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The
faculty in the Experimental Psychology Graduate Program consists of 8
members with teaching and research interests in social psychology,
cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience. As
indicated in their profiles, each faculty member is actively involved in
research activities related to one or more of these areas.
The graduate program stresses formal
course work and laboratory research on an approximately equal basis, to
train students for both academic and non-academic professional careers.
Opportunities also exist within a number of laboratories to orient a
student's training toward applied programs. Graduate work begins with a set
of required courses that provide surveys of important areas in psychology.
These courses cover topics in the areas of learning, physiological bases of
behavior, social psychology, cognition, sensation, perception, development,
statistics, and experimental design. First-year students also enroll in two
research practica, the purpose of which is to foster early research competence
in the student's chosen area of expertise. In subsequent years, the course
work and research projects become individually-tailored to each student's
particular interests and talents. Students participate in graduate seminars
and advanced content courses in psychology and sometimes in related
disciplines. The second-year research experience culminates in a written
thesis and oral defense which complete the requirements for a master's
degree.
During
the third year, each student engages in independent, in-depth study in his
or her area of special emphasis. This depth is developed through research
projects, courses, and seminars. Concurrently, the student prepares for his
or her candidacy exam, the exact format of which is determined by the
advisory committee. In most instances, this exam involves one or more
products (e.g., a research proposal outlining a systematic program of
research; an article suitable for publication in Psychological Bulletin;
several experimental studies), a written and an oral exam. The fourth year
is devoted primarily to the preparation and presentation of the doctoral
dissertation. If you are
interested in applying to the University of Arkansas’s Ph.D. program in
Experimental Psychology, click on the “Applications” link above. For more
information about the program contact the Director of the Experimental
Training Program, Dr. William Levine
Faculty:
Douglas A. Behrend, Denise R. Beike, Scott Eidelman; Joel S. Freund, James Michael Lampinen,
Ellen Leen-Feldner,
William H. Levine, David A. Schroeder,
Jeffrey S. Stripling
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The
central focus in the experimental psychology training program is on the
processes involved in mental and social life. Research is aimed at
answering questions like these: What is thinking, and how do we think? How
do we think about ourselves and deal with other people? Why do various
thinking and social abilities develop at the time they do? How do we decide
how to act around other people, whether to help them, and whether to accede
to their requests?
The
social and cognitive processes area covers topics in traditional social,
cognitive, and developmental areas of psychology. It is not designed to
focus exclusively on topics that cover all three areas (e.g., social
cognition, cognitive development), although many of the focus area faculty
do work that overlaps these three traditional areas. Faculty in the focus
area conduct research on a broad range of topics, both basic and applied,
including the following.
- Autobiographical memory
- Social dilemmas
- Justice
- Language development
- Stereotypes
- Self-concept
- Emotion
- False memories
- Political Psychology
- Pro-social Behavior
- Psychology and the Law
- Missing Children
- Eyewitness Testimony
- Language comprehension
- Emotional development
- Coping
behaviors
Focus area faculty also have research
interests that extend outside the focus area; see each faculty member’s description
of their research interests for a more complete picture. Training in the
focus area involves a sequence of courses, readings groups, and research
with a primary mentor as well as independent research. In addition, there
are weekly lab meetings with the primary mentor’s lab group, and biweekly
focus area research meetings at which a faculty member or student discusses
his or her research with the entire group of focus area faculty and
graduate students. Students are trained to develop excellent statistical
and writing skills, to design and conduct team and individual research, and
to participate in the profession through presentations at national and
regional conferences and publication of journal articles. The goal is to
provide a thorough grounding in the content and the methodologies used by
experimental psychologists who study cognition and social behavior in both
adults and children. Please note that there is no preference given to
applicants who apply to work with faculty in the focus area compared to the
other experimental psychology areas, so choose the area that best fits your
interests.
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