Selected Publications from the Life Events Lab
Hawes, J., & Sweeny, K. (in press). The role of mindfulness in daily experiences of patience and impatience. Mindfulness.
Susoeff, S., & Sweeny, K. (in press). Self-patience: A generative theoretical approach. Social & Personality Psychology Compass. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (in press). Patience as a pathway to optimal consumer experience and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., *Susoeff, S., Hawes, J., *Medina-Schwartz, J., & *Rankin, K. (2026). Just keep flowing: A meta-analysis on the association between flow and well-being. Emotion. (PDF)
Webster, S. N., Biggs, E. E., Simons, L. E., Tanna, V., Mattke, E., Spunt, S. L., Sweeny, K., Mueller, C., Heathcote, L. C. (in press). Bracing for the worst? Real-time scanxiety and expectation management for cancer surveillance. Health Psychology. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Hawes, J., & Karaman, O. (2026). When time is the enemy: An initial test of the process model of patience. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 52, 621-638. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Schnitker, S. A. (2026). Patiently waiting: The role of trait patience during stressful waiting periods. Journal of Research in Personality, 120, 104681. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2025). Information-management behavior during stressful waiting periods. Emotion, 25, 1774-1783. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (2025). On (im)patience: A new approach to an old virtue. Personality & Social Psychology Review, 29, 145-158. (PDF)
Tse, D. C. K., Joseph, A., & Sweeny, K. (2025). Alone but flowing: The effects of autotelic personality and extraversion on solitary flow. Journal of Personality, 93, 67-80. (PDF)
Wilson, M., Rankin, K., Ludi, D., & Sweeny, K. (2024). Emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being during the wait for breast biopsy results. Psychology & Health. (PDF)
Wilson, M., & Sweeny, K. (2024). Volatility in expectations while awaiting important news. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 50, 1040–1050. (PDF)
Dooley, M., Sweeny, K., & Howell, J. L. (2023). Strategy specific support during uncertain waiting periods. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40, 2400-2421. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., Sweeny, K., Hua, J., Werntz, A., Hussain, M., Hinojosa, B., Johnson, A., Lindgren, K., Meese, W., O’Shea, B., & Campbell, S. A. (2023). Uncertainty is worse when one lacks control: Physical, mental, and social well-being in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Emotion, 23, 1458–1471. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Medina, J. (2023). Links between well-being and sleep during the wait for breast biopsy results. Stress & Health, 39, 299-308. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Tran, B. Q., & Loyola Ramirez, M. D. (2023). Religiosity as a predictor of worry during stressful periods of uncertainty. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15, 18-24. (PDF)
Tran, B. Q., Mendoza, M., Saini, S. K., & Sweeny, K. (2023). Let the kid speak: Dynamics of triadic medical interactions involving pediatric triads. Health Communication, 1-8. (PDF)
Rankin, K., & Sweeny, K. (2022). Preparing silver linings for a cloudy day: The consequences of preemptive benefit finding. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 55, 1255-1268. (PDF)
Baranski, E., Sweeny, K., Gardiner, G., Members of the International Situations Project, & Funder, D. C. (2021). International optimism: Dispositional optimism across 61 countries. Journal of Personality, 89, 288-304. (PDF)
Hua, J., Howell, J. L., Sweeny, K., & Andrews, S. E. (2021). Outcomes of physicians’ communication goals during patient interactions. Health Communication, 36, 847-855.
Knapp, S., Wilson, M., & Sweeny, K. (2021). Emotion regulation tendencies during two waiting periods. Motivation & Emotion, 45, 211-220. (PDF)
Harake, N., Sweeny, K., & Dunlop, W. L. (2020). Narrating the nadir: Examining personal and vicarious stories of cancer-related low points among survivors and romantic partners. Psychology & Health, 35, 1268-1292. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Health behavior during periods of stressful uncertainty: Associations with emotions, cognitions, and expectation management. Psychology & Health, 35, 1163-1183. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Andrews, S. E., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Awe-full uncertainty: Easing discomfort during waiting periods. Journal of Positive Psychology, 15, 338-347. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Le, D., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Preemptively finding benefit in a cancer diagnosis: A qualitative analysis. Psychology & Health, 35, 613-628. (PDF)
Revord, J., Sweeny, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2021). Categorizing the function of positive emotions. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 39, 93-97.
Sweeny, K., & Dunlop, W. (2020). Salient selves in uncertain futures. Self & Identity, 19, 863-885. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Howell, J. L., & Kwan, V. (2020). Losing control: Comparing the role of personality during two types of stressful life experiences. Personality and Individual Differences, 156, 109771. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Rankin, K., Cheng, X., Hou, L., Long, F., Meng, Y., Azer, L., Zhou, R., & Zhang, W. (2020). Flow in the time of COVID-19: Findings from China. PLoS ONE. (preprint) (publication)
Dooley, M. D., Wilkinson, D., & Sweeny, K. (2019). Social support during stressful waiting periods: An inductive analysis. Qualitative Psychology. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2019). Fulfilling self-determination needs predicts better sleep and less worry during a stressful period of uncertainty. Stress & Health, 35, 277-288. (PDF)
Rankin, K., & Sweeny, K. (2019). Divided we stand, united we worry: Predictors of worry in anticipation of political elections. Motivation & Emotion. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Sweeny, K., & Xu, S. (2019). Distorted time perception during stressful waiting periods. Stress & Health, 35, 549-559. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Walsh, L., & Sweeny, K. (2019). A better distraction: Exploring the benefits of flow during uncertain waiting periods. Emotion, 19, 818-828. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Christianson, D., & McNeill, J. (2019). The psychological experience of awaiting breast diagnosis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 53, 630-641. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Kwan, V., & Falkenstein, A. (2019). The role of gender in worry and efforts to cope during stressful waiting periods. Sex Roles, 81, 765-778. (PDF)
Dooley, M. D., Sweeny, K., Howell, J. L., & Reynolds, C. (2018). Perceptions of romantic partners’ responsiveness during a period of stressful uncertainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (2018). On the experience of awaiting uncertain news. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27, 281-285. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Andrews, S. E. (2017). Should patients be optimistic about surgery? Resolving a conflicted literature. Health Psychology Review, 11, 374-386. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Howell, J. L. (2017). Bracing later and coping better: Benefits of mindfulness meditation during a stressful waiting period. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 1399-1414. (PDF)
Dooley, M. D., Burreal, S., & Sweeny, K. (2017). “We’ll call you when the results are in”: Preferences for how medical test results are delivered. Patient Education & Counseling, 100, 364-366. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Dooley, M. D. (2017). The surprising upsides of worry. Social & Personality Psychology Compass, 11, e12311. doi: 10.1111/spc3.12311
Sweeny, K., & Falkenstein, A. (2016). Even optimists get the blues: Intra-individual consistency in the tendency to brace for the worst. Journal of Personality. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2016). Is waiting bad for subjective health? Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 39, 652-664. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Reynolds, C., Falkenstein, A., Andrews, S. E., & Dooley, M. (2016). Two definitions of waiting well. Emotion, 16, 129-143. (PDF)
Legg, A. M., & Sweeny, K. (2015). Blended news delivery: A framework for incorporating good news into bad news conversations. Health Psychology Review, 9, 452-468. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Andrews, S. E., Nelson, S. K., & Robbins, M. L. (2015). Waiting for a baby: Navigating uncertainty while trying to conceive. Social Science & Medicine, 141, 123-132. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Falkenstein, A. (2015). Is waiting really the hardest part? Comparing the emotional experiences of awaiting and receiving bad news. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 1551-1559. (PDF)
Legg, A., & Sweeny, K. (2014). Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Discrepancies in news order preferences. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 40,279-288. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Andrews, S. E. (2014). Mapping the individual differences in the experience of a waiting period. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 106, 1015-1030. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Dillard, A. (2014). The effects of expectation disconfirmation on appraisal, affect, and behavioral intentions. Risk Analysis, 34, 711-720. (PDF)
Krizan, Z., & Sweeny, K. (2013). Causes and consequences of expectation trajectories: “High” on optimism in a public referendum. Psychological Science, 24, 706-714. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Krizan, Z. (2013). Sobering up: A quantitative review of temporal declines in expectations. Psychological Bulletin, 139, 702-724. (PDF)
Cavanaugh, A. G., & Sweeny, K. (2012). Hanging in the balance: The role of self-construal abstractness in navigating self-relevant uncertainty. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 520-527. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (2012). Waiting well: Tips for navigating painful uncertainty. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6, 258-269. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Vohs, K. D. (2012). On near misses and completed tasks: The nature of relief. Psychological Science, 23, 464-468. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Cavanaugh, A. G. (2012). Waiting is the hardest part: A model of uncertainty navigation in the context of health. Health Psychology Review, 6,147-164. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Shepperd, J. A. (2010). The costs of optimism and the benefits of pessimism. Emotion, 10, 750-753. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Shepperd, J. A., & Carroll, P. J. (2009). Expectations for others’ outcomes.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 160-171. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Shepperd, J. A. (2007). Do people brace sensibly? Risk judgments and risk prevalence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1064-1075. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Carroll, P. J., & Shepperd, J. A. (2006). Thinking about the future: Is optimism always best? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15, 302-306. (PDF)
Susoeff, S., & Sweeny, K. (in press). Self-patience: A generative theoretical approach. Social & Personality Psychology Compass. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (in press). Patience as a pathway to optimal consumer experience and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., *Susoeff, S., Hawes, J., *Medina-Schwartz, J., & *Rankin, K. (2026). Just keep flowing: A meta-analysis on the association between flow and well-being. Emotion. (PDF)
Webster, S. N., Biggs, E. E., Simons, L. E., Tanna, V., Mattke, E., Spunt, S. L., Sweeny, K., Mueller, C., Heathcote, L. C. (in press). Bracing for the worst? Real-time scanxiety and expectation management for cancer surveillance. Health Psychology. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Hawes, J., & Karaman, O. (2026). When time is the enemy: An initial test of the process model of patience. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 52, 621-638. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Schnitker, S. A. (2026). Patiently waiting: The role of trait patience during stressful waiting periods. Journal of Research in Personality, 120, 104681. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2025). Information-management behavior during stressful waiting periods. Emotion, 25, 1774-1783. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (2025). On (im)patience: A new approach to an old virtue. Personality & Social Psychology Review, 29, 145-158. (PDF)
Tse, D. C. K., Joseph, A., & Sweeny, K. (2025). Alone but flowing: The effects of autotelic personality and extraversion on solitary flow. Journal of Personality, 93, 67-80. (PDF)
Wilson, M., Rankin, K., Ludi, D., & Sweeny, K. (2024). Emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being during the wait for breast biopsy results. Psychology & Health. (PDF)
Wilson, M., & Sweeny, K. (2024). Volatility in expectations while awaiting important news. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 50, 1040–1050. (PDF)
Dooley, M., Sweeny, K., & Howell, J. L. (2023). Strategy specific support during uncertain waiting periods. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40, 2400-2421. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., Sweeny, K., Hua, J., Werntz, A., Hussain, M., Hinojosa, B., Johnson, A., Lindgren, K., Meese, W., O’Shea, B., & Campbell, S. A. (2023). Uncertainty is worse when one lacks control: Physical, mental, and social well-being in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Emotion, 23, 1458–1471. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Medina, J. (2023). Links between well-being and sleep during the wait for breast biopsy results. Stress & Health, 39, 299-308. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Tran, B. Q., & Loyola Ramirez, M. D. (2023). Religiosity as a predictor of worry during stressful periods of uncertainty. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15, 18-24. (PDF)
Tran, B. Q., Mendoza, M., Saini, S. K., & Sweeny, K. (2023). Let the kid speak: Dynamics of triadic medical interactions involving pediatric triads. Health Communication, 1-8. (PDF)
Rankin, K., & Sweeny, K. (2022). Preparing silver linings for a cloudy day: The consequences of preemptive benefit finding. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 55, 1255-1268. (PDF)
Baranski, E., Sweeny, K., Gardiner, G., Members of the International Situations Project, & Funder, D. C. (2021). International optimism: Dispositional optimism across 61 countries. Journal of Personality, 89, 288-304. (PDF)
Hua, J., Howell, J. L., Sweeny, K., & Andrews, S. E. (2021). Outcomes of physicians’ communication goals during patient interactions. Health Communication, 36, 847-855.
Knapp, S., Wilson, M., & Sweeny, K. (2021). Emotion regulation tendencies during two waiting periods. Motivation & Emotion, 45, 211-220. (PDF)
Harake, N., Sweeny, K., & Dunlop, W. L. (2020). Narrating the nadir: Examining personal and vicarious stories of cancer-related low points among survivors and romantic partners. Psychology & Health, 35, 1268-1292. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Health behavior during periods of stressful uncertainty: Associations with emotions, cognitions, and expectation management. Psychology & Health, 35, 1163-1183. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Andrews, S. E., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Awe-full uncertainty: Easing discomfort during waiting periods. Journal of Positive Psychology, 15, 338-347. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Le, D., & Sweeny, K. (2020). Preemptively finding benefit in a cancer diagnosis: A qualitative analysis. Psychology & Health, 35, 613-628. (PDF)
Revord, J., Sweeny, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2021). Categorizing the function of positive emotions. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 39, 93-97.
Sweeny, K., & Dunlop, W. (2020). Salient selves in uncertain futures. Self & Identity, 19, 863-885. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Howell, J. L., & Kwan, V. (2020). Losing control: Comparing the role of personality during two types of stressful life experiences. Personality and Individual Differences, 156, 109771. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Rankin, K., Cheng, X., Hou, L., Long, F., Meng, Y., Azer, L., Zhou, R., & Zhang, W. (2020). Flow in the time of COVID-19: Findings from China. PLoS ONE. (preprint) (publication)
Dooley, M. D., Wilkinson, D., & Sweeny, K. (2019). Social support during stressful waiting periods: An inductive analysis. Qualitative Psychology. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2019). Fulfilling self-determination needs predicts better sleep and less worry during a stressful period of uncertainty. Stress & Health, 35, 277-288. (PDF)
Rankin, K., & Sweeny, K. (2019). Divided we stand, united we worry: Predictors of worry in anticipation of political elections. Motivation & Emotion. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Sweeny, K., & Xu, S. (2019). Distorted time perception during stressful waiting periods. Stress & Health, 35, 549-559. (PDF)
Rankin, K., Walsh, L., & Sweeny, K. (2019). A better distraction: Exploring the benefits of flow during uncertain waiting periods. Emotion, 19, 818-828. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Christianson, D., & McNeill, J. (2019). The psychological experience of awaiting breast diagnosis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 53, 630-641. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Kwan, V., & Falkenstein, A. (2019). The role of gender in worry and efforts to cope during stressful waiting periods. Sex Roles, 81, 765-778. (PDF)
Dooley, M. D., Sweeny, K., Howell, J. L., & Reynolds, C. (2018). Perceptions of romantic partners’ responsiveness during a period of stressful uncertainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (2018). On the experience of awaiting uncertain news. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27, 281-285. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Andrews, S. E. (2017). Should patients be optimistic about surgery? Resolving a conflicted literature. Health Psychology Review, 11, 374-386. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Howell, J. L. (2017). Bracing later and coping better: Benefits of mindfulness meditation during a stressful waiting period. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 1399-1414. (PDF)
Dooley, M. D., Burreal, S., & Sweeny, K. (2017). “We’ll call you when the results are in”: Preferences for how medical test results are delivered. Patient Education & Counseling, 100, 364-366. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Dooley, M. D. (2017). The surprising upsides of worry. Social & Personality Psychology Compass, 11, e12311. doi: 10.1111/spc3.12311
Sweeny, K., & Falkenstein, A. (2016). Even optimists get the blues: Intra-individual consistency in the tendency to brace for the worst. Journal of Personality. (PDF)
Howell, J. L., & Sweeny, K. (2016). Is waiting bad for subjective health? Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 39, 652-664. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Reynolds, C., Falkenstein, A., Andrews, S. E., & Dooley, M. (2016). Two definitions of waiting well. Emotion, 16, 129-143. (PDF)
Legg, A. M., & Sweeny, K. (2015). Blended news delivery: A framework for incorporating good news into bad news conversations. Health Psychology Review, 9, 452-468. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Andrews, S. E., Nelson, S. K., & Robbins, M. L. (2015). Waiting for a baby: Navigating uncertainty while trying to conceive. Social Science & Medicine, 141, 123-132. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Falkenstein, A. (2015). Is waiting really the hardest part? Comparing the emotional experiences of awaiting and receiving bad news. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 1551-1559. (PDF)
Legg, A., & Sweeny, K. (2014). Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Discrepancies in news order preferences. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 40,279-288. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Andrews, S. E. (2014). Mapping the individual differences in the experience of a waiting period. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 106, 1015-1030. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Dillard, A. (2014). The effects of expectation disconfirmation on appraisal, affect, and behavioral intentions. Risk Analysis, 34, 711-720. (PDF)
Krizan, Z., & Sweeny, K. (2013). Causes and consequences of expectation trajectories: “High” on optimism in a public referendum. Psychological Science, 24, 706-714. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Krizan, Z. (2013). Sobering up: A quantitative review of temporal declines in expectations. Psychological Bulletin, 139, 702-724. (PDF)
Cavanaugh, A. G., & Sweeny, K. (2012). Hanging in the balance: The role of self-construal abstractness in navigating self-relevant uncertainty. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 520-527. (PDF)
Sweeny, K. (2012). Waiting well: Tips for navigating painful uncertainty. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6, 258-269. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Vohs, K. D. (2012). On near misses and completed tasks: The nature of relief. Psychological Science, 23, 464-468. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Cavanaugh, A. G. (2012). Waiting is the hardest part: A model of uncertainty navigation in the context of health. Health Psychology Review, 6,147-164. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Shepperd, J. A. (2010). The costs of optimism and the benefits of pessimism. Emotion, 10, 750-753. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Shepperd, J. A., & Carroll, P. J. (2009). Expectations for others’ outcomes.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 160-171. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., & Shepperd, J. A. (2007). Do people brace sensibly? Risk judgments and risk prevalence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1064-1075. (PDF)
Sweeny, K., Carroll, P. J., & Shepperd, J. A. (2006). Thinking about the future: Is optimism always best? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15, 302-306. (PDF)