Tara M. Busch
*Formerly Tara Young
Social Psychology PhD, Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
About Tara
About Tara
Hello, my name is Tara Busch, I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Research
As a social psychologist, my research focuses on better understanding the interplay between gender, sexuality, and well-being. The main areas of focus include gender inequality, the sexual double standard (the idea that men and women’s sexuality and sexual behavior is evaluated unequally), sexual and romantic fantasies, and sexual health decision making.
Current research topics being studied include:
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How do adolescents experience the sexual double standard in comparison to adults and what is the impact of the sexual double standard on adolescent sexual health decision making?
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How do sexual and romantic fantasies impact relationship satisfaction and functioning?
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How do gender inequalities impact sexual health decision making?
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Teaching
As a mentor and an educator of psychology, my primary goals are to: 1) inspire and empower students' curiosity and critical thinking about the social world around them and 2) to create opportunities to develop tangible skills. My research focused, purpose-driven teaching style enables students to leave my classes with real-world skills that will increase their success and happiness. I have experience teaching in person and online courses of varied sizes; whether I have 9 students or 150 in a class, I make learning intimate and meaningful through the utilization of team-based learning, a teaching strategy designed for teamwork with emphasis on evidence-based and application-focused learning.
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In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, cooking and baking, reading, being active (rock climbing, caving, hiking, biking, dancing, etc.), volunteering at my local climbing gym, and playing card and board games.