[3] In 2013, she received the Newman-Proshansky Career Achievement Award in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of population psychology.
Thompson joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1968 and remained there until her retirement in 2006.
[5] Thompson served on the UNC-CH AIDS task-force educating healthcare providers and training domestic/international HIV/AIDS units.
[5] Thompson and her colleagues conducted research on sexual behavior and self-esteem,[8] examining how physical attractiveness, similarity of attitude, and sex may affect platonic and romantic relationships.
[14] Other collaborative research examined influences of out-group rejection processes in relation to overt signs of homophobia.