Embedded Files
Peer Reviewed Publications
*Hall, M. & Walker, R. V. (2025). Pathways to LGBTQ+ self-acceptance: A qualitative study of religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences. Modern Psychological Studies, 31(2). https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol31/iss2/2
†Carl, C., Walker, R. V., †Cavanaugh, M. C., & *Higdon, W. (2025). Ideal on paper, excluded in practice: Age and gender bias in job advertisements. International Journal of Aging and Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150251359465
*Shappley, A. G., & Walker, R. V. (2024). The role of perpetrator attractiveness and relationship dynamics on perceptions of adolescent sexual grooming. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2024.2428282
†Swanson, Z., †Nuño, C. O., Walker, R. V., & Shelton, J. T. (2024). “I will cherish this experience for a lifetime”: A qualitative exploration of the benefits of intergenerational dialogue in college students. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 23(2), 177-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2024.2324335
Madden, J., Walker, R. V., Osborn, H., & Black, K. J. (2023). Integrating diversity research into undergraduate statistics: A pre-post assessment of student perceptions. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 9(4), 435-449. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000386 Preprint available here.
Walker, R. V., Osborn, H., Madden, J., & Black, K. J. (2023). Integrating diversity into psychology statistics courses: Advice, reflections, and special considerations. Teaching of Psychology, 52(1), 110-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/009862832311994
Walker, R.V., Powers, S. M., Witten, T. M., (2022). Transgender and gender diverse people’s fear of seeking and receiving care in later life: A multiple method analysis. Journal of Homosexuality, 70(14), 3374-3398. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.2094305
Walker, R. V., *Schieber, S. B., *Nekula, L., & *McKeon, M. (2022). Deconstructing age-related messages in the Billboard Hot 100. Psychology of Popular Media, 12(3), 303-311. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000410
Johnson, N. L., Walker, R. V., Rojas-Ashe, E. E. (2019). A social justice approach to measuring bystander behavior: Introducing the Critically Conscious Bystander Scale. Sex Roles, 81(11/12), 731-747. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01028-w
Rojas-Ashe, E. E., Walker, R. V., Holmes, S., & Johnson, D. M., (2019). Toward a more complete understanding of bystander willingness to help: What role does critical consciousness play? Sex Roles, 81(7/8), 415-427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-1007-z
Zelin, A. I., Walker, R.V., & Johnson, D. M., (2019). Cornered at a bar: How victim clothing, alcohol intake, and relationship with bystander impact intention to help. Violence Against Women, 25(10), 1163-1190. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801218809948
Walker, R.V., Powers, S. M., Witten, T. M., (2017). Impact of anticipated bias from healthcare professionals on perceived successful aging among transgender and gender nonconforming older adults. LGBT Health, 4(6), 427-433. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2016.0165
Presentations
2026
*Hill, J., *Price, W., & Walker, R. V. (2026, November). Organizational and political contexts of diversity signaling in higher education recruitment. Poster accepted to the River Cities Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference. Chattanooga, TN.
*Minneci, E. & Walker, R. V. (2026, April). Narratives of calling: Catholic sisters on culture, community, and continuity. Presentation accepted to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Richmond, VA.
*Ocal, D. & Walker, R. V. (2026, April). What students find helpful about Psychology as a Profession: A thematic analysis of career development reflections. Presentation accepted to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Richmond, VA.
Walker, R. V. & †Dean, S. (2026, March). The Chattanooga Faces Database: A new tool for social judgement research. Paper presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. New Orleans, LA.
†Saxe, M., †Landry, G., & Walker, R. V. (2026, March). University transparency in sexual assault prevention and support: A content analysis. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. New Orleans, LA.
†Saxe, M., †Dean, S., †Lange, T. A., & Walker, R. V. (2026, March). Who seems guilty? Stereotypes and perceptions of sexual grooming. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. New Orleans, LA.
†Saxe, M., †Selsvik, D., †Hillman, K., & Walker, R. V. (2026, March). Judging the victim: How age and gender shape perceptions of financial fraud. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. New Orleans, LA. [Psi Chi Graduate JEDI Award Winner]
2025
*Hill, J., *Avelis, G., & Walker, R. V. (2025, November). Campus climate in a polarized nation: University type, state politics, and LGBTQ+ friendliness. Poster accepted for the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference. San Diego, CA.
†Khan, S., Doyle, K., & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Exploring resilience and psychological distress: The moderating role of belonging in college students. Paper presented at the Middle Tennessee Psychological Association Conference. Murfreesboro, TN.
Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Supporting professional and career development for undergraduate psychology majors. Workshop presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
*Johnson, K., *Gilland, E., †Almand, H., *Shappley, A. G., & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Pretty problematic: Shifting portrayals of grooming in Pretty Little Liars. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
†Khan, S. & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). The cross-cultural impact of colorism on South Asian women. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
†Dean, S., †Lange, T. A., Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Race and relationship: Shaping perceptions of adolescent sexual grooming. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
†Claxton, T., †Lange, T. A., Walker, R. V. (2025, April). A qualitative exploration of masculinity in mid-to-late life. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
*Hooper, I. & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). The power of gender roles: Aging perceptions, health, and well-being. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
*Flowers, C. & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Understanding disclosure challenges for LGBTQ+ survivors. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
*Hoyt, T., *Tsai, M., & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Food insecurity as a moderator between mindfulness and binge eating. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
*Wilkins, C. & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Understanding the impact of UTA-Student rapport on student course outcomes. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
†Rawls, B., Arnold, T., & Walker, R. V. (2025, April). Understanding community violence, anxiety, and substance use in Black adults. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Atlanta, GA.
2024
Hoffner, M., Shelton, E., & Walker, R. V. (2024, November). Findings from a dementia-friendly performing arts program. Paper presented at the National Organization for Arts in Health Conference. Virtual.
†Khan, S. & Walker, R. V. (2024, October). Is fair lovely? The impact of colorism on mental health in South Asian women. Poster presented at the Tennessee Psychological Association Conference. Franklin, TN. [1st Place Graduate Student Award Winner]
Tsai, M., Hoyt, T., & Walker, R. V. (2024, October). Intergenerational dialogue: Fostering prosocial behaviors in emerging adults. Poster presented at the Tennessee Psychological Association Conference. Franklin, TN. [2nd Place Undergraduate Student Award Winner]
†Carl, C. & Walker, R. V. (2024, March). Intersectionality and employment barriers: Gendered age bias in job advertisements. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Orlando, FL.
†DiClementi, J., *Claxton, T., & Walker, R. V. (2024, March). In the eyes of others: Exploring perceptions of bereaved across dimensions of age, sexual orientation, and gender. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Orlando, FL.
†Khan, S., †Oxford, S., †Prince, E., †Randolph, G., Walker, R. V., Doyle, K., & Oberheim, T. (2024, March). Voices of persistence: Exploring factors influencing continued college enrollment during the pandemic. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Orlando, FL.
†Carl, C., †DiClementi, J., & Walker, R. V.(2024, March). Visibility matters: A content analysis of LGBTQ+ messages on public university Instagram accounts. Poster presented at the Association for Women in Psychology Virtual Conference.
†Khan, S., *Marlatt, L. C., Walker, R. V., & †Grebenstein, S. (2024, March). Policies, politics, and practice: Toward inclusive LGBTQ+ university environments in the United States. Poster presented at the Association for Women in Psychology Virtual Conference.
2023
†Carl, C., †Prince, E. N., & Walker, R. V. (2023, April). Understanding the impact of intersectional victim identities on bystander behavior. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference.
Walker, R. V., *Izenman, E., & *Grebenstein, S. R. (2023, March). An evaluation of the LGBTQ+ friendliness of public universities in the United States. Paper presented at the Association for Women in Psychology Conference.
*Grebenstein, S. R., Walker, R. V., *Wills, B. G. (2023, March). LGBTQ+ friendliness of public universities in the United States: Does political party affiliation matter? Paper presented at the Association for Women in Psychology Conference.
*Wills, B. G., *Charnes, M., Walker, R. V. (2023, March). What are public universities communicating about LGBTQ people via social media? Paper presented at the Association for Women in Psychology Conference.
2022
Osborn, H., Walker, R. V., Madden, J., & Black, K. (2022, December). Integrating diversity into psychology statistics courses: Advice, reflections, and special considerations. Paper to be presented at the Teaching to Enhance Research Methods & Statistics in Psychology Virtual Conference.
Madden, J., Walker, R. V., Osborn, H., & Black, K. (2022, December). Integrating open-source data into psychology statistics courses: Challenges and opportunities. Paper to be presented at the Teaching to Enhance Research Methods & Statistics in Psychology Virtual Conference.
Walker, R. V., †Kinkade, E., & Zelin, A. I. (2022, November). Development and validation of the Familial Ageism Scale. Poster to be presented at the Gerontological Association of American Conference in Indianapolis, IN.
†Robbins, R. J. & Walker, R. V. (2022, April). Men’s depression literacy: Examining masculinity and risk perceptions. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference. Chicago, IL.
*DiClementi, J., Walker, R. V., & *Dickinson, J. M. (2022, April). Perceptions of bereaved partners: Does a lack of differences between same-sex and opposite-sex partners mean progress? Poster presented at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ReSEARCH Dialogues. Chattanooga, TN.
*Bain, E., *Seay, A., & Walker, R. V. (2022, April). “You wouldn’t be allowed to wear pink, not in a million years”: A qualitative exploration of masculinity in mid-to-late life. Poster presented at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ReSEARCH Dialogues. Chattanooga, TN.
†Swanson, Z. T., †Nuño, C., Shelton, J. T., Walker, R. V., & †Robinson, M., *Martinez, A. (2022, April). Student benefits of intergenerational dialogue: Results from a service-learning experience. Poster presented at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ReSEARCH Dialogues. Chattanooga, TN.
†Swanson, Z. T., Walker, R. V., Shelton, J. T., †Nuño, C., & *Martinez, A. (2022, March). A new paradigm for studying character development: Results from a pilot study investigating the benefits of intergenerational dialogue. Paper presented at the 113th annual meeting of the Southern Society of Philosophy and Psychology, Mobile, AL.
Walker, R. V., Hollis-Sawyer, L., Boeh, B., †Kinkade, E., Bashian, H., †Sublett, J., Vale, M. (2022, March). Recognizing the power of older women as advocates. Structured discussion at the Association for Women in Psychology Conference. Chicago, IL.
2021
†Swanson, Z. T., Shelton, J. T., Walker, R. V., Hood, R. W., Dhruv, K., & Martinez, A. (2021, October). Intergenerational dialogue and wisdom narratives. Flash Talk presented virtually at the annual International Wisdom Summit.
*Dickinson, J. M. & Walker, R. V. (2021, April). Effects of sexual orientation and gender on perceptions of the bereaved. Poster presented at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ReSEARCH Dialogues. Chattanooga, TN.
2020
*Nekula, L. R., Walker, R. V., *McKeon, M. A., & *Schieber, S. B. (2020, April). Deconstructing age-related messages in the Billboard Top 100. Poster presented at the Virtual MCHHS Student Symposium. Springfield, MO.
2019
Powers, S. M., Walker, R. V., & Witten, T. (2019, March). A hopeful future: Providing culturally competent care for transgender-identified older adults. Poster presented at the American Society on Aging Conference. New Orleans, LA.
†Kinkade, E., Walker, R. V., & Harrington, A. K. (2019, March). Willingness to divorce: The importance of religious behaviors and pro-divorce attitudes. Poster presented at the Great Plains Students’ Psychology Convention. Springfield, MO.
2018
Powers, S., Walker, R.V., & Witten, T. (2018, November). Is Caregiving a Risk Factor in Transgender-Identified Persons? Poster presented at the 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, Gerontological Society of America. Boston, MA.
†Jordan, A. K., Walker, R. V., & Hudson, D. L. (2018, April). Understanding the relationship between BMI and depression: The impact of appearance coping behaviors. Paper presented at the Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum. Missouri State University. Springfield, MO.
†Jordan, A. K., Walker, R. V., & Hudson, D. L. (2018, April). Age differences and similarities in appearance coping behaviors. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference. Chicago, IL.
2017
Walker, R. V. (2017, March). Encouraging health promotion with a diverse population of low-income older adults: Lessons from the field. Poster presented at the American Society on Aging Conference. Chicago, IL.
*Undergraduate student collaborators
†Graduate student collaborators
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Our lab is dedicated to producing open-source, accessible research and resources aimed at promoting equity and supporting vulnerable communities—including women, minorities, children, older adults, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We believe that knowledge and tools for change should be available to everyone, free of charge.
However, funding for research broadly related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is increasingly being reduced or eliminated. This creates new challenges for researchers committed to studying issues that disproportionately affect underrepresented and marginalized populations.
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How Your Support Helps:
Funding Student Research: Your contributions directly support diverse students conducting research on issues that might otherwise go underfunded, including:
Workplace experiences of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff compared to their non-LGBTQ+ colleagues.
The development of a website to help prospective students assess universities’ LGBTQ+ friendliness based on our research.
Workshops to prevent child and adolescent sexual grooming (both digital and in-person).
Barriers men face when seeking orders of protection.
Transformative justice approaches for sex trafficking survivors.
And many other student-driven projects that address the needs of marginalized groups.
Supporting Student Professional Development: Your donation also helps fund conference travel, research training, and career development opportunities—ensuring that students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, gain the skills and networks they need to thrive.
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As traditional funding streams for DEI-focused research decline, your support becomes even more critical. It helps ensure that the work of our students and researchers can continue—driving knowledge, influencing policy, and supporting those who need it most.
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