Assistant Professor of Psychology

Year Joined RCNJ: 2022

Contact Information

• Phone: 201-684-7745
• Email: jsaunde2@ramapo.edu
• Office: G201-B
• Office Hours: Tuesday & Friday: 1:30-3PM

Education

Ph.D. & M. S. Florida International University

A.B. Wellesley College

Convening Groups

Psychology

Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

Courses Offered

Research Methods

Data Analysis

Intro to Psych

Statistics

Teaching Interests

My main teaching goals are (1) to draw from psychological science methodologies, research, and theory to build critical thinking skills and social responsiveness and (2) to engross students in psychological science through hands-on application both in the classroom and laboratory.

Research Interests

As an applied feminist-trained developmental psychologist, I conduct research that optimizes the developmental and health outcomes of girls and women across the lifespan. My research aims to better identify ways negative body experiences can be altered and improved. I investigate the impact of a broad spectrum of sociocultural factors, including media, social media, family, peers, education systems, and cultural beliefs and messages on both disordered eating and eating disorder (ED) recovery trajectories.

Recent Publications (since 2022)

Wong, K., Myre, M., Moules, N., Lefebvre, D. C., Morhun, J. M., Saunders, J. F., Estefan, A., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (in press). The enigma of weight: Figures, flux, and fitting in. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.930360

Russell-Mayhew, S., Estefan, A., Moules, N., Lefebvre, D. C., Morhun, J.M, Saunders, J. F., Wong, K., & Myre, M. (in press). The optics of weight: Perspectives from the panopticon and synopticon. Psychology & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2022.2117810

Tingle, E., Saunders, J. F., Nutter, S., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (accepted for publication).  Taking weight out of the equation: Unintended harms of weight-focused health discourse in schools. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance.

Eaton, A. A., Ramjee, D., & Saunders, J. F. (in press). The relationship between sextortion during COVID-19 and intimate partner violence: A large, study of victimization among diverse U.S. men and women. Violence and Offenders. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2021.2022057

Matejko, E., Saunders, J.F., Zak, M., Kassan, A., Smith, D., & Mukred, R. (in press). “You can do so much better than what they expect”: An arts-based engagement ethnography on school integration with newcomer youth. Journal of Adolescent Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584211056065

Saunders, J. F., Nutter, S., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (2022). Examining the conceptual and measurement overlap of body dissatisfaction and internalized weight stigma in predominantly female samples: A meta-analysis and measurement refinement study. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2022.877554

Saunders, J.F., Zak, M., Matejko, E., Kassan, A., Mukred, R., & Gallucci, A. (2022). Bridging cultural identities: Examining newcomer’s post-secondary school integration experiences through an arts-based ethnographic approach. Emerging Adulthood, 10(4), 952-970. https://doi.org/10.1177/211027674

Nutter, S., Saunders, J. F., Brun, I., Exner-Cortens, D., & Russell-Mayhew, S. (2022). Changes in pre-service teacher personal and professional attitudes following a comprehensive school health course. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne De l’Éducation, 45(1), 227-245. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v45i1.5033

Sahlan, R, Saunders, J. F., Perez, M., Blomquist, K. K., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E.E. & Bodell, L. P. (2022). The validation of a Farsi version of the Clinical Impairment Assessment (F-CIA) among Iranian adolescent boys and girls. Eating and Weight Disorders, 27, 665-674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01204-6