Rule recently won a grant from the American Psychological Foundation to support a one-year project.
With the support of a prestigious early-career award from the American Psychological Foundation, Payton Rule, a first-year graduate student in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, is embarking on a project that will explore the psychological well-being of people with disabilities, a population that sometimes feels left out in an able-centric world.
“Disabled people have been underrepresented in psychological research,” said Rule, who received her undergraduate degree in philosophy-neuroscience-psychology (PNP) from WashU in 2022. “I want to find ways for society to better support the well-being of individuals with disabilities.”
For Rule, the work is deeply personal. She lives with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a rare genetic condition that causes muscle atrophy and weakness in her hands, legs, and feet. “Growing up in the disability community, I saw that discrimination and ableism are still really common,” she said.
“Many disabled individuals frequently encounter pity, exclusion from everyday activities, condescension, or a lack of respect compared to non-disabled individuals,” Rule said. “Such experiences imply that individuals with disabilities are less competent or less capable of leading fulfilling lives and can negatively impact disabled individuals’ well-being.”
In her one-year project, she will recruit people with disabilities who will share their daily experiences through surveys. She hopes to document their experiences with discrimination and identify specific ways society may be able to help protect those with disabilities from the psychological distress caused by unfair treatment.
“Payton is doing truly important work to improve the lives of people with disabilities,” said Assistant Professor Emily Willroth, Rule’s graduate supervisor and the co-principal investigator on the project. “In addition to her research, Payton is actively engaged in the disability community and in making the WashU community more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities.”
Rule uses leg braces to help her walk, and she counts on her service dog, Whitt, to help with daily tasks. The golden retriever provides support as she climbs stairs or maneuvers other hard-to-walk places. He also carries smaller objects such as light groceries in his mouth and picks things up off the ground so Rule doesn’t have to bend over. When Rule graduated in 2022, Whitt even accompanied her on stage, wearing his own green robe and mortarboard. “He’s 11 now, so he’s semi-retired, but he still loves to work and helps me around the office and at home.”
Rule’s research goes beyond people with physical disabilities. Working with Willroth, she co-authored a recent review article showing that psychological well-being in early years helped prevent dementia and cognitive decline with aging. She also worked with Patrick Hill, professor of psychological and brain sciences, on a 2024 study that explored experiences of racism and attitudes of forgiveness among Black adults. “I feel really lucky to have had the chance to work on a lot of diverse topics at WashU,” Rule said.
A native of St. Louis, Rule originally wanted to attend college in another state. Her parents encouraged her to give WashU a closer look, and she quickly realized she could get an excellent education close to home. “I worked with Dr. Hill for my undergraduate honors thesis on the psychological well-being of people with CMT, and he was a fantastic mentor,” she said. “That was my first experience doing disability research, and it solidified my passion.”
When it was time to choose a graduate school, Rule knew she didn’t need to look far. “I decided to stay here because of the people,” she said. “Dr. Hill, Dr. Willroth, and my other mentors cared about my interests and gave me a lot of opportunities. Now I have the chance to continue my work on disability and well-being. I’m very excited to help people reach their potential.”
