Faculty and Staff Profile

Cynthia Pury

Educational Background

Ph.D Clinical Psychology
Northwestern University 1997

M.S. Clinical Psychology
Northwestern University 1991

B.A. Psychology
University of Wisconsin - Madison 1989

Courses Taught

These are the courses I'm regularly teaching:
Psychology 1810 Stress, Coping, and Flourishing
Psychology 2030 Fundamentals of Psychological Science
Psychology 3101 Advanced Experimental Psychology Lab
Psychology 4820 Positive Psychology

Profile

I am interested in how and why people take courageous actions and what we think about other people's courage. My research points to the importance of considering both situational and individual differences to understand how courage works in organizations, in the performing arts, in health care, and in interpersonal and civic contexts.

Research Interests

My major research interests involve courage, virtue, and positive psychology. I am particularly interested in applications of positive psychology to work, leisure, and mental health.

Research Publications

Selected Recent and Forthcoming Publications:
Pury, C. L. S., Starkey, C., & Olson, L. R. (2023). Value of goal predicts accolade courage: More evidence that courage is a taking a worthwhile risk. Journal of Positive Psychology. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2023.2178959

Waters, L., Algoe, S. B., Dutton, J., Emmons, R., Fredrickson, B. L., Heaphy, E., Moskowitz, J. T., Neff, K., Niemiec, R., Pury, C., & Steger, M. (2022). Positive psychology in a pandemic: buffering, bolstering, and building mental health. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.1871945

Pury, C. L. S., Brawley, A. M., Lopez, S. J., & Burnett, E. A. (2021). Courage. In C. R. Snyder, S. J. Lopez, L. M. Edwards, & S. C. Marques (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (3rd ed., pp. 493 -504). Oxford.

Pury, C. L. S., Brawley, A. M., Lopez, S. J., & Burnett, E. A. (2020). Courage. In C. R. Snyder, S. J. Lopez, L. M. Edwards, & S. C. Marques (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (3rd ed., pp. 493 -504). Oxford.
Kelley, K. L., Murphy, H. J., Breeden, C. R., Hardy, B. P., Lopez, S. J., O’Byrne, K. K., Leachman, S. P., & Pury, C. L. S. (2019). Conceptualizing courage. In M. W. Gallagher and S. J. Lopez (Eds.) Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures, Second Edition. Washington D. C., American Psychological Association. pp 157 – 176. doi: 10:1037/0000138-011
Schmalz, D. L., & Pury, C. L. S. (2018). Leisure and positive psychology: Complementary science for health and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(1), 1-3. doi:10.1080/17439760.2017.1374446
Pury, Cynthia L. S. (2017). Courage. In Oxford Bibliographies in Psychology. Ed. Dana S. Dunn. New York: Oxford University Press. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199828340/obo-9780199828340-0198.xml.
Pury, C. L. S., & Saylors, S. (2017). Courage, courageous acts, and positive psychology. In D. S. Dunn (Ed.), Positive Psychology: Established and Emerging Issues (pp. 153-168). New York: Routledge.
Schmalz, D. L., & Pury, C. L. S. (2017). Leisure and positive psychology: Complementary science for health and well-being. Journal of Positive Psychology, doi: 10.1080/17439760.2017.1374446
Pury, C. L. S., Starkey, C. B., Kulik, R. E., Skjerning, K. L., & Sullivan, E. A. (2015). Is courage always a virtue? Suicide, killing, and bad courage. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-6. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2015.1004552.
Pury, C. L. S., Starkey, C., Breeden, C., Kelley, C., Murphy, H. & Lowndes, A. (2014). Courage interventions: Future directions and cautions. In A.C. Parks & S. M. Schueller (Eds.), Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Positive Psychological Interventions. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 168-178.
Pury, C. L. S., & Glennon, K. N. (2014). Psychological and Spiritual Aspects of Courage for Self-Renewal. In R. Wicks & E. Maynard (Eds.) Clinician’s Guide to Self-Renewal: Essential Advice from the Field. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 251-262.
Pury, C. L. S., Britt, T. W., Zinzow, H. M., & Raymond, M. A. (2014). Blended courage: Moral and psychological courage elements in mental health treatment seeking by active duty military personnel. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9, 30-41, doi 10.1080/17439760.2013.831466

See CV linked above for complete list

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