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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, 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
- Language development
- Social influence
- Self-concept
- Emotion
- Response biases
- False memories
- Determinants of helping behavior
- Psychology and the law
- 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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