IARR 2026 Conference

CHAIRS

Stanley Gaines

Local Arrangements Subcommittee

Co-Chair

Brunel University of London

Dr. Stanley O. Gaines, Jr. is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Brunel University of London (UK). Dr. Gaines received the IARR Book Award in 2018 and served as IARR President from 2022 to 2024. Dr. Gaines has published more than 100 scholarly publications, including several books on personality psychology and/or close relationships. Dr. Gaines’s research interests span the fields of cultural psychology and relationship science, reflecting his training in social psychology as well as his primary focus on individual differences in interpersonal behavior within the context of close relationships.

Lora Adair

Local Arrangements Subcommittee

Co-Chair

Brunel University of London

Dr. Lora Adair is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Brunel University of London (UK) and leads the Gender, Sexuality, and Relationships research theme in the Centre for Culture and Evolution (CCE). Dr. Adair uses feminist evolutionary approaches to explore how romantic, sexual, and reproductive experiences are shaped by social forces. Her research is highly engaged with the West London and broader UK community, through advisory work and research partnerships with clinics, charities, businesses, and other organizations, particularly those involved in women's healthcare.

Bruna Da Silva Nascimento

Program Committee

Co-Chair

University of Bristol

Dr. Bruna Nascimento (Lecturer in Psychology, University of Bristol). Dr Nascimento’s research focuses on understanding individual and cultural predictors of relationship outcomes, with a particular focus on relationship satisfaction, and conflict between intimate partners. For example, Dr. Nascimento is interest in understanding how individual aspects such as attachment styles interact with the cultural context to influence adaptive mechanisms (e.g., relationship maintenance, conflict resolution) within the context of relationships, and their influence on relationship satisfaction. Dr. Nascimento often applies a quantitative approach in her research, using surveys and experiments. Dr. Nascimento earned her PhD in Psychology from the University of Bath (UK, 2019).

Katarzyna Adamczyk

Program Committee

Co-Chair

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

Dr. Katarzyna Adamczyk is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland). Her primary research focuses on exploring the determinants, correlates, and life outcomes of adult singlehood. Currently, she is examining singlehood from the perspective of ambiguous loss, the role of religion in single people's lives, and the experience of singlehood among disabled individuals. She also serves the community - since 2022, she has served as a Chair of the IARR Future Conferences Committee, Assistant Editor of Emerging Adulthood, and since 2024 as, an Associate Editor of Journal of Community Psychology.

Marta Kowal

Conference Team

Member

University of Wrocław in Wrocław, Lower Silesia

Dr. Marta Kowal is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wrocław. Her research primarily focuses on mate attraction, behaviors that enhance physical attractiveness, and romantic love, particularly from a cross-cultural perspective.

SUBMISSIONS

Submit your abstract soon.

Start planning for the 2026 Main Conference of the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) in Glasgow, Scotland July 8-12th, 2026! Submissions are invited on topics relevant to the research, teaching, and practice of social and personal relationships.

The submission portal will be open from November 1st to December 1, 2025. Decisions will be emailed no later than March 1st, 2026.

Priority for acceptance will be given to projects with data collection completed by submission. Accepted authors are expected to register for the conference and to travel to Glasgow to present their work in-person. Virtual presentations are not available.

All submissions will require: (a) a short abstract (100 words or less) that may appear in conference materials, and (b) a long abstract (≤750 words) to be reviewed.

Individual Submission Formats
Three formats are available for individual submissions: (a) oral presentations, (b) data blitz talks, and/or (c) poster presentations. Format preference(s) may be indicated at the time of submission; however, due to time/space allocations, final presentation format will be decided to fit program constraints.

(1) Oral Presentations: Submissions grouped into related topical sessions of approximately 5 traditional research presentations
(2) Data Blitz Talks: Submissions grouped into related topical sessions of 10+ rapid-fire talks describing their core research basics. These sessions facilitate networking by allowing presenters and attendees to hear about a broad array of findings in a single session.
(3) Poster Presentations: Several poster sessions across the conference offer opportunities to discuss cutting-edge research.

Group Submission Formats
A limited number of group submissions may be accepted, program space permitting. Two formats for group submissions include: (a) symposium presentations, or (b) panel discussions. For group submissions, a designated chair will submit the required abstracts, with the longer one indicating the session title, briefly describing the session’s theme, and listing each presenter’s name, affiliation, and their presentation title(s).

(1) Symposium Presentations: Groups of 4-5 oral presentations organized around a common theme
(2) Panel Discussions: Small group of scholars dialoging about an issue of key interest to IARR members
Once the submission portal opens, the IARR Conference website will be updated and an email announcement sent with further submission details.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS

The conference is pleased to feature the following three keynote speakers.

Dr. David Schmitt

"Romantic Relationship Quality around the World: Revealing the Culture-Bound Intersections of Gender, Orientation, and Relational Outcomes across 58 Nations"

Kansas State University, USA

David P. Schmitt received his Ph.D. in personality psychology from the University of Michigan in 1995. He currently serves as Department Head of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State University. Dr. Schmitt is Founding Director of the International Sexuality Description Project, an interdisciplinary research collaboration involving 100s of psychologists, biologists, and anthropologists from over 60 countries who seek to understand how culture, gender, and personality combine to influence sexual health and relationship quality. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 articles on how diverse intersections of gender/sex, gender roles, and sexual orientations impact mental health differently all around the world.

Dr. Rozzana Sánchez Aragón

“Culture and Sexuality: Effects and Differences between Young and Mature Women”

National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico

Rozzana Sánchez Aragón completed her bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico where she has been a full-time professor in the area of Social Psychology for 30 years. She teaches courses in Social Psychology and Research Methodology. She has participated in 12 funded projects, presented 751 papers and 83 keynote lectures. Her research work has allowed her to publish 120 articles, 162 book chapters and 8 books. She is a member of the National System of Researchers, obtained the Distinction for Young Researchers at her university and was the Chair of the Membership and International Committee of the IARR.

Dr. Ashley Randall

“Heeding a Global Call: Elevating the Voices of Minoritized Sexual and Gender Diverse Individuals in Relationship Science”

Arizona State University, USA

Dr. Ashley K. Randall is an internationally recognized scholar who applies a strength-based perspective and international lens to identify ways in which couples cope with experiences of stress. She is President-Elect of IARR and the recent past Editor-in-Chief of Personal Relationships. Additionally, she has served as a Fulbright Fellow (Switzerland, 2007) and Fulbright Specialist (Indonesia, 2023) and is a visiting professor with College Year in Athens, Greece. Dr. Randall holds Fellow status in the American Psychological Association’s Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), Division 43 (Society for Couple and Family Psychology), and Division 52 (International Psychology).

REGISTRATION

IARR Member Registration Rates* (Non-member, add +$75):

Regular Member
Early Bird registration rate through June 10, 2025: $300
Regular registration rate through July 10, 2025: $400
Late registration rate (note: no onsite registration): $500

Student Member
Early Bird registration rate through June 10, 2025: $150
Regular registration rate through July 10, 2025: $200
Late registration rate (note: no onsite registration): $250

*Note: all prices are in USD/US$ not inclusive of tax.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

SOCIAL EVENTS

Social events we are planning include:

• 8 July opening reception at City Chambers
• 9 July community outreach event at Social Bite (evening event; volunteer speakers needed)
• 10 July optional ticketed activities including social event at Knockderry Castle (limited capacity event)
• 11 July Awards Dinner with ceilidh (Scots Gaelic for dance party) at The Platform

More about the community outreach event at Social Bite:
If you are interested in sharing your research with Glasgow residents and supporting a local social justice enterprise, we are looking for handful of speakers. Please contact us at iarr2026glasgow@gmail.com for more information about our idea for the event. Click here for more information about Social Bite.

More about the Knockderry Castle social event:
Built on the ruins of a Viking fort constructed by King Haco of Norway (reigned 1217-1263), Knockderry castle has a history touched by famous people and events beginning with the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Campbell Clan. Andrew Carnegie signed documents that funded Scottish libraries in the library at Knockderry. During World War II, President Charles De Gaulle visited wounded soldiers who were being cared for there. The castle is an A-listed building due to its rich heritage and importance of its architecture, art, stained glass, and woodwork. Over the last 2 ½ years, the castle has been carefully restored and brought back to its glory. It is now a working castle and the pride of the region. David and Chelom Leavitt (IARR member), current owners of Knockderry, welcome IARR members to tour the castle and enjoy Scottish entertainment. We will serve a few traditional Scottish foods and listen to a Scottish storyteller bring a few Scottish tales to life.

CONTACT INFORMATION

A memorable stay in London

Questions, comments, and concerns can be directed to one of the conference organizers below.