Gina Thomas
Assistant Professor of Psychology
- Office
- McCardell Bicentennial Hall 280
- Tel
- (802) 443-3039
- vthomas@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Fall 2025: Tuesdays 1:30pm - 3:00pm; Fridays 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Virginia Thomas is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Middlebury College. She joined the psychology department in Fall of 2020. Dr. Thomas earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz (with an emphasis in Feminist Studies), an MA in Depth Psychology at Sonoma State University, and a BS in Psychology from University of Evansville.
As a developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas studies social and emotional development throughout the lifespan, with two ongoing lines of research. First, she examines the role of solitude in identity development and psychological well-being. This research identifies key differences in loneliness and solitude, explores how solitary engagement with social media and digital devices affects well-being, and investigates the skills necessary to use solitude constructively. In a second line of research, Dr. Thomas explores the identity work that occurs during developmental transitions, especially the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Previous work has examined emerging adults’ social class identity and religious identities, and she is currently examining the identity work that occurs during “sojourn” - when people work, travel, or study abroad. Dr. Thomas specializes in mixed methods research, with an emphasis on conducting interviews and analyzing narratives using a variety of qualitative methods.
Dr. Thomas conducts her research within the Solitude & Identity Lab, in collaboration with Middlebury undergraduate students and colleagues at universities around the world. She also directs QUILL, the Qualitative Inquiry Learning Lab, an interdisciplinary space where researchers and students come together to sheare, learn, and practice qualitative methods for social science research. In addition to her academic writing, Dr. Thomas writes about topics related to well-being, solitude, and identity at Psychology Today and The Conversation.
Courses Taught
PSYC 0105
Introduction To Psychology
Course Description
Introduction to Psychology
This course will provide a general introduction to the field of psychology. The most central and important theories, concepts, findings, controversies, and applications in the following areas will be considered: biological bases of behavior, learning, perception, thinking, development, personality, psychological disorders, and social behavior. (Open to Juniors and Seniors by waiver only) 3 hrs lect./1 hr. disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0220
Current
Cultural Psychology
Course Description
Cultural Psychology
Historically, much psychological research has focused on the United States and has aimed to interpret human psychological processes without reference to their cultural contexts. Cultural psychology, by contrast, holds that culture is essential for human psychology as we know it. The goal of this course is to understand that premise. Drawing on new research insights from around the globe, we will explore cross-cultural variations in psychological functioning from emotions, cognitions, and perceptions, to development, personality, and mental health. We will analyze where cultural variations come from, how the mind becomes enculturated, and the sense in which human nature is cultural. (PSYC 0105, open to Psychology majors Environmental Studies/Conservation Psychology and undeclareds only, seniors by waiver only) 3 hrs lecture
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0225
Child Development
Course Description
Child Development
In this course, we will examine the nature of developmental change from the prenatal period through middle childhood. Our critical examination of developmental processes will invite us to consider various theoretical perspectives (e.g., learning, cognitive, biological, contextual) across various domains of development (i.e., physical, social-emotional, and cognitive). We will address major themes in developmental psychology, such as the interrelatedness of development across domains, the contributions of nature and nurture, and the relative continuity versus discontinuity of developmental change. Throughout, we will practice applying developmental principles to practical settings, policy issues, and topics of current interest. (PSYC 0105; open to Psychology majors and undeclared majors only; open to seniors by waiver only) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0350
Current
Upcoming
Directed Research
Course Description
Directed Research in Psychology
Directed research provides opportunities for advanced students to become familiar with and participate in ongoing research projects under the direction of a faculty member. The student will first read background literature on the content area to be investigated and experimental methodologies to be used. Procedures involved in conducting psychological research will then be learned through firsthand experience. Potential activities include the design of research and the defining of conceptual variables and the gathering, analyzing, and interpretation of data. Finally, students will learn how to write technical articles in psychology by preparing a paper describing the project, using APA style. (Approval required; not open to first-year students) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
PSYC 0423
Current
Nature, Technology, Self
Course Description
Nature, Technology, and the Self
Modern humans are entangled in the intersection of three domains: the natural world, digital technology, and our psychological sense of “self.” How does each domain affect the other? Are these effects positive or negative? In this seminar we draw on recent research examining how nature, and social media/ internet usage impact us cognitively, neurologically, socially, and emotionally. Further, we explore how digital devices can inhibit or facilitate engagement with the natural world, combining critical inquiry with experiential methods such as digital detox, forest bathing, self-observation, nature apps, and citizen science. (Open to junior and senior psychology majors only, others by waiver). 3 hrs sem
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0500
Current
Upcoming
Advanced Research
Course Description
Advanced Research
A program of research arranged to meet the needs of advanced students majoring in psychology. (Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Research
Course Description
Senior Research
A program of research arranged to meet the needs of advanced senior majors in psychology. (PSYC 0201 and PSYC 0202; Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0701
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis Proposal
Course Description
Senior Thesis Proposal
Students hoping to be considered as candidates for departmental honors must enroll in PSYC 0701 under the sponsorship of a department faculty member. Their semester’s work will culminate in the submission of a formal, written research proposal by the due date as specified by the department. If the proposal is approved, the student will enroll in PSYC 0702 during the winter term and PSYC 0703 during the spring term of their senior year. (Feb graduates should consult with their advisors about the appropriate semester in which to begin a thesis.) (PSYC 0201 and PSYC 0202; Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0702
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis Second Semester
Course Description
Senior Thesis Second Semester
Students whose honors thesis proposal (PSYC 0701) has been approved will collect, analyze, and interpret their data. This is the second semester of the 3-semester senior thesis. (PSYC 0201, PSYC 0202, and PSYC 0701; Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0703
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis
Course Description
Senior Thesis*
This is the third and final semester of the senior thesis. Students will finish analyzing and interpreting their data. This process culminates in a written thesis to be submitted by the due date as specified by the department, a presentation, and an oral defense. The decision about awarding departmental honors will be made after the student submits the thesis. (PSYC 0201, PSYC 0202, and PSYC 0702; Approval required)
Terms Taught
Publications
Thomas, V. & Nelson, P. A. (2025). The effects of multifaceted introversion and sensory processing sensitivity on solitude seeking behavior. Journal of Personality, 93(1), 51-66.https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12970
McKay, S., Thomas, V., Lyons, C. W., & Eguiluz, I. (2024). “I felt like I was getting to be my own person”: Exploring the impact of cultural master narratives on identity development during student exchange. Emerging Adulthood, 12(6), 969-984. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968241278934
Thomas, V. (2023). The psychological affordances of solitude in emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood, 11(3), 611-625. doi/10.1177/21676968231151982
Smith, J. L., Thomas, V., & Azmitia, M. (2023). Self-determined solitude buffers the association between negative motivations for solitude and maladjustment among older adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 202. doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111992
Azmitia, M., Garcia Peraza, P. D., Thomas, V., Ajay, A. A., & Syed, M. (2023). The promises and challenges of using intersectionality to study identity development during adolescence and early adulthood. In L. J. Crockett, G. Carlo, & J. E. Schulenberg (Eds.), APA Handbook of Adolescent and Young Adult Development, (pp. 391-405).
Thomas, V. (2023). Solitude skills and the private self. Qualitative Psychology, 10(1), 121-139.doi.org/10.1037/qup0000218
Smith, J., Thomas, V., & Azmitia, M. (2023). Happy alone? Motivational profiles of solitude and well-being among senior living residents. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 96(3):312-334. doi.org/10.1177/00914150221112283
Thomas, V., Balzer Carr, B., Azmitia, M., & Whittaker, S. (2021). Alone and online: Understanding the relationships between social media, solitude, and psychological adjustment. Psychology of Popular Media, 10(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000287
Thomas, V., & Azmitia, M. (2019). Motivation matters: development and validation of the motivation for solitude scale–short form (MSS-SF). Journal of Adolescence, 70, 33-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.11.004
Thomas, V. & Azmitia, M. (2016). Tapping into the app: Updating the Experience Sampling Method for the 21st century. Emerging Adulthood, 4 (1), 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696815618489
Thomas, V., Azmitia, M., & Whittaker, S. (2016). Unplugged: Exploring the costs and benefits of constant connection. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 540-548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.078
Azmitia, M. & Thomas, V. (2015). Intersectionality and the development of self and identity. In R. Scott & S. Kosslyn (Eds.), Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1-9, Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118900772.etrds0193
Thomas, V. & Azmitia, M. (2014). Does class matter? Examining the centrality of social class identity for emerging adults. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 14 (3), 195-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2014.921171