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College of Arts and Sciences

Kelly Clemens

Assistant Professor
Psychology
Office
DEG Degarmo Hall 430
Office Phone
(309) 438-5700office
phone
Email
ksclem1@ilstu.eduemail
  • About
  • Education
  • Research

Biography

Committed to improving physical/mental health and well-being by conducting experimental research aimed at understanding mechanisms, evaluating and implementing interventions, and informing policy. Originally from Michigan. Love dogs, nature, and games. Avid reader and writer.

Current Courses

PSY 223.002 Social Psychology

PSY 290.015 Special Projects: Research Apprenticeship

PSY 431.001 Theory & Research In Social Psychology

PSY 390.015 Advanced Research Apprenticeship

HON 395.007 Honors Thesis: Psychology

PSY 111.006 Introduction To Psychology

PSY 111.007 Introduction To Psychology

PSY 111.008 Introduction To Psychology

PSY 223.001 Social Psychology

PSY 290.015 Special Projects: Research Apprenticeship

PSY 291.015 Special Projects:Undergraduate Teaching

Teaching Interests & Areas

Health psychology, social psychology, emotion, research methods, quantitative methods, measurement

Research Interests & Areas

My research sits at the intersection of social and health psychology, and focuses on how psychological processes influence health behaviors and outcomes.

PhD Psychology

University of Toledo
Toledo, OH

MA Psychology

University of Toledo
Toledo, OH

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Oakland University
Rochester, MI

BS Education

Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI

Grants & Contracts

University Research Grant. Illinois State University - CAST. Illinois State University. (2024)

Journal Article

Clemens, K., Matkovic, J., Odelson, A., Strain, A., & Wesselmann, E. Psychosocial influences on pain in transgender individuals (2025)
Spotts, E., Clemens, K., Faasse, K., & Geers, A. The effect of attribute framing on beliefs and attitudes toward branded and generic medications (2025)
Geers, A., Seligman, L., Pituch, K., Clemens, K., Francis, S., Kramer, L., Spotts, E., & Vang, M. Cultural normative beliefs in the U.S. as a determinant of negative dental experiences and dental anxiety: A Preliminary Investigation (2024)
Seligman, L., Geers, A., Kramer, L., Clemens, K., Pituch, K., Colagiuri, B., Marusak, H., Rabinak, C., Turner, N., & Nedley, M. Study protocol of an investigation of attention and prediction error as mechanisms of action for latent inhibition of dental fear in humans (2023)
Babel, P., Jensen, K., Klosowska, J., Bajcar, A., Mattarozi, K., Joshanloo, K., Bagnis, A., Bieniek, H., Braaczyk, J., Ponten, M., Lalouni, M., Park, J., Clemens, K., Choi, H., & Geers, A. Development and cross‐national investigation of a model explaining participation in WHO‐recommended and placebo behaviours to prevent COVID‐19 infection (2022)

Presentations

Inclusive Lectures Improve Social Fit and Self-Efficacy for Black College Students. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting. (2026)
Positive Affective Expectations and Perceived Discrimination as Predictors of Positive Health Behavior in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting. (2026)
Psychological Expectancies as Contributors to Health Disparities in Transgender Adults.. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting. (2026)
Belonging and mental health in U.S. College students: Associations with depression, anxiety, stress, and academic outcomes. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting 2025. (2025)
Belonging and mental health in U.S. College students: Associations with depression, anxiety, stress, and academic outcomes. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting. (2025)
College Students’ Sense of Belonging on campus Predicts GPA.. Illinois State University Graduate Research Symposium. Illinois State University. (2025)
Health promotion programs and work outcomes: explained through psychological constructs. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting. (2025)
Intuitive and magnitude dimensions of response expectancy are modulable via affect induction. 5th International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies. (2025)
Nocebo belief and attitudes towards side effect disclosure in Japan: A general population-based online survey. International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies. (2025)
Testing pre-exposure as an intervention strategy for disrupting learned dental fear using a novel virtual reality paradigm. International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies. (2025)