Research
Understanding people within emerging and complex environments
Jessica’s research examines how people perceive, interpret, trust, and interact with technologies and systems that are rapidly changing human experience.
Drawing from psychology, public health, human factors, anthropology, and user-centered research, she investigates the relationships among environment, technology, behavior, mental health, safety, and wellbeing.
Areas of Research
Immersive Technology and Mental Health
She studies the psychological and behavioral effects of virtual and immersive environments, including their influence on mood, perception, wellbeing, and therapeutic experience.
This work considers both the opportunities and risks associated with immersive technologies, particularly when they are used in sensitive mental-health or healthcare contexts.
Human Factors and Human–Machine Interaction
Her human-factors research examines how people interact with autonomous, intelligent, and technologically complex systems.
Areas of interest include:
Trust in automation
Human–machine teaming
Usability and user experience
Safety and performance
Cognitive workload
Technology acceptance
Human-centered AI and machine learning
Manned and unmanned systems
Environment, Perception, and Wellbeing
She is interested in how environments—physical, virtual, technological, and social—shape attention, emotion, decision-making, behavior, and psychological wellbeing.
This work connects environmental psychology, public health, behavioral research, and experience design.
Selected Experience
Her research background includes work involving human factors, immersive technology, mental health, human–computer interaction, AI and machine learning, public health, and complex operational systems.
She previously served as a civilian scientist for the United States Navy and have collaborated across academic, governmental, technological, and interdisciplinary settings.
Publications and Projects
Greater usage and positive mood change for users of a dynamic VR app before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset
Jessica Housand, Allen Cornelius, and Karen E Shackleford · Frontiers in Psychology · 2024
[Read Publication]
Immersive virtual environments during psilocybin therapy for post-treatment Lyme disease: findings on presence, emotion, and preference
Upcoming.