Todd Lucas
Assistant Professor
addess@med.wayne.edu

Departmental Role

I am a member of the Division of Population Health Sciences, within the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences.  As a social and health psychologist, I conduct research on the psychological and social determinants of stress and health.  Some of my past and ongoing research has explored relationships between perceived fairness and health, and this has especially included examining whether fairness uniquely affects well being in African Americans.  I also collaborate with other members of the department on applied research topics that have ranged from the treatment and integration of immigrants to identifying and reducing occupational stress in police officers.  Finally, I play an active role in the educational mission of the department both through formal instruction of medical and MPH students, and also through participation in various student research collaborations. 

Education

Recent Training and Experience

Primary Research Interests

Psychosocial determinants of stress, health behavior, and well-being; social influence processes in health communication; cross-cultural analysis of social perception cognition, and behavior.

Selected Publications: 

Lucas T., Zhdanova, L., & Alexander S. (2011).  Procedural and distributive justice beliefs for self and others: Assessment of a four-factor individual differences model.    Journal of Individual Differences, 32, 14-25. 

Wendorf, C.A., Lucas, T., Imamoğlu, E.O., Weisfeld, C.C., & Weisfeld, G.E. (2011). Does the number of children impact marital satisfaction after accounting for other marital demographics?  Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42, 340-354. 

Arnetz, B.B., Lucas, T., & Arnetz, J.A. (2011).  Organizational climate, occupational stress, and employee mental health:  Mediating effects of organizational efficiency.  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53, 34-42.

Lucas, T., Young, J., Zhdanova, L., & Alexander, S. (2010). Self and other justice beliefs, rumination, impulsivity and forgiveness:  Justice beliefs can both prevent and promote forgiveness.  Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 851-856.

Lucas, T., Lakey, B., Arnetz, J.A., & Arnetz, B.B. (2010).  Do ratings of African American cultural competency reflect characteristics of providers of perceivers?  Initial demonstration of a generalizability theory approach.  Psychology, Health and Medicine, 15, 445-453. 
           
Franks, M.M., Lucas, T., Stephens, M.A.P., Rook, K.S., Gonzalez, R (2010). Diabetes distress and depressive symptoms:  A dyadic examination of older patients and their spouses, Family Relations, 59, 599-610. 

Lucas T.  (2009).  Justifying outcomes versus processes:  Procedural and distributive justice beliefs as predictors of positive and negative affectivity. Current Psychology, 28, 249-265.   
 
Lucas T., Lakey, B., Alexander, S., & Arnetz B.B. (2009).  Individuals and illnesses as sources of perceived preventability.  Psychology, Health and Medicine, 14, 322-330. 

Lucas T., Alexander, S., Firestone, I.J., & LeBreton J.M. (2009).  Belief in a just world, social influence, and responsibility for illness: Evidence of a just world boomerang effect. Journal of Health Psychology, 14,258-256. 

Lucas, T., Alexander S., Firestone, I.J., LeBreton, J.M. & (2008).  Just World Beliefs, Perceived Stress, and Health Behavior:  The Impact of a Procedurally Just World. Psychology & Health, 23, 849-865. 

Lucas, T., Parkhill, M.R., Wendorf, C.A., Imamoglu, E.O., Weisfeld, C.C, Weisfeld, G.E., & Shen, J. (2008).  Cultural and Evolutionary Components of Marital Satisfaction: A Multidimensional Assessment of Measurement Invariance.  Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39, 109-123.  

Lucas, T., Michalopoulou, G., Falzerano, P., Menon, S., & Cunningham, W. (2008). Healthcare Provider Cultural Competency:  Initial Validation of a Patient Report Measure. Health Psychology, 27, 185-193. 

Lucas, T., & Goold, S. (2008).  Exploring the Malleability of Belief in a Just Word: Evidence from a Health Resource Allocation Exercise. Psychology Journal, 5, 92-104. 

Hawley, S.T., Zikmund-Fisher, B., Ubel, P., Jancovic, A., Lucas, T. &  Fagerlin, A., (2008).  The impact of the format of graphical presentation on health-related knowledge and treatment choices. Patient Education and Counseling, 73, 448-455. 

Haber, M.G., Cohen, J.L., Lucas, T. & Baltes, B.B. (2007). The Relationship Between Self-Reported Received and Perceived Social Support: A Meta-Analytic Review. American Journal of Community Psychology, 39, 133-144.   

Lucas, T., Alexander, S., Firestone, I.J., & LeBreton, J.M., (2007).  Development and Initial Validation of a Procedural and Distributive Just World Measure. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 71-82.

Lucas, T., Alexander, S., Firestone, I.J., & Baltes, B.B., (2006). Self Efficacy and Independence to Social Influence: Discovery of an Efficacy-Difficulty Effect. Social Influence, 1, 58-80.

           
Current Funded Research:

            PI: T Lucas
            Perceived Fairness and Stress Reactivity:  Experimental Person by Situation Interactions
            National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
            Total Direct Award: $275,000

            PI: T Lucas
            Health Message Framing and Colorectal Cancer Screening in Urban African Americans
            Wayne State University Research Enhancement Program-Urban Research
            Total Direct Award: $55,000

            PI: T Lucas
            Policy, Psychology and Immigrant Employment in Urban Environments
            Wayne State University Research Enhancement Program-Urban Research
            Total Direct Award:  $42,000