My research areas are in cross-cultural psychology, health psychology, and social psychology. My main area of research investigates the causes, consequences, and correlates of the optimistic bias (people thinking they are less at risk than their peers) -- that is, why people do risky things that they know they should not. In addition, I have research interests in health communication, gender, and public health. Currently, I'm conducting NIH-funded research in the U.S. and Denmark on moralization of smoking.