| Dr. Charles F. Kaiser, Chair |
| Research Interests: Correlates of depression in children and adults, gifted adolescents, health behaviors and coping with disasters. |
| Dr.
Adam Doughty |
| Research Interests: My research interests lie
in the experimental analysis of behavior. To bring knowledge of
basic behavioral processes to bear on clinically significant issues
(e.g., learning and problem behavior in mental retardation and
developmental disabilities), I conduct laboratory research using
both non-human animals (pigeons and rats) and humans (people with
and without mental retardation). Research topics have included
behavioral persistence, behavioral history, behavioral variability,
choice, conditioned reinforcement, reinforcement-schedule interactions,
relational learning, discriminative stimulus control, and punishment. |
| Dr.
Chad Galuska |
| Research Interests: To be announced |
| Dr. G. David Gentry |
| Research Interests: Experimental research on choice behavior, self-control, impulsivity, risk taking, and operant conditioning. |
| Dr.
James B. Hittner |
| Research Interests: Expectancies, risk perceptions
and substance abuse;Substance abuse and HIV-risky sexual behavior;Applied
statistics and monte carlo simulation; Statistical software development. |
| Dr. Mark W. Hurd |
Research Interests: Circadian Rhythms; Functional Neuroimaging; Bioinformatics / Neuroinformatics; Behavioral Genetics; Development and Aging.
Recent publications:
Bonilha, L., D.J. Vincent, C. Rorden, P.S. Morgan, M.W.
Hurd, P.M. de Vries, N. Besenski, K.J. Bergmann, V.K. Hinson (in
press). Structural white matter abnormalities in patients with
idiopathic dystonia. Movement Disorders.
Hurd, M.W. and D.J. Vincent (2006). Functional Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (fMRI): A brief exercise for an undergraduate laboratory
course. Journal of Neuroscience Education,
5(1):A22-A27
Vincent, D.J. and M.W. Hurd (2005). Bioinformatics and
functional magnetic resonance imaging in clinical populations:
Practical aspects of data collection, analysis, interpretation,
and management. Neurosurgical Focus, 19(4): E4, 1-5.
Debruyne, J., M.W. Hurd, L. Gutiérrez, M. Kaneko, Y. Tan, D. E. Wells and G.M. Cahill. (2004). Characterization
and mapping of a zebrafish circadian clock mutant. Journal of Neurogenetics, 18: 403-28.
Hurd, M.W. and G.M. Cahill (2002). Environmental signals initiate
behavioral circadian rhythmicity in larval zebrafish. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 17: 307-314. |
| Dr. Michael M. Marcell |
Research Interests: Each of these research projects has been conducted with undergraduate psychology majors as co-investigators and authors:
Auditory Cognition -- refers to how we come to understand the world through processing non-linguistic sounds. We have created, collected normative data on, and published a large set of everyday, nonverbal, digitized sounds for use in auditory confrontation naming applications (e.g., probing for auditory agnosia by presenting for identification common environmental sounds, such as a dog barking or a telephone ringing). Our most recent publication in this area is in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (2000); the digital sound files are posted on Marcell's website. A different project describing the development and norming of a more complex set of "sound events" -- lengthy sequences of environmental sounds that "tell a story" (such as those accompanying the preparation of a meal or the fixing of a leaky faucet), will be presented in 2005 at APA.
Auditory Imagery -- There are no good standardized tasks for assessing individual differences in the ability to imagine sounds. We have assembled a computerized battery of 5 self-report tasks (four auditory and visual imagery scales and a hearing inventory) and four newly-created auditory imagery experimental tasks to explore individual differences in auditory imagery accuracy. The tasks assess the ability to mentally represent pitch, timbre, and timing, and the ability to mentally manipulate sounds (e.g., to identify a reversed sound). The first wave of pilot testing in this area has recently been completed.
Online Experimentation -- We have worked on developing studies that allow the remote collection of data over the World Wide Web. Our publication in this area is in the journal, Down Syndrome Research and Practice (2001), and it describes data collected online with Down syndrome and Williams syndrome individuals as well as procedural and theoretical issues to be considered in online research. Pilot data have also been collected in online studies of memory for the lateral orientation of objects in visual scenes and change blindness (difficulty in noticing changes to visual scenes). |
| Dr. Cynthia May |
| Research Interests: I am a cognitive psychologist with primary interests in human memory and aging. My research attempts to understand the mechanisms responsible for optimal cognitive performance, and how these mechanisms decline with age. One ultimate goal of my work is to develop paradigms and strategies for improving intellectual functioning for both younger and older adults. To this end, I am currently exploring two main areas of work: circadian arousal and emotion. My colleagues and I have explored the ways in which an individual's circadian arousal, or daily peak time, influences cognitive performance. In a series of studies we found that intellectual work that requires careful, strategic processing is best performed at one's peak time of day. Our second line of research is currently exploring the extent to which emotion can be used to boost memory, especially for older adults. |
| Dr. Kim May |
Research Interests: One of my primary interests is investigating the use of Item Response Theory (IRT) to solve measurement problems, particularly the measurement of change. The other is in applied statistics, including Monte Carlo studies to investigate the statistical properties (e.g., power and Type I error rate) of various statistical procedures.
Recent publications:
Silver, N., Hittner, J. B., & May, K. (2004). Testing Dependent Correlations With Non-Overlapping Variables: A Monte Carlo Simulation. Journal of Experimental Education, 73(1), pp 53-69.
May, K. & Jackson, T. S. (2005). IRT Item Parameters and the Reliability and Validity of Pretest, Posttest and Gain Scores. International Journal of Testing, 5(1) pp. 63-73.
Silver, N., Hittner, J. B., & May, K. (2005). A FORTRAN 77 Program for Comparing Dependent Correlations. In Press, Applied Psychological Measurement. |
| Dr. Garrett Milliken |
| Research Interests: I am a Comparative Psychologist broadly trained in the area of systems neuroscience. My major areas of interest are in the evolution of brain and behavior. More specifically, I am interested in the evolution of primate behavior, the characterization of laterality, hand structure and manipulative ability. I also have an interest in the study of perceptual mechanisms of neural plasticity. |
| Dr. Lisa Thomson Ross |
| Research Interests: Broadly speaking, my research involves applying social psychology to mental health issues. My three major research interests have revolved around the causes, correlates and consequences of unpredictability (e.g., family chaos), the etiology and prevention of alcohol misuse, and the etiology of body image and eating disorders. I have also conducted research on sexual assault and social support. I have published articles and/or book chapters in each of these areas. |
| Dr. Thomas P. Ross |
| Research Interests: Neuropsychological assessment and models of executive functioning. Addition interests include the relationship between depression and cognition in patients with neurological illness. |
| Dr. Michael Ruscio |
| Research Interests: I am a behavioral neuroendocrinologist interested in the neural mechanisms associated with parental behavior and other affiliative behaviors. For example, brief exposure to a foster neonate can elicit spontaneous parental behavior in several vertebrate species. Yet, within a population some animals respond to neonates far better than others. I investigate how neuropeptidies, neurogenesis, and other neuroendocrine measures contribute to this variation. Additionally, I examine how exposure and reaction to a neonate permanently alters the brain and predicts responses to other social stimuli. I also investigate the degree to which certain social circumstances (living in isolation, with related individuals, or with strangers) can be stressful or beneficial for an animal by measuring neuropeptidergic, neurogenic and behavioral responses. I take a comparative approach to my research and have studied social behaviors in avian (Japanese quail) and mammalian (prairie vole) species. |
| Dr. Susan Simonian |
| Research Interests: Effects of chronic illness on children and families, preventative health, early identification of mental health disorders in children, effects of exercise during pregnancy on maternal, infant and child outcomes. Additional interests concern multi-disciplinary approaches to wellness and prevention of illness across the lifespan. |
| Dr. Vincent Spicer |
| Research Interests: My primary research interest falls within the broad area of stereotyping and prejudice. I am particularly interested in examining the effects of stereotyping and prejudice on members of stigmatized groups. More precisely, this interest focuses on investigating the extent to which stereotyping and prejudice significantly influence the social identity and self-efficacy of members of culturally stigmatized groups, particularly in situations where a negative cultural stereotype about the group is relevant. |
| Dr. Faye B. Steuer |
Research Interests: Psychological aspects of mass media; mother-child interactions as influenced by the presence of television; an in-depth examination of developmental psychology textbooks as works of scholarship.
Dr. Steuer considers herself to be a generalist with a special and enduring interest in psychological aspects of mass media. Since joining the faculty at the College of Charleston in 1976, her scholarly activities have included empirical research on mother-child interactions as influenced by the presence of television and, later, a multiple case study of families who are raising children in homes without television. The latter project resulted in the 2002 publication of a book, TV or No TV? A primer on the psychology of television, written with former CofC psychology major, Jason Hustedt. Previously, in 1994, she published a developmental psychology textbook, The psychological development of children. Both of Dr. Steuer’s books have enjoyed complimentary reviews without the encumbrances of commercial success. Her most recent research has involved an in-depth examination of developmental psychology textbooks as works of scholarship. A publication on that project, with two former CofC psychology students, is in preparation. |
| Dr. Rhonda Swickert-Hittner |
| Research Interests: My research interests are focused on examining individual differences in stress perception and coping processes. My most recent work has examined how people may learn and grow from weathering aversive events. In addition to my work on individual differences and stress and coping, I am also interested in personality factors that are believed to have a strong biological basis such as extraversion, neuroticism, and sensation seeking. |
| Dr. Carol Toris |
| Research Interests: Verbal and nonverbal behavior as a function of social context;figurative language use in medical contexts; gestures that accompany idiomatic speech; multi-cultural similaries and differences in gesture use. |
| Dr. Katherine White |
Research Interests: My research interests are in memory and language processing in young and older adults. More specifically, my research investigates the effects of priming (phonological, semantic, orthographic) on word retrieval. For example, I am interested in how different forms of priming influence retrieval of low frequency words, of word spellings, and of preexisting versus new associations. In addition, I am currently exploring the conditions that facilitate memory for new information in both young and older adults.
Selected Publications:
White, K. K., & Abrams, L. (2004). Free associations and dominance ratings of homophones for young and older adults. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 36, 408-420. Special issue: Web-based archive of norms, stimuli, and data: Part 1.
White, K. K., & Abrams, L. (2004). Phonological priming of preexisting and new associations in young and older adults. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 30, 645-655.
Abrams, L., White, K. K., & Eitel, S. L. (2003). Isolating phonological components that increase tip- of-the-tongue resolution. Memory and Cognition, 31, 1153-1162.
White, K. K., & Abrams, L. (2002). Does priming specific syllables during tip-of-the-tongue states facilitate word retrieval in older adults? Psychology and Aging, 17, 226-235. |
| Dr. John Widholm |
Research Interests: Assessing the impact of developmental exposure to environmental contaminants on learning and behavior.
Current Research Project(s): I am currently assessing the effects of developmental exposure to ammonium perchlorate (a rocket fuel additive) on neurobehavioral function in rats.
Recent publications:
Bauman, R.A., Widholm, J., and Long, J.B. (in press). Secondary
hypoxia exacerbates disruptions of energy metabolism resulting
from fluid percussion injury. Behavior Brain Research.
Widholm, J. J., Villareal, S., Seegal, R. F., & Schantz,
S. L. (2004). Spatial alternation deficits following developmental
exposure to Aroclor 1254 and/or methlymercury in rats. Toxicological
Sciences, 82: 577-589.
Widholm, J. J., Seo, B. W., Strupp, B. J., Seegal, R. F., & Schantz,
S. L. (2003). Effects of perinatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
(TCDD) on spatial and visual discrimination learning in
rats. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 25(4): 459-471. |
Copyright 2001-2006, All rights reserved, College of Charleston
This page was last updated: 11.Aug.2007
|