Rachael Cavallaro

Contact Info

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss., 2026
Master of Arts, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss., 2022
Bachelor of Arts, Binghamton University (SUNY), Vestal, N.Y., 2017

Rachael Cavallaro is a social psychologist and educator who has taught undergraduate courses both in-person and online for more than five years. As an educator, she believes her role is to guide students toward reaching their full potential by demonstrating genuine care for their well-being and success, fostering an inclusive and open learning environment, encouraging questions and creative exploration, and promoting active engagement with course material. Her hope is that students will carry what they have learned—and the growth they have experienced—beyond the classroom and use it to make a positive impact on the world. Cavallaro’s research focuses primarily on how people perceive and grapple with life’s big existential questions, such as: "Who am I deep down?", "What makes me feel authentic?", "What makes my life feel fulfilling?", "What fills my life with meaning?", and "What experiences make me feel connected with important people in my life (e.g., romantic partners) and humanity as a whole?". She is also starting to explore how the answers to these questions can differ between populations from different cultural contexts and LGBTQIA+ populations. Cavallaro is also particularly interested in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research. Under her guidance, her undergraduate mentees have conducted independent research projects, presented their work at institution, regional, and national conferences, co-authored publications with her, and applied for and received grant funding for their independent research.

Research Interests

Existential Psychology
Eudaimonic Well-being
Authenticity
Psychology of the Self
Cultural Psychology

Courses Taught

Social Psychology
Research Methods
Motivation and Learning

Selected Works

Presentations

† Indicates Presenting Author(s) * Indicates Undergraduate Mentee Under my Mentorship

†*Booker, B., *Sprague, C., *Srivastava, S., Church, M.H., Cavallaro, R. M., & Rivera, G.N. (2026, March). The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Christian Women in STEM. Poster presented at Southeastern Psychological Association Conference (SEPA), New Orleans, LA.
†Cavallaro, R. M., Long, J. W. R., *Bonds D.J., & Rivera, G. N. (2026, February). Self-Presentation and Dark Personality on Perceived Authenticity (Three Study Package). Poster presented at Society for Personality and Social Psychology International Conference (SPSP), Chicago, IL.
†Cavallaro, R.M., & Church, M.H., *Giddens, B.J., & Rivera, G.N. (2024, November). The Complex Effects of Awe on Meaning in Life and True Self Knowledge. Data Blitz presented at the Society of Southeastern Social Psychologists (SSSP), Memphis, TN.
*McCloud, B.C., †*Bonds D.J., *Squire, K., Cavallaro, R. M., & Rivera, G. N. (2024, November). Self-Presentation and Dark Personality on Perceived Authenticity. Poster presented at the Society of Southeastern Social Psychologists (SSSP), Memphis, TN.
†*Morse, C.M., *Tse, R.M., Cavallaro, R. M., & Rivera, G. N. (2024, November). Achieving Personal Growth: An Analysis of Self-Relevant Predictors. Poster presented at the Society of Southeastern Social Psychologists (SSSP), Memphis, TN.
†Cavallaro, R.M., & Church, M.H., *Giddens, B.J., & Rivera, G.N. (2024, February). The Complex Effects of Awe on Meaning in Life and True Self Knowledge. Poster presented at Society for Personality and Social Psychology International Conference (SPSP), San Diego, CA.

Publications

* Indicates Undergraduate Mentee Under my Mentorship

Cavallaro, R.M., George, T. & Rivera, G.N (2026). Seeing I to I Makes Sparks Fly: A Daily Diary Study Investigating I-Sharing and Relationship Quality. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Rivera, G. N., Church, M.H., Cavallaro, R.M., Jongman-Serreno, K., Searle, H., Kim, J., Kelley, N., Schlegel, R. J., & Hicks, J. (2026). How do I know you’re real? Lay Predictors of Others Authenticity. Self and Identity.
Cavallaro, R.M., & Rivera, G.N. (2025). Feeling Small but Still Connected: Examining Complex Effects of Awe on Self-Compassion. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07706-1
Cavallaro, R.M., & Church, M.H., *Giddens, B.J., & Rivera, G.N. (2025). The Complex Effects of Awe on Meaning in Life and True Self Knowledge. Self and Identity, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2025.2458844