Website: www.tatumjolink.com
Note: I am in the process of updating my website so check back throughout Fall 2027 for updates!
Current research: At its core, the research conducted in the Jolink Lab focuses on questions about close relationships. While there is a strong focus on biological systems and health in my lab, applicants motivated to pursue questions that at their core are about relationships will be the best fit. For example, we are interested in deconstructing the process of relationship initiation, and in particular, drilling down into initial romantic interactions and unpacking the role of the body during those situations. Relationship initiation today also includes online dating, and we are beginning projects that explore this aspect of modern dating. We also examine the interpersonal processes (e.g., affectionate touch, shared laughter, conversation dynamics) that facilitate high quality interactions between new and existing relationship partners. And we are interested in health: both how various biological systems contribute to interactions with close others and how high-quality relationships like between romantic partners or friends contribute to long-term health. Here are just some of the questions that I am excited about now:
- What makes a first date good or bad? Is that measurable? Predictable? What are the elements of a good first date that make a second date more likely? Are those elements pre-existing to the interaction, emerge as a function of it, or both?
- What is the role of the body during initial romantic interactions? Can initial romantic interactions be conceptualized—and operationalized—as social stressors? Is the biopsychology model of challenge and threat a useful lens through which to think about initiation contexts (e.g., first dates)?
- How does online dating actually work? How does liking (and compatibility) develop online? Is it similar to how it develops in person? When and how do online connections convert to offline relationships?
- Does physiology shape interactions with close others? For example, does inflammatory reactivity to vaccines shift perceptions of or behavior toward a support figure? How does sleep on one night affect one’s interpersonal interactions the next day? In general, what more can we learn about interactions with close others by better considering each person’s basal and state physiology (e.g., inflammation, autonomic nervous system, hormones)?
- How do relationships and individual health ebb and flow across various relationship transitions, like relationship initiation, moving in together (cohabitation), the transition to parenthood, and bereavement?
Communication Prior to Applying: For the sake of fairness and equity, I will not be meeting with prospective students prior to the review of application materials. I also don’t privilege or prioritize applications from prospective students who have contacted me prior to applying. If you have questions about my lab and the kind of research we do, you can email me at tatum.jolink@wisc.edu! If you have questions about completing/submitting the UW Madison Psychology Department application itself, the best person to contact is our graduate coordinator, Kevin Belt, kbelt@psych.wisc.edu.
Areas I’m Willing to Advise Students in: Social. For students interested in a co-mentorship situation, I am probably not likely to consider a co-mentored student this year. However, a co-mentorship situation between myself and another faculty in the social area (versus another area) would be the more feasible option. I would highly suggest reaching out to me before applying to determine if a possible co-mentoring situation is feasible.
How I Evaluate Applicants:
Like all faculty members in the Psychology Department, I evaluate prospective graduate students in a holistic manner. I therefore consider all the possible ways in which students’ applications materials can demonstrate excellence and a strong likelihood to thrive in the graduate program and in my lab. As such, the information below should be treated as general rules of thumb rather than a highly proscriptive “checklist” of attributes that candidates must have in order to be considered for admittance to my lab.
- Academic preparation: Strong writing skills will be particularly valued. Because writing is such an important part of the academic research process, it would be unusual for me to accept a student that needed major development of their writing skills. Writing proficiency can be demonstrated in myriad ways; if you are curious, email me. Coursework in areas related to the lab’s research (e.g., social psychology, health psychology, close relationships, emotion, psychophysiology, research methods, statistics) is useful though not required.
- Research preparation: Applicants with at least one year of lab research experience in psychology, either as an undergraduate or through a post-bacc research position (e.g., as a research assistant, research coordinator, lab manager) will typically be more competitive. This ensures you have some familiarity with the scientific method and research process at the start; we build up skills from there. Further, as the Jolink lab focuses on interactions and uses various in-lab methods, those with in-person/in-lab experience with human subjects will be highly valued. It is beneficial if you have some experience with the methods I use (e.g., behavioral collection and analysis techniques, physiological assessment and assay) but experience in all (or multiple) is not required. As something—hopefully fun—to be aware of, I am a first-year assistant professor currently building out my lab. Top candidates will be those eager and excited to dive into the lab’s first large scale data collection and have questions they want to ask in the process.
While it is beneficial if you have experience with data analysis and/or using statistical software (e.g., R or SPSS), what is more important is having an aptitude and openness for learning quantitative methods like data analysis. Statistics is inherently part of the research process and how we extract, package, and communicate scientific evidence. You do not have to be an expert at stats to join this lab (and if you are please also apply!), but you do need to be willing to add it to your portfolio of skills.
A note about research fit: The most successful applicants should be able to articulate a deep interest in my program of research and identify a strong overlap between their research interests and mine. However, I am always excited to move in new directions, as long as the core ideas align with the general research aims of the lab. Further, since relationship science is a small but mighty subarea, I do not expect all applicants to have already done research (or worked in a lab) focused on relationship science. But you should be able to tell me a) why you want to join this lab, b) what ideas interest you, and c) how your prior experience, studies, and training make you a good fit for the Jolink lab.
- Motivation/drive: It would be rare for me to admit a student who is not interested at least in some part in questions derived from relationship science. I also personally value intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm from those I work with; I then work hard to meet the enthusiasm of my mentees. I believe in the “social” side of our science: what drives our research is trying to understand fundamentally social (relational) questions and the pursuit of that research is done together, as a team.
- Other: Other beneficial qualities that I look for in prospective graduate students include: teamwork; communication skills; a commitment to treating fellow lab members, and participants, with respect, kindness, and professionalism; problem solving and the ability to troubleshoot independently; a strong work ethic; perseverance; reliability; receptiveness to constructive feedback; strong critical thinking skills; intellectual curiosity and passion for research; and good time management skills (this last one should not be undervalued!). That said, you do not need to be perfect at all these skills to apply. Learning and growing is part of going to grad school. Feeling up for improving these skills and qualities in yourself, while conducting research that interests you, will help make you a successful grad student wherever you go. If it’s the Jolink Lab at UW-Madison, I hope to help you get there.