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UC Davis experts: Human psychologyUC Davis faculty has a broad expertise regarding human psychology. If you need information on a topic not listed, please contact Claudia Morain, News Service, (530) 752-9841, cmmorain@ucdavis.edu.
Love is hard-wiredLove is a major biological force, says UC Davis psychologist Phillip Shaver. He has spent the past 14 years studying how humans need to love and be loved and what impedes them. Adults form intimate relationships similarly to how they attached as infants with their mothers during a time of special vulnerability, Shaver says. Adult love relationships become both safe havens from the outside world and secure bases from which individuals venture forth into society. Shaver is co-editor of the "Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research and Clinical Application." Contacts: Phillip Shaver, Psychology, (530) 754-8304, (530) 752-1884, prshaver@ucdavis.edu. Greatness, genius and creativityDean Keith Simonton, professor of psychology, who has devoted over a quarter century to studying the relation between age and creative achievement in the arts and sciences. He can also talk about genius and greatness, the relation between age and achievement, personality traits and societal context behind presidential greatness, developmental and career factors underlying scientific creativity, content analytical attributes of masterworks in music and literature, determinants of military genius, factors responsible for multiple discoveries and inventions, and effects of role models and mentors on personal development. Among his books are: "Origins of Genius," "Why presidents succeed: A political psychology of leadership, "Scientific genius: A psychology of science," "Greatness: Who makes history and why," "Origins of genius: Darwinian perspectives on creativity" and his latest, "Great Psychologists and Their Times: Scientific Insights into Psychology's History." Contact: Dean Keith Simonton, Psychology, (530) 752-1677, dksimonton@ucdavis.edu. Children as witnesses and victimsPsychology professor Gail Goodman studies memory development and children's abilities and experiences as victim/witnesses. In the memory development area, she explores issues concerning event representations and memory, as well as the relationship between emotion and memory. In the victim/witness area, her research focuses on children's ability to provide testimony about events they have experienced or witnessed, especially events related to child abuse, and on the psychological effects of testifying in court. She is also studying the effects of child abuse on behavioral adjustment and relations between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency. Her studies have been cited in U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Contact: Gail Goodman, Psychology, 530-752-6981, ggoodman@ucdavis.edu. AIDS-related stigma, homophobiaPsychologist Gregory Herek is a leading international researcher in AIDS-related stigma and heterosexuals' attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. He can discuss his three national surveys on American attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS and address a variety of issues related to homophobia. Herek has expertise on hate crimes and the nature and extent of sexual prejudice, and can talk about issues of antigay discrimination (such as in the military and Boy Scouts), lesbian and gay adoption issues, and common myths about homosexuality. Herek was awarded the 1996 American Psychological Association's Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology and the Public Interest. Contact: Gregory Herek, Psychology, (530) 752-8085, gmherek@ucdavis.edu. Self-esteemSelf-esteem across a life span can be like riding a roller coaster, starting with an inflated sense of self-approval in late childhood, dropping precipitously in adolescence and then rising steadily through adulthood only to plummet to the lowest point in late old age, according psychologist Richard Robins. In perhaps the largest global study of self-esteem, Robins and other researchers have created the most comprehensive picture to date of age differences from ages 9 to 90. More than 350,000 participants completed a questionnaire by visiting a World Wide Web site in 1999 and 2000. Women, in general, had lower self-esteem than men, although both genders have identical high levels between the ages of 9 and 12. "During adolescence, girls' self-esteem dropped about twice as much as boys'," Robins says. Contact: Richard Robins, Psychology, (530) 754-8299, rwrobins@ucdavis.edu. What happens to the mind in agingBeth A. Ober, professor of human development, studies what happens to the human mind with aging. Her research has focused on memory and language processes in normal and abnormal aging. She can talk about the differences between brain changes associated with normal aging vs. those associated with, for example, Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease. Ober's research has been funded over the past 15 years by the Department of Veteran's Affairs and the National Institute on Aging. Contacts: Beth Ober, Human and Community Development, (530)752-6934, baober@ucdavis.edu. Psychology of religion and gratitudePsychology professor Robert Emmons' research is at the interface of personality, psychology and religion. He focuses on how religiousness and spirituality reflect core aspects of the self and identity. Among other issues, he can talk about can talk about why people are altruistic during times of crisis and the effects of feeling grateful on people's happiness and well-being. Emmons is an associate editor for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of the Psychology of Religion, and a member of the American Psychological Association. He is the co-author of the "the Psychology of Gratitude" (2004) and author of "The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns: Motivation and Spirituality in Personality." Contact: Robert Emmons, Psychology, (530) 752-8844, raemmons@ucdavis.edu. Cultural variables in mental healthPsychologist Nolan Zane researches specific cultural variables that influence therapy. He in interested in culturally oriented treatments for ethnic minority clients and the cultural determinants of addictive behaviors. Currently he is examining the role of loss of face and shame in interpersonal relationships with a special focus on client and care provider interactions. Zane has written widely about ethnic minority mental health treatment and services, cultural differences in intra- and interpersonal dynamics, and addictive behavior patterns in Asian American communities. He also co-edited "Confronting Critical Health Issues of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans" and the "Handbook of Asian American Psychology." He is director of the National Research Center on Asian American Mental Health based at UC Davis. Contact: Nolan Zane, Psychology, (530) 752-5419, nwzane@ucdavis.edu. Cross-cultural psychologyClinical psychologist Stanley Sue researches ethnic and cross-cultural influences on behavior, specifically mental health and personality issues as they pertain to ethnic communities, especially Asian Americans. Sue has studied the effects of ethnic match between therapists and clients, prevalence of psychopathology among ethnic populations, and cross-cultural validity of assessment instruments. He is director of research at the National Research Center on Asian American Mental Health. He was editor of the 2001 Asian American supplement to the 1999 Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health. Contact: Stanley Sue, professor of psychology and Asian American studies, (925) 932-0839, ssue@ucdavis.edu. Young children and sportsLarry Harper, professor of human development and family studies, studies children's social interactions and how they play. Harper, a psychologist, says the type of sports -- their rules and sophisticated expectations -- that are at issue for being good or bad for younger children. "Many children don't pay attention to what other kids are thinking until they are 7 or 8 or even older," he says. Young children are still developing an understanding about how individuals coordinate actions. Harper studies comparative and developmental psychology, sex differences and play, and settings and early social behavior. Contact: Larry Harper, Human Development and Family Studies, (530) 752-3624, lharper@ucdavis.edu. Space-travel stressUC Davis social psychologist Al Harrison has been studying the pscyhology of space exploration for 20 years, including the search for life beyond Earth. Author of the 2001 book, "Spacefaring: The Human Dimension," Harrison can talk about life support, habitability, crew selection and training, coping with stress, group dynamics, accidents, off-duty activities, space tourism, space settlements and interstellar travel. He can also discuss the organizational and political contexts that shape human progress in space. His earlier books include "From Antarctica to Outer Space: Life in Isolation and Confinement" (1991) and "After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life" (1997). Contact: Albert Harrison, Psychology, (530) 752-6659, aaharrison@ucdavis.edu. Altered states of consciousnessCharles T. Tart, professor emeritus of psychology at UC Davis, is internationally known for research with altered states of consciousness (including mystical experiences), transpersonal (spiritual) psychology and parapsychology. He can also talk about New Age religions. His 13 books include two classics, "Altered States of Consciousness" and "Transpersonal Psychologies." His 1997 "Body Mind Spirit: Exploring the Parapsychology of Spirituality" explored the scientific foundations of transpersonal/spiritual psychology, to show it is possible to be both a scientist and a spiritual seeker. His most recent book is "Mind Science: Meditation Training for Practical People," and is based on a workshop teaching scientists how to meditate. Contact: Charles Tart, Psychology, (510) 526-2591 (home), cttart@ucdavis.edu. Media contacts:
Last updated Jan. 16, 2007 |
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