Mapping the HEART across Cultures and the Lifespan
Our lab explores how love, emotional experiences, and social bonds shape well-being across cultures and throughout the lifespan. We combine cutting-edge experience sampling approaches—such as Ecological Momentary Assessment, the Day Reconstruction Method, and daily diaries—with innovative analytic frameworks that capture the complexity of human experience. These include dynamical systems modeling to trace emotional change, Bayesian psychometric approaches to uncover shared and individual belief systems, social network analysis to map relational contexts, and machine learning techniques to enhance prediction and intervention design. By integrating advanced measurement with sophisticated analyses, our lab examines indicators of well-being, particularly affective states and relational processes, from a multi-level, dynamic, and culturally grounded perspective.
CROSS-CULTURAL LOVE PROJECT
Love is a universal phenomenon that shapes our emotions, relationships, and wellbeing—but its meaning can differ across cultures. Funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, our multicultural research study examines what makes people feel loved in everyday life.
Lab Director
Saida Heshmati, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Positive Developmental Psychology
Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences
Claremont Graduate University
International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) 2023 Early Career Researcher Award Recipient
Recent News & Updates!
Recent News & Updates!
News & Updates
WPPA Keynote Speaker Event, “The Power of Positive Emotions and Love” - July 2025
Dr. Saida Heshmati presented her research on love, emotional safety, and cultural expressions of affection at the Western Positive Psychology Association in July, 2025! Watch the webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ki1WCBFiU&ab_channel=ClaremontFlourishingCenter.
APS research SYMPOSIUM - MAY 2025
The HEART Lab presented a research symposium at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Conference in Washington, D.C. The symposium was chaired by Dr. Saida Heshmati, with Dr. Zita Oravecz serving as discussant. Read more about the three presentations featured in our blog post.
CONGRATULATIONS — JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION GRANT
Congratulations to Dr. Saida Heshmati (Project Leader) and Dr. Zita Oravecz (Project Co-Leader) for recently being awarded a John Templeton Grant (#63364). Their project is titled, “Embracing Love Across Cultures: Decoding Cultural Beliefs on Love and Their Impact on Wellbeing” and is a 5-year cross-cultural study that will last from 2024–2028.
Be on the lookout for detailed updates about this new project and our multi-year journey!
Meet the HEART Lab team
Learn more about our team of graduate students and faculty working on making a difference in people’s lives through research projects centered on love, positive development and well-being.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Find out about our current research projects, such as our love project, mindfulness project, and more!
Questions, Research Participation & Collaborations
Contact us for any further information about our projects, if you would like to participate in a research study, or if you would like to collaborate with us!
