Department of Psychology

The focus of psychology is the scientific study of behavior. Psychology is studied as a science with the implication that there is a commitment to rational thinking and empirical analysis of the problems encountered in describing and explaining human behavior.

An integrated 4-part curriculum provides students with a broad introduction to the field, emphasizing the understanding and design of research. Depth of study is offered in the junior and senior years. A wide range of subfields of psychology are offered from courses that emphasize our biological heritage (e.g., physiological psychology) to those that examine basic human functioning (e.g., cognitive psychology, social psychology) and those that have a distinct applied orientation (e.g., counseling, behavior modification). There are also opportunities for students to engage in independent research, thesis research, or to participate in internships in various clinical settings. The curriculum can be structured to prepare students for graduate education or to include applied clinical coursework and experiences that would allow graduates to seek employment in a variety of human services agencies.

Students who major in psychology find primary employment opportunities in personnel management, elementary and secondary high school education, social work, software and other product development. Higher level psychological professions, such as counseling psychotherapy, university instruction, psychological research (in industry, universities, and research centers) and various administrative mental health positions generally require a master’s degree or preferably a doctorate in psychology. The department also offers a graduate program in psychology leading to a Master of Arts degree with distinct Clinical and Research options.

Student Learning Outcomes

Our department has adopted the Student Learning Goals as described in APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major.

Goal 1: Knowledge Base in Psychology
Goal 2: Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking
Goal 3: Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World
Goal 4: Communication
Goal 5: Professional Development

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Heloisa Alves cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, brain imaging techniques, and human performance

Brian Ayotte health psychology, interpersonal relationships, cognition, and problem-solving in older adults

Rowland Barrett autism disorders, child development, clinical techniques

R Thomas Boone nonverbal communication of emotion, developmental social processes, cooperative processes, communication of trustworthiness

John K. Conboy Emeritus

Donald P. Corriveau Emeritus

Paul A. Donnelly Emeritus

Melanie DuBard (Program Director, Applied Behavioral Analysis) developmental disabilities, autism, Applied Behavior Analysis, consultation, treatment integrity, assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior

Barry Haimson Emeritus

Patrice Hartnett lifespan development (child and adolescent), comparative cognition

Mahzad Hojjat (Chairperson) satisfaction, conflict, betrayal, resilience, and forgiveness in friendships and romantic relationships

Mary Kayyal Emotion perception, emotion and moral judgments, development of emotion categories across cultures

Trina Kershaw skill learning and transfer, problem-solving, individual differences

Raina Lamade clinical and forensic psychology: psychological assessment, violence risk assessment, assessment and treatment of sexual offenders, management of serious mental illness within criminal contexts, malingering, trauma and post-traumatic growth, public opinion and policy, military and veterans

Robin Locke Arkerson (Program Director, Master’s in Research Psychology) developmental psychopathology, emotional development, biological psychology

Josh Masse childhood externalizing disorders, evidence-based treatments, clinical training, treatment dissemination and implementation

Theodore E. Powers (Program Director, Master’s in Clinical Psychology) clinical training, personality, motivation

Andrew J. Revell lifespan human development, neuropsychology of aging, health risk indicators, multivariate measurement, gerontology

Elizabeth F. Richardson health psychology, adolescent and young adult risk behaviors, clinical research Amy M. Shapiro human learning and memory, educational technology, memory errors Judith E. Sims-Knight cognitive development, adult reasoning, human-computer interaction, instructional psychology.

Anna Schierberl Scherr health behavior change, enhancing treatment outcomes for eating disorders and obesity, clinical supervision

Amy M. Shapiro (Dean, Honors College) human learning and memory, educational technology, memory errors

Judith E. Sims-Knight Emeritus

Nicholas Zambrotta political psychology and political polarization, morality, sport & exercise psychology, psychology of peak performance, behavioral health, structural equation modeling.