Kendra Knight

Kendra Knight is an associate professor of communication studies. She completed her MA and PhD in human communication at Arizona State University. She specializes in work/life communication, “casual” sexual relationships and experiences (e.g., friends with benefits), and interpersonal conflict and transgressions. She teaches classes in interpersonal communication theory, quantitative research methods, conflict management and work/family communication.

Her published research appears in Journal of Family Communication, Women & Language, Journal of Sex Research, Western Journal of Communication, and Emerging Adulthood, among others.

Knight is an active member of the National Communication Association and the Work Family Researchers Network. She is a past board member of the International Association of Relationship Research. She currently serves as the Assessment Coordinator for the College of Communication.

Selected Publications

• Knight, K. (2022). Emerging adults' discursive construction of work/partnership boundary strategies. Western Journal of Communication, 86(3), 379-399. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2022.2060521 ​
  
• Kaczynski, S. & Knight, K. (2021). Performative face in disclosing sexual harassment to close others. Women & Language, 44(1), 1-35. DOI: 10.34036/WL.2021.001
• Goode, J. R., Knight, K., Denker, K. J., & Cronin-Fisher, V. (2021). Political difference in marriage: Wife’s gender linked fate and relational conflict. Communication Studies, Advanced online publication. DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2021.1876128
• Knight, K., & Alberts, J. K. (2018). Response thresholds and demand/withdraw communication in domestic labor conflict. Journal of Family Communication, 18, 110-123. DOI: 10.1080/15267431.2018.1427588
• Knight, K. (2018). Transgressor communication after committing a hurtful relational event: Associations with attributed intent, blame, guilt, responsibility, and perceived forgiveness. Western Journal of Communication, 82, 475-492. DOI: 10.1080/10570314.2017.1325925
• Knight, K. (2014). "Communicative dilemmas in emerging adults’ friends with benefits relationships: Challenges to relational talk". Emerging Adulthood, 2(4). DOI: 10.1177/2167696814549598

Awards and Recognition

• Excellence in Teaching Award, 2020, DePaul University Quality of Instruction Council
• Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2013, National Communication Association
• Early Career Scholars Fellowship, 2013-2015, Work Family Researchers Network

Media

• "7 Ways to Reset Your Relationship" (The New York Times)
• "The Endless Breakup" (Psychology Today)
• "That Whole Friends With Benefits Situation? Yeah, Here’s Why It Doesn’t Work" (Self.com)
• "The Cruel Paradox of Friends-With-Benefits Relationships" (NYMag)
• "Why Having A Friend With Be​nefits Is So Hard, According To Science" (Refinery 29)