Psychologist in the Making
Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology at Wayne State University exploring dating relationships, with a focus on how technology—particularly AI—shapes love, attachment, and romantic connections with AI chatbots.
I'm a doctoral candidate in Psychology at Wayne State University investigating how early life experiences shape the way people love, connect, and form relationships. Trained in developmental, clinical, and quantitative psychology, my work sits at the intersection of theory, data, and lived community experience.
As a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, I engage in interdisciplinary research and community outreach, translating science into tools that support youth and families.
My work examines how technology has transformed modern relationships—sometimes fostering closeness, sometimes fueling harm. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes woven into everyday life, my current research pushes this question further: What happens when technology not merely mediates relationships, but becomes a relational partner itself? Rather than asking how people fall in love through technology, I ask what it means to fall in love with technology—such as an AI girlfriend—and how these relationships shape users' romantic competence, intimacy, and functioning in human relationships.
Wayne State University
Major: Developmental Psychology
Minors: Clinical & Quantitative Psychology
Cleveland State University
University of Delhi
Publications
Citations
Presentations
Clinical Hours
Journal
Articles
Citations
Munshi, I., Basting, E. J., Reich, K., & Goncy, E. A.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
DOI: 10.1177/08862605251414452Munshi, I., Basting, E. J., Dongarra, M., Harangozo, J., & Goncy, E. A.
Personal Relationships, 31(3), 855–882
DOI: 10.1111/pere.12566Munshi, I., Ishaq, J. K., Liebhardt, B., & Goncy, E. A.
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 52(4), 1607–1616
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02476-4Basting, E. J., Munshi, I., Harangozo, J., Dongarra, M. S., & Goncy, E. A.
Psychology of Violence, 13(6), 488–496
DOI: 10.1037/vio0000479Academic Presentations
Munshi, I., Palmer, C., Simon, V. A.
Association for Psychological Science
Barcelona, Spain
Horvath. M., Bracken, C. M., Munshi, I., Dong, L., & Goodell, J. E.
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
New Orleans, LA, United States
Munshi, I., Basting, E., Reich, K., Goncy, E.A.
Midwestern Psychological Association conference 2025
Chicago, IL
Munshi, I., Palmer C., Simon V.A.
Graduate Research Symposium 2025
Wayne State University
Munshi, I., Palmer C., Simon V.A.
Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting 2025
Minneapolis, MN
Munshi, I., & Goncy, E.A.
Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting 2025
Minneapolis, MN
Jiang, A., Welk, V.-J., Munshi, I., & Goncy, E. A.
Resilience.con annual conference 2024
Nashville, TN
Horvath, M. et. al.
ADVANCE-ing Gender Equity Among STEM Professors Through I-O Psychology [symposium]. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference
Boston, MA, United States
Total Research Funding & Awards
Wayne State University
$20,000 + Tuition
Prestigious university fellowship supporting Ph.D. students with a $20,000 stipend and tuition scholarship to optimize performance at each stage of doctoral training.
Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
$3,000
Competitive fellowship emphasizing interdisciplinary research, advanced training, and community outreach in psychology.
National Science Foundation via Cleveland State University
$8,400 + Tuition
External research funding supporting graduate research in STEM gender equity.
Cleveland State University
$2,471
Principal Investigator grant supporting master's thesis on intimate partner violence and alcohol use during COVID-19.
Cleveland State University
Department-wide recognition for academic excellence and research contributions.
CSU College of Graduate Studies
$250
Recognition for excellence in social sciences research.
Cleveland State University
$2,194
Competitive endowment supporting psychology graduate students.
Fellow · 2025
Member · 2025
Member · 2022
Member · 2021
Member · 2022
Member · 2022
Team Lead, Graduate Research Assistant
Wayne State University
PI: Valerie Simon, Ph.D.
Leading protocol development for Project Simulating Partner Activities for Relationship Knowledge (SPARK), including IRB writing, physiological and virtual reality data collection training, and measure identification.
Graduate Research Assistant
Wayne State University
PI: Valerie Simon, Ph.D.
Conducting literature review, confirmatory factor analysis, data management, and manuscript preparation examining cross-sectional data of sexual and gender minority young adults.
Graduate Research Assistant
Wayne State University
PI: Valerie Simon, Ph.D.
Analyzing longitudinal data on teenage girls (predominantly Black) exposed to interpersonal violence from an urban Midwest city. Working on literature review, data analysis, data management, and two in-preparation manuscripts.
Team Lead, Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Examining pronoun-specific usage and validity of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory (CADRI), investigating alcohol and drug use, adverse childhood experiences, attitudes towards intimate partner violence, and mental health outcomes. Leading data cleaning, abstract writing, and undergraduate/graduate RA training.
Project Coordinator & Co-Investigator
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Coordinating research examining how young adult couples interact and understand dating concepts including dating abuse and the role of technology in an in-person lab setting. Wave II is a post-COVID-19 re-examination observing pandemic impacts on dating behaviors, substance use, and mental health. Responsible for IRB preparation, study design, data collection, and analysis.
Team Lead for Qualitative Coding, Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Leading qualitative coding for mixed-method study investigating dating relationships in young adults. Conducted interview transcription, content analyses using NVivo examining definitions of dating violence, technology and relationships, dating abuse perpetration/victimization, cognitive emotion regulation, and mental health outcomes.
Team Lead, Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Leading retrospective cross-sectional study of women who became parents during teenage years examining their relationships with parents, sex education (contraceptive education), and access to sexual health resources. Conducting manuscript writing, qualitative coding, content analyses, and data analysis.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Assessing college students' perceptions and myths about different types of sexual assault and rape. Conducted IRB preparation, study design, vignette construction, data collection via online survey examining rape myth acceptance, sexual double standards, and personality factors.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Evaluating associations between parental acceptance/rejection and romantic relationships (including LGBTQ+ youth) using online retrospective survey. Examining constructs including romantic satisfaction and romantic attachment.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Investigating links between substance use in young adults (alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, cocaine) and parenting styles during childhood. Conducting data compilation, codebook drafting, data analyses, and advising undergraduate students.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Ph.D.
Examining risk factors (childhood abuse), resilience, and protective factors (parent-child communication) in understanding dating relationships, mental health, and sexual health outcomes for high school adolescents.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Michael Horvath, Ph.D.
Contributing to Faculty Leaders Advancing Gender Equity in STEM (FLAGS) program aimed at improving gender equity among STEM faculty. Conducting literature review, statistical analyses using SPSS and AMOS, writing summaries/memos, data cleaning/management, and aiding conference submissions on work-life balance and gender equity.
Graduate Research Assistant
Cleveland State University
PI: Ilya Yaroslavsky, Ph.D.
Worked on two studies: (1) Coding naturalistic observational data from clinical and community samples using Electronically Activated Recording method, and (2) Online survey on internalizing problems, emotion regulation, interpersonal differences, and mental health outcomes.
“Teaching is the art of illuminating pathways to understanding, nurturing curiosity, and empowering students to become critical thinkers.”
Course Sections
Students Taught
Unique Courses
Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University
Snapshots from conferences, campus life, and city adventures
Continents
Universities
Memories
MA Clinical Psychology - Graduation Day, 2023
NYC nights - ABCT 2022
Excellent Achievement Award Day!
Exploring Minneapolis - SRCD 2025
First 10 days in the U.S, 2021
Presenting at MPA Conference
First day of classes in the U.S.
Exploring Chi-town during APS 2021
Chicago views - MPA 2025
ABCT 2022, NYC
Full house at MPA 2023!
First in-person conference, ASC, Chicago, 2021
Presenting at MPA 2025
Outstanding Graduate Student Award - with Dr. Goncy 💚
Poster session at SRCD 2025
Starting PhD at Wayne State University, 2023
SRCD 2025, Minneapolis
Cleveland State University Psychology Department
ABCT 2022, NYC
First day out in undergrad, New Delhi, India, 2017
Prom Queen, High School, 2017
MA Clinical Psychology - Graduation Day, 2023
NYC nights - ABCT 2022
Excellent Achievement Award Day!
Exploring Minneapolis - SRCD 2025
First 10 days in the U.S, 2021
Presenting at MPA Conference
First day of classes in the U.S.
Exploring Chi-town during APS 2021
Chicago views - MPA 2025
ABCT 2022, NYC
Full house at MPA 2023!
First in-person conference, ASC, Chicago, 2021
Presenting at MPA 2025
Outstanding Graduate Student Award - with Dr. Goncy 💚
Poster session at SRCD 2025
Starting PhD at Wayne State University, 2023
SRCD 2025, Minneapolis
Cleveland State University Psychology Department
ABCT 2022, NYC
First day out in undergrad, New Delhi, India, 2017
Prom Queen, High School, 2017
I'm always interested in connecting with fellow researchers, collaborators, and anyone passionate about understanding human development and promoting healthy relationships.
Location
Detroit, MI
Wayne State University