of online acquaintances. But, how do we conduct research and come to understand the social processes transpiring in these significant social connections with others? What are the consequences for individual development and mental health outcomes of having close intimate relationships in one’s life? There is also a darker side to some relationships in the form of violence, aggression, and conflict. How do we study these processes? Social media and artificial intelligence have opened up new ways of thinking about “what is a social relationship?” and how many of these “friends” can one truly have.

The speakers for this series will focus on different types of social relationships, spanning family and parent-child relationships, friendships, peer networks, romantic relationships, attachment relationships, and the use of online media to maintain social connections. Although several speakers are senior scholars with extensive research backgrounds in the field, many are junior scholars who are traversing new paths into the science of social relationships. Please join us Mondays to learn more about the exciting field of social relationships!

These events are held Mondays from 3:30 to 5.
In person: ISR Thompson 1430, unless otherwise specified.
Organized by Brenda Volling and Richard Gonzalez.
As permissions allow, seminars are later posted to our YouTube playlist.