Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Katrina Rhymer, Chair
101 Sloan Hall 989-774-3001
Jane Ashby, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts. Cognitive psychology
Renee Babcock, Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology. Adult development and aging, age differences in memory.
Richard Backs, Ph.D., University of Southern California. Human factors, psychophysiology, aging, attention, emotion.
Terry Beehr, Ph.D., University of Michigan. Job stress, retirement, leadership, careers.
Emily Bloesch, Ph.D., Washington University. Cognitive aging, peripersonal space representations, body-modulated visual attention and perception, human factors in healthy aging.
Neil Christiansen, Director, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University. Personality and work, racism and social judgments, attitudes toward affirmative action.
Stephen Colarelli, Ph.D., New York University. Industrial/Organizational psychology, evolutionary psychology
Christopher Davoli, Ph.D., Washington University. Perception, history and systems. Visual attention and perception, embodied cognition, peripersonal space, action, tool-use, visual learning and memory, visual search, eye-tracking, emotional processing, cognitive aging and individual differences
Sarah Domoff, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University. Child media use, obesity prevention, health disparities, media effects
Daniel Drevon, Ph.D., Central Michigan University. Academic and behavioral interventions based on applied behavior analysis, single-case design, psychoeducational assessment
Gary Dunbar, Director, Neuroscience Program, Ph.D., Clark University. Behavioral neuroscience, stem cell and pharmacological treatment of brain damage and neurodegenerative diseases
Stephanie Fredrick, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University. Peer victimization and cyberbullying, social support, and their relation to internalizing distress
James Gerhart, Ph.D., Central Michigan University. Anger, Traumatic Stress, and Health Psychology
Bryan Gibson, Ph.D., University of Utah. Self presentation, smoker-nonsmoker interaction, psychology of gambling
Kyunghee Han, Ph.D., University of Minnesota. Scientific study of culture, quantitative methods, psychological test/scale development and evaluation
Timothy Hartshorne, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin. Low-incidence disabilities, CHARGE syndrome, deafblindness, disability and the family, parent-professional relationships, therapeutic interventions, issues around loss
Michael Hixson, Director, School Psychology, Ph.D., Western Michigan University. Behavior analysis, direct instruction, precision teaching, behavior development, curriculum based measurement
Kenneth Jenrow, Ph.D., Oakland University. Electrophysiology, mitigating neuroinflammation and its deleterious effects on synaptic plasticity and cognitive function.
Carl Johnson, Ph.D., Michigan State University. Sleep disorders, applied behavior analysis, organizational behavior management
Sandra Kanouse, Ph.D., Central Michigan University. Academic and behavioral assessment and intervention, pediatric consultation
Yannick Marchalant, Ph.D., université de Caen, France. Influence of brain aging and neuroinflammatory processes on the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Elizabeth Meadows, Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany. Anxiety disorders, trauma, prevention of psycho-pathology, psychological and medical problem interactions
Larissa Niec, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University. Children's interpersonal function, impact of out-of-home care on children, child maltreatment, attachment
Kimberly O’Brien, Ph.D., University of South Florida. Occupational Health, job stress, psychometrics and research methods
Hajime Otani , Ph.D., University of Georgia. Human memory and cognition
Kevin Park, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Molecular genetics and neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases, preclinical therapeutic development.
Debra Poole, Ph.D., University of Iowa. Basic language/cognitive/social development in children related to social issues, forensic psychology
Matthew Prewett, Ph.D., University of South Florida. Team performance management, personality traits, technology in the work place
Mark Reilly, Undergraduate Director, Ph.D., West Virginia University. Experimental analysis of behavior, operant/respondent conditioning, animal learning, quantitative models, behavioral pharmacology, substance abuse
Katrina Rhymer, Ph.D., Mississippi State University. Academic, behavioral, and social/emotional interventions, curriculum-based measurement and single-subject design research
George Ronan, Ph.D., Fairleigh Dickinson University. Personal problem solving, anger/aggression, psychological assessment
Michael Sandstrom, Ph.D., Ohio State University. Assessing brain plasticity, compensatory neuronal activity, or neurochemical control during active behavior at various stages of deteriorative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s using animal models
Kyle Scherr, Director, Experimental Psychology, Ph.D., Iowa State University, Psychology and Law
Reid Skeel, Director, Clinical Psychology, Ph.D., University of Florida. Neuropsychology
K. Roger Van Horn, Ph.D., Iowa State University. Human development and developmental changes in cognitive and psychosocial processes
Nathan Weed, Ph.D., University of Minnesota. Assessment of personality and psychopathology, psychometric methods in personality assessment
The first graduate degree awarded in psychology at CMU was the Master of Arts in General Psychology in 1967. Since then the department has expanded its programs to include the Master of Science in Experimental Psychology, a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a Specialist in Psychological Services in School Psychology, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Clinical Psychology, School Psychology and Applied Experimental Psychology. These programs have been, and continue to be, successful, with some of its graduates attaining national and international recognition in psychology.
The Department of Psychology maintains a variety of facilities that are used in the education of graduate students. Following is a brief description of those most frequently used within the department and university.
Computer Facilities. A computer lab for graduate students is located in Sloan Hall. There are a total of 18 networked computers (located on the second floor and in the basement) available for testing research participants. Computers are also available at the Health Professions Building for students who are working at the Psychological Training and Consultation Center (PTCC) as well as at the neuroscience and psychophysiology laboratories. Further, each faculty member maintains a lab with a computer, which is used for research purposes.
Human Subjects Laboratories. Space is reserved in Sloan Hall for research with human participants. Special apparatus permits studies in neuropsychology, social psychology, biofeedback, discrimination learning, and perception. A computer with appropriate interfacing helps provide flexibility in instruction and research.
Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience (BRAIN) Center. The BRAIN Center is a compilation of four state-of-the-art neuroscience laboratories (each with space for two Principal Investigators) located in the Health Professions Building, adjoined by fully-equipped shared core facilities for cellular/ molecular neurobiology, behavioral assessments, image analysis and microscopy lab, and computer lab. A fully-equipped animal care facility with surgical suites and necropsy room is adjoined to the BRAIN Center. In addition, a radioisotope room, cold room, and darkroom are available for specialized procedures.
Behavior Analysis Laboratory. The Behavior Analysis Laboratory is located in rooms 201-204 of Rowe Hall. The facilities include both rodent and aviary colonies and state-of-the-art environmental control equipment and behavioral testing apparatuses. Operant conditioning chambers are computer controlled and fully equipped with multiple response manipulanda and reinforcer delivery systems, including syringe pumps for drug delivery. The lab is adjacent to a conference area with computer workstations for data analysis. There is also a fully modernized undergraduate student laboratory equipped with operant conditioning stations for use in PSY 384.
Psychological Training and Consultation Center (PTCC). The PTCC is a CMU training clinic which offers free psychological services, including psychotheraphy and psychological assessment, to CMU students, faculty, and staff, and community residents. Services are provided by CMU psychology graduate students who are training at the PTCC, and all services are supervised by Psychology Department faculty. In addition, speciality services are offered through the PTCC, including the Trauma and Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Neuropsychology Clinic, School Psychology Clinic, and Learning Acceleration Clinic. For further information about the PTCC or to request services, please call 989-774-3904.
Engineering Psychophysiology Laboratory. Conducts research on the psychophysiology of attention in human performance. The current focus of the laboratory is on attention, distraction, and the use of advanced telematic devices during driving across different populations of drivers (e.g., young vs. old adults, patients with neurological or developmental disorders). A variety of central and autonomic nervous system measures can be collected during driving simulation in this laboratory, including electroencephalographic (dense-array EEG and event-related brain potentials), cardiovascular (electro- and impedance cardiography, blood pressure), and pulmonary responses.
DeafBlind Central: Michigan's Training and Resource Project. A comprehensive statewide technical assistance program funded through the United States Department of Education. The project provides information, training, consultation, and referrals for families and/or professionals who are impacted by, or associated with, a child who has combined vision and hearing loss, often with additional disabilities. Project staff members are also involved with various systems change initiatives. DeafBlind Central is housed in Sloan 105.
CMU Center for Driving Evaluation, Education, & Research (D.E.E.R.). The mission of the CMU D.E.E.R. Center is to provide clinical services to evaluate cognitive fitness to drive, to provide education to improve driver safety, and to conduct research on driver safety. The center has the AAA Michigan Driving Simulator for use in research and in evaluation and education. The D.E.E.R. Center is a place where multidisciplinary research on novice drivers, older drivers, and drivers with attention disorders is conducted. For more information, see http://deercenter.org.
Graduate Student Offices. Graduate teaching assistants have office space available to them in Powers and Sloan Halls.
Course Designator:
PSY - Psychology
The Programs:
Experimental Psychology:
Master of Science (M.S.) in Experimental Psychology
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Applied Experimental Psychology
Clinical Psychology:
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology
Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology:
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
School Psychology:
Training Model: Scientist-Practitioner Model: The training model is based on the scientist-practitioner tradition emphasizing the application of behavioral science in educational systems and the larger community. Training emphasizes practice guided by scientific knowledge. Students are taught to use scientific principles to inform their practice (including consultation, intervention, and diagnostic services) and to evaluate their practice in order to improve services as well as contribute to the field of school psychology. The program is committed to fostering in its students sensitivity to, appreciation for, and understanding of diversity. Similarly, the program strives to promote understanding of, and responsiveness to, the special needs of individuals with disabilities.
Specialist in Psychological Services (S.Psy.S)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in School Psychology
Interdisciplinary:
Master of Science (M.S.) in Neuroscience
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience