The American Psychological Association (APA) definition of diversity recognizes the broad scope of dimensions of race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, class status, education, religious/spiritual orientation and other cultural dimensions. Within the department, several research programs address these dimensions with the intentional goal of integrating APA principles in ways that maximize psychological science's benefits for society and everyday life.
Here are some of the research programs in the Department of Psychology that address diversity issues:
Dr. Graciela Espinosa-Hernandez' lab researches sexuality, romantic relationships and psychological adjustment among Mexican adolescents. Currently, we are examining how stressors are linked to sexual behaviors, and psychological adjustment, and how cultural values shape these associations.
Dr. Sally MacKain's Recovery Lab focuses on people with mental health and substance use disorders who are involved in the criminal justice system. With funding from a SAMHSA/SAT grant, they evaluate the impact of a rural treatment court program and assist the court in addressing racial disparities in admissions, retention and outcomes.
Dr. Len Lecci's research examines how minorities are perceived differently with respect to threat potential and criminal culpability depending upon their stereotypicality and the extent to which the observer endorses certain attitudes (e.g., less empathy, stereotype endorsement).
Importantly, this research examines minority victims, not defendants, yet the findings illustrate a victim-to-criminal shift in the public's (both Black and White American) responses. Other research focuses more broadly on legal decision making, health attitudes and beliefs, as well as memory functioning.
Dr. Kate Nooner's research examines the ways in which gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status impact trauma exposure and recovery as well as problematic substance use behaviors. Her neuroscience informed research with adolescents in the community includes understanding ways to prevent binge drinking in underrepresented minority groups including African American and Spanish speaking youth (TRLab).
Her collaborative research with the National Consortium on Alcohol & Neurodevelopment in Adolescence includes examination of gender and ethnic disparities in the emergence of high risk alcohol use.
Dr. Jasmine Norman studies social perception and identity with a focus on how common group memberships such as race and ethnicity impact everyday life and social cognition. From a social psychological perspective, her projects examine when and why group membership (perceived and actual) can enhance community belonging or produce bias and inequity.
Dr. Carol Van Camp studies severe behaviors displayed by children with developmental or intellectual disabilities, with a focus on identifying the causes of those behaviors and evaluating interventions aimed at teaching adaptive communication, play, academic, self-care, and vocational skills.
Dr. Tom Cariveau's research focuses on methods to foster early skill development in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. His work includes underserved groups within these populations, specifically those who meet criteria as “minimally verbal” and girls with autism spectrum disorder (a significantly understudied population).
While his work emphasizes the outcomes of the child, dynamic family, community, educational, and state/federal systems have significant influence over the experience of these children and his research seeks to promote the betterment of these systems in support of all children.
Dr. Alissa Dark Freudeman's RISE Lab studies adult development and aging. Her research broadly focuses on understanding how self-regulatory beliefs impact psychological well-being and behavior, especially in older adults.
Drs. Karen Daniels and Jeffrey Toth study cognition and brain function in older adults. Their research focuses on changes in memory, attention, and metacognition, as well as changes in the neural systems that support these processes.
Dr. Simone Nguyen's Cognitive Development Lab is dedicated to the study of conceptual development in children and adults. The CDL has ongoing projects and collaborations that focus on concepts and categories across cultures as well as individuals with disabilities.
Dr. Nora Noel's BEACH lab examines alcohol and caffeine use as related to social and cognitive behaviors. They also study health related issues, including racial disparities in treatment.
Dr. Bryan Myers studies dogmatic thinking and attitude change. He conducts jury decision making studies to learn how pretrial attitudes shape decisions, capital sentencing judgments. For example, he investigates the effects of defendant race on sentencing when victim impact statements contain language that dehumanizes the defendant.
Dr. Kate Bruce and Dr. Mark Galizio study learning and memory in rats, with a focus on translational research to understand more about human learning and memory deficits. Most of the scientific literature on the neurobiology of learning and memory is based on research with male rodents.
They have recently begun to test female as well as male rats in the laboratory and are developing methods to assess female reproductive stage to correlate with performance on learning and memory tasks.