Lisa Diamond, Ph.D.
Research Interests
My research focuses on sexuality, gender, and intimate relationships, and their implications for health and well-being over the life course. My primary research areas include (1) fluidity in sexual and gender expression among women and men, (2) biological underpinnings of sexual desire and experience, (3) the impact of early-life adversity on social and sexual development, and (4) the implications of sexual well-being for physical and mental health. In addressing these questions, I use a diverse range of research methods, including longitudinal observation across multiple time spans, controlled laboratory experiments, and collection of biomarkers (such as oxytocin, cortisol, and markers of systemic inflammation).
Education
Ph.D., Cornell University (Human Development, 1999)
B.A., University of Chicago (Psychology, 1993)
Selected Publications
Accessibility Notice for Reference Materials:
The documents provided here are for informational and reference purposes. We are committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users. If you encounter any barriers within these PDF documents or require the information in an alternate format, please contact our team for necessary assistance.
Diamond, L. M. & Alley, J. C. (2022). Rethinking minority stress: A social safety perspective on the health effects of stigma in sexually-diverse and gender-diverse populations. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 104720.
Diamond, L. M., Dickenson, J. A., Blair, K. L. (2022). Menstrual-cycle changes in daily sexual motivation and behavior among sexually-diverse cisgender women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 577-588.
Alley, J. C., Jenkins, V., Diamond, L. M., & Everett, B. (2022). Understanding the link between adolescent same-gender contact and unintended pregnancy: The role of early adversity and sexual risk behavior. Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Alley, J. C. and Diamond, L. M. (2021). Early childhood adversity and women’s sexual behavior: The role of sensitivity to sexual reward. Developmental Review, 61, 100982.
Diamond, L. M., Dehlin, A., & Alley, J. C. (2021). Systemic inflammation as a driver of health disparities among sexually-diverse and gender-diverse individuals. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 129, 105215.
Diamond, L. M. (2021). The new genetic evidence on same-gender sexuality: Implications for sexual fluidity and multiple forms of sexual diversity. Journal of Sex Research, 58, 818-837.
Dickenson, J. A., Diamond, L. M., King, J. B., Jenson, K., Anderson, J. S. (2020). Understanding heterosexual women’s erotic flexibility: The role of attention in neural responses and sexual evaluations of sexual stimuli. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 15, 447-465.
Diamond, L. M., Alley, J. C., Dickenson, J. A., Blair, K. L. (2020). Who counts as sexually fluid? Comparing four different types of sexual fluidity in women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49, 2389-2403.
Alley, J. C., Diamond, L. M., Dickenson, J. A., Blair, K. L. (2020). Women’s cortisol stress responsivity, sexual arousability, and sexual history. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49, 1489-1503.
Diamond, L. M. (2020). Gender fluidity and nonbinary gender identities among children and adolescents. Child Development Perspectives, 14, 110-115.
Dickenson, J. A., Alley, J. C., Diamond, L. M. (2019). Subjective and oxytocinergic responses to mindfulness are associated with subjective and oxytocinergic responses to sexual arousal. Frontiers in Psychology: Health Psychology, 10, 1-13.
Alley, J., Diamond, L. M., Lipschitz, D. L., & Grewen, K. (2019). Associations between oxytocin and cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to psychological stress and sexual arousal. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 106, 47-56.
Diamond, L. M. & Alley, J. (2019). Was it good for her? An alternative perspective on life history theory, female same-sex sexuality, and pleasure. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48, 1315-1320.
Diamond, L. M., Dickenson, J., & Blair, K. (2017). Stability of sexual attractions across different time scales: The roles of bisexuality and gender. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 193-204.
Diamond, L. M. (2017). Wanting women: Sex, gender, and the specificity of sexual arousal. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 1181-1185.
Diamond, L. M. (2016). Sexual fluidity in males and females. Current Sexual Health Reports, 8, 249-256.
Diamond, L. M. & Rosky, C. (2016). Scrutinizing “immutability”: Research on sexual orientation and its role in legal advocacy for the rights of sexual minorities rights? Journal of Sex Research, 53, 363-391.
Diamond, L. M. (2016). Three critical questions for future research on lesbian relationships. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 21, 1-14.
Diamond, L. M. (2012). The desire disorder in research on sexual orientation in women: Contributions of dynamical systems theory. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41, 73-83.
Diamond, L. M., Hicks, A. M., & Otter-Henderson, K. D. (2011). Individual differences in vagal regulation moderate associations betweeen daily affect and daily couple interactions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 731-744.
Diamond, L. M. & Wallen, K. (2011). Sexual-minority women's sexual motivation around the time of ovulation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 237-246.
Diamond, L.M., Fagundes, C. P., & Cribbet, M. R. (2012). Individual differences in adolescent sympathetic and parasympathetic functioning moderate associations between family environment and psychosocial adjustment. Developmental Psychology.
Diamond, L. M. (2008). Female bisexuality from adolescence to adulthood: Results from a 10-year longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 44, 5-14.
Diamond, L. M., & Dickenson, J. (2012). The neuroimaging of love and desire: Review and future directions. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 9, 39-46.
Diamond, L. M., Hicks, A. M., and Otter-Henderson, K. D. (2008). Every time you go away: Changes in affect, behavior, and physiology associated with travel-related separations from romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,95, 385-403.
My Current Graduate Students
Raven Burton
Angel Villicana
Katie Wyant-Stein