Brian Collisson, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology
Brian Collisson, PhD, is a social psychologist whose work explores how people make sense of relationships, identity, and belonging. His research focuses on the role of individual differences—such as personality, commitment, and rejection sensitivity—in shaping how we pursue, maintain, or let go of interpersonal connections. Drawing from both experimental and non-experimental methods, including survey design and social network analysis, his work bridges foundational psychological theory with applied questions relevant to clinical, educational, and vocational contexts.
His research has been published in leading journals including Psychological Science, Social Psychological and Personality Science, Personality and Individual Differences, and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, and has received media coverage in outlets such as Time, The New York Times, Scientific American, NPR, and CNN. He is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today, where he translates emerging relationship science into accessible, research-informed content for the public.
At APU, Collisson teaches undergraduate courses in General Psychology, Social Psychology, Statistics, Research Methods, Personality Psychology, and Political Psychology. He also mentors graduate students as a PsyD dissertation chair, guiding applied research that connects psychological theory to real-world clinical and relational issues. His approach to teaching and advising emphasizes clarity, intellectual rigor, and personal growth, with particular support for students developing research skills alongside applied career goals.
He and his wife have three children. In his spare time, he enjoys anything basketball-related and patiently pretending to fish while mostly bird-watching.
Education
- PhD, Psychology, University of Florida
- MS, Psychology, University of Florida
- BA, Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino
Academic Area
- School of Behavioral Sciences
Expertise
- Close relationships
- Commitment and mate selection
- Personality and individual differences
- Survey and non-Experimental Research Methodologies
- Social network analysis
Courses Taught
- PSYC 110 – General Psychology
- PSYC 260 – Writing in Psychology
- PSYC 320 – Social Psychology
- PSYC 250 – Data Analysis in Psychology
- PSYC 362 – Research Methods
- PSYC 380 – Personality Psychology
- PSYC 420 – Political Psychology