About

Brian Ogolsky is a Professor and Graduate Adjunct Faculty in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois. He serves as the Director of Graduate Studies and specializes in examining how relational partners maintain healthy romantic relationships across the life course, as well as exploring the influence of law and policy on daily family life. His research aims to inform practitioners and promote policy initiatives designed to enhance family dynamics. Dr. Ogolsky holds a PhD in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona, earned in 2007, along with a Master’s degree in the same field from the same university, and a B.A. in Psychology from Western Washington University. Recognized for his excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, he was named a University Scholar in 2023 by the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Science
• Sociology
• Environmental health
• Epistemology
• Social psychology
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Medicine
• Statistics

Selected publications

• Examining the impact of divorce law reform on divorce processes and parenting arrangements in Illinois

  Family Relations · 2026-03-31

  articleSenior author

  Abstract Objective This study evaluated the 2015 Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA) amendment to determine whether it achieved its legislative goals of reducing adversarial divorce processes and promoting equitable outcomes for divorcing parents. Background Divorce law reforms aim to reflect societal changes and improve family outcomes. The IMDMA amendment updated outdated provisions to reflect societal changes, promote fairness, streamline proceedings, and encourage shared parental responsibilities, consistent with contemporary divorce law trends nationwide. Method Using a pre–post design, the study analyzed 240 divorce cases filed in a large Illinois county: 120 cases before the amendment (2009–2013) and 120 after the amendment (2016–2019). Indicators of adversarial processes (i.e., divorce length, postdissolution filings) and equitable outcomes (i.e., shared decision‐making, parenting time) were compared. Results The amendment did not significantly reduce divorce length or postdissolution filings. However, shared decision‐making increased significantly postamendment, suggesting partial success in achieving equitable parenting outcomes. Conclusions The IMDMA amendment demonstrated its effectiveness in more equitable outcomes but did not significantly reduce adversariness for divorcing parents. Implications This study underscores the importance of evaluating legal reforms to guide future legislation and improve divorce outcomes for families. The findings offer insights for states considering similar changes to divorce laws.

  PublisherDOI

• Maintaining Relationships

  Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2026-02-09

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• How Employment Matters for First-Time Filing Mothers in Protection Order Cases

  Journal of Family Violence · 2026-04-28

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This study examines how safety risk indicators and employment status influence civil protection order (CPO) outcomes for first-time filing mothers. While statutory provisions aim to protect IPV victims, judicial discretion may introduce inconsistencies, particularly for economically marginalized petitioners. Using CPO case data from a jurisdiction with a progressive statute, we analyzed whether safety risk indicators (e.g., violence history, lethality risk) and employment status predicted temporary CPO issuance and protection duration. Robust logistic regression was conducted to assess these relationships while controlling for legal representation. Findings revealed that safety risk indicators, including violence severity and lethality risk, were not significantly associated with either temporary CPO issuance or protection duration. Employment status was not a significant predictor. An interaction between petitioners’ employment and lethality risk emerged, indicating differing patterns for employed and unemployed mothers. These findings raise questions about potential gaps between statutory intent and judicial practices, particularly regarding how unemployed mothers may experience the CPO process. The results highlight the need for further research and may inform efforts related to judicial training on IPV dynamics and implicit bias, as well as policy discussions aimed at improving equity and consistency in CPO outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Near, Far, Wherever You Are: With Whom and Why Do People Use Location Sharing in Relationships

  Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · 2026-04-22

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Location sharing technologies using smartphone applications allow users to share their geolocation with each other in real time. Such sharing is a relational process that requires engagement and negotiation with another person. In the current study we use communication privacy management theory to situate our work and examine (a) with whom individuals share their location, (b) the reasons why individuals share their location, and (c) how these reasons differ based on relationship type. Data about individuals’ location sharing practices were collected from a sample of 203 adults who share their location with at least one person. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze participants’ open-ended responses. Results indicated that participants, on average, shared their location with 3.86 individuals ( SD = 7.22, Median = 2), with romantic partners being the most frequently shared with (62.6%). Four main reasons for location sharing were identified in the data: Relationship Processes (using location sharing to maintain, support, or manage relationships), Casual (sharing due to indifference, passivity, or for entertainment), Practicality (sharing for efficiency or task management), and Safety (sharing for peace of mind or safety purposes). Safety reasons were most commonly reported for mothers, fathers, children, roommates, and siblings, whereas Practicality was most frequent for romantic partners and friends. This study lays the groundwork for further research on location sharing practices and offers a first step in understanding the relational dynamics of location sharing.

  PublisherDOI

• Associations Between Coercive Control and Rate of Court Filings During the Divorce Process

  Journal of Family Violence · 2026-03-19

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Separating parents subject to intimate partner violence and coercive control may be at risk of experiencing continued abuse through family court processes. However, how control tactics may arise through the rate of filings has yet to be investigated. This study examined associations between the frequency of coercive control during marriage and the rate of (1) filings before the final divorce decree, (2) filings after the final divorce decree, and (3) summonses and subpoenas. Self-report surveys of 173 divorcing mothers and their divorce records from a Midwest county court were utilized. Multilevel count regression models were fitted with an interaction between the frequency of coercive control and party sex as a predictor of the rate of filings before the final divorce decree, filings after the final divorce decree, and summonses and subpoenas. A random intercept was included for divorce case. For every unit increase in the frequency of coercive control, the rate of filings before the final divorce decree increased by 6.8%, with no effect of sex. There were no significant effects of coercive control and sex on filings after the final divorce decree or summonses and subpoenas. The period before the final divorce decree may be vulnerable to the control tactic of excessive filings, but it may also be when survivors seek autonomy. Family courts and state judiciaries must account for increased filings before the final divorce decree in cases with coercive control to reduce the risk of harm against survivors and their children.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Joint Savoring in Romantic Relationships: Correlates and Protective Effects

  Contemporary Family Therapy · 2025-12-11

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Savoring is a process that involves focusing attention on sources of pleasure that one experiences. Prior research has primarily investigated savoring as an individual cognitive-behavioral process. The current study adds to our understanding of savoring by testing the distinct benefits of savoring as a mutual process with one’s romantic partner that is focused on shared relationship experiences. Study hypotheses were tested among a nationwide sample of 589 individuals (representing 589 couple dyads) using a newly developed scale of joint savoring in romantic relationships. Multiple regression models reveal that higher levels of joint savoring in romantic relationships were positively associated with indicators of relationship well-being and quality of life while controlling for general savoring and other individual and demographic factors. Some evidence was also found for the protective effects of joint savoring in romantic relationships from perceived stress for a subset of relationship and individual outcomes. Study findings contribute to relationship maintenance scholarship and practice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Efficacy of Relationship Education for Improving Children's Outcomes: A Multi‐Informant, Multi‐Method Study

  Family Process · 2025-02-09

  articleOpen access

  Although relationship education (RE) programs aim to improve parents' communication with one another with the hope that it will enhance children's mental health, few studies have investigated if such spillover actually occurs. Therefore, drawing from a sample of 431 families from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Project, the present study examined the relations between parental participation in a RE program and children's subsequent distress, as well as mechanisms that may explain these effects. Using a multi-informant (focal child and parents) and multi-method (self-report and observational assessments) longitudinal design, the current study examined whether randomization into RE programming predicted children's exposure and emotional reactivity to interparental conflict and if decreases in parents' negative communication mediated these effects. Results based on mothers' reports indicated that when parents received RE, children's exposure to conflict decreased. However, these findings were not corroborated by fathers or children. There were also no differences in children's emotional reactivity across conditions, and observable communication did not mediate the relation between randomization into RE and children's outcomes. Together, there was minimal evidence for the efficacy of RE on children's functioning. Results underscore the importance of evaluating multiple family members' perspectives and highlight the need for future work to consider these pathways in samples experiencing greater distress.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Measures of Relationship Power Dynamics in Romantic Relationships

  Journal of Family Theory & Review · 2025-10-17

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Power is central to understanding romantic relationship dynamics. Yet, the study of relationship power lacks consistent measurement or agreement on the latent construct. Valid measurement is essential to align theory and research and increase the likelihood of replicability and comparability between studies. We reviewed all power measures published in empirical articles ( k = 319) before 2022. We categorized measures into nine categories based on operationalizations, theoretical considerations, and common themes. The most commonly studied aspects of power were sexual relationship power, structural power, and general relationship power. We also summarized the study topics and sample characteristics to investigate when different types of power measures were used. We discussed how the categories of power fit into existing theories to organize and motivate future research. To establish best measurement practices, further work should test the validity of power measures, establish correlates of power, and use these findings to refine existing theories.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Registered Report Stage II: Does personality vary by relationship power? An investigation of satisfaction in diverse romantic partnerships

  Journal of Research in Personality · 2025-04-06 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The social-ecological framework for understanding intimate partner violence

  Current Opinion in Psychology · 2025-12-29 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This paper applies the social-ecological framework to understanding intimate partner violence (IPV) as a multilayered phenomenon shaped by individual, relational, community, and sociocultural factors. At the individual level, early trauma, mental health, and personality traits influence IPV risk. Relational dynamics such as power, control, and post-separation abuse further shape patterns of violence. Community factors including neighborhood disadvantage, institutional failures, and limited service access create additional vulnerability. At the societal level, gender norms, patriarchy, and structural inequalities sustain IPV through cultural acceptance and legal inconsistencies. By integrating research across levels, we highlight the necessity of context to develop comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and culturally-informed prevention and intervention strategies that address the complex ecology of IPV.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• J. Kale Monk

  University of Missouri

  22 shared

• TeKisha M. Rice

  Virginia Tech

  10 shared

• Jennifer L. Hardesty

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  9 shared

• Christopher R. Maniotes

  Eastern Illinois University

  7 shared

• Ramona Faith Oswald

  6 shared

• Kiersten Dobson

  University of Toronto

  6 shared

• Laura Stafford

  Bowling Green State University

  5 shared

• Jaclyn C. Theisen

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  5 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Human Resources

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2005

• M.S., Human Resources

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2002

• B.S., Human Resources

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  2000

Awards & honors

• University Scholar (2023)