Psychology is the scientific study of behavior, cognition and emotion. The Santa Clara psychology department believesactions, thoughts and feelings are best understood as the result of psychological, neurological, developmental, social and cultural influences. The composition of the faculty reflects this broad approach, with members who specialize in clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, health psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, learning, neuropsychology, and social psychology.
The psychology department places a strong emphasis on empirical methods of inquiry. All faculty members have active research programs, and we encourage undergraduates to get involved. Each year a large number of our majors present papers at professional conferences, and many students co-author articles in professional journals. Permanent laboratories maintained by the department include a health psychology lab, an animal lab, and a sleep lab.
Submissions from 2018
The cat has a… : Children’s use of rhyme to Guide sentence completion, Kirsten Read and Madeline Regan
Asian Americans respond less favorably to excitement (vs. calm)-focused physicians compared to European Americans, Tamara Sims, Birgit Koopmann-Holm, Henry Young, Da Jiang, Helene Fung, and Jeanne L. Tsai
Examining the academic motivation of a diverse student population: A consideration of methodology, Tim Urdan and Kathryn Bruchmann
Submissions from 2017
Compared to What? The Importance of Control Groups in Social Comparison Research, Kathryn Bruchmann
The cultural shaping of compassion, Birgit Koopmann-Holm and Jeanne L. Tsai
A Survey of Ethics Training in Undergraduate Psychology Programs at Jesuit Universities, Thomas G. Plante and Selena Pistoresi
Pie, fry, why: Language play in 3- to 5-year-old children, Kirsten Read, Sarah James, and Andrew Weaver
Responses to intimate partners’ attempts to change health behavior: The role of readiness, Kieran T. Sullivan, Lauri A. Pasch, Meredith Schreier, and Melissa Healy
Exposure to Extrinsic Stressors, Social Defeat or Bisphenol A, Eliminates Sex Differences in DNA methyltransferase expression in the Amygdala, Emily C. Wright, Sarah A. Johnson, Rebecca Hao, Alex S. Kowalczyk, Gian D. Greenberg, Evelyn Ordoñes Sanchez, Abigail Laman-Marang, Brian C. Trainor, and Cheryl S. Rosenfeld
Submissions from 2016
Evaluation of “Out-of-the-Box” textbook technology supplements on student learning, Matthew C. Bell, Patricia M. Simone, and Lisa C. Whitfield
Implementation of best practices in online learning: A review and future directions, Matthew C. Bell, Patti Simone, and Lisa C. Whitfield
Spacing effect in older and younger adults: Does context matter?, Katherine E. Bercovitz, Matthew C. Bell, Patricia M. Simone, and Melody Wiseheart
Compassion Predictors in Undergraduates: A Catholic College Example, Erin S. Callister and Thomas G. Plante
The third voice: Do enhanced e-books enhance the benefits of shared story reading with preschoolers?, Katie Ciffone, Andrew Weaver, and Kirsten Read
Gene Targeting Studies of Hyperexcitability and Affective States of Alcohol Withdrawal in Rodents, Gian D. Greenberg and John C. Crabbe
Nest building is a novel method for indexing severity of alcohol withdrawal in mice, Gian D. Greenberg, L. C. Huang, S. E. Spence, J. P. Schlumbohm, P. Metten, A. R. Ozburn, and John C. Crabbe
Effects of acute alcohol withdrawal on nest building in mice selectively bred for alcohol withdrawal severity, Gian D. Greenberg, Tamara J. Phillips, and John C. Crabbe
Sex Differences in the Social Behavior Network and Mesolimbic Dopamine System, Gian D. Greenberg and Brian C. Trainor
Beyond Mindfulness: Expanding Integration of Spirituality and Religion into Psychotherapy, Thomas G. Plante
Compassion, Thomas G. Plante
Principles of incorporating spirituality into professional clinical practice, Thomas G. Plante
Nurturing Compassion Development Among College Students: A Longitudinal Study, Thomas G. Plante and Katherine Halman
Psychometric Properties of the Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale, Thomas G. Plante and Jesus Mejia
Effect of a single free food presentation on extinction responding in a multiple schedule, Adam J. Reiss and Matthew C. Bell
Sources of bias in peoples’ social-comparative estimates of food consumption, Aaron M. Scherer, Kathryn Bruchmann, Paul D. Windschitl, Jason P. Rose, Andrew R. Smith, Bryan Koestner, Linda Snetselaar, and Jerry Suls
Sex-Specific Effects of Stress on Oxytocin Neurons Correspond With Responses to Intranasal Oxytocin, Michael Q. Steinman, Natalia Duque-Wilckens, Gian D. Greenberg, Rebecca Hao, Katharine L. Campi, Sarah A. Laredo, Abigail Laman-Marang, Claire E. Manning, Ian E. Doig, Eduardo M. Lopez, Keenan Walch, Karen L. Bales, and Brian C. Trainor
Couple Therapy, K. R. Stephenson, Kieran T. Sullivan, and A. Christensen
Introduction to The Oxford Handbook of Relationship Science and Couple Interventions, Kieran T. Sullivan and Erika E. Lawrence
Relationship science and interventions: Where we are and where we are going, Kieran T. Sullivan and Erika E. Lawrence
Submissions from 2015
Failure of online quizzing to improve performance in introductory psychology courses, Matthew C. Bell, Patricia M. Simone, and Lisa C. Whitfield
Relationship education and marital satisfaction in newlywed couples: A propensity score analysis., Rebecca J. Cobb and Kieran T. Sullivan
Culture Shapes Whether the Pursuit of Happiness PredictsHigher or Lower Well-Being, Brett Q. Ford, Julia O. Dmitrieva, Daniel Heller, Yulia Chentsova-Dutton, Igor Grossmann, Maya Tamir, Yukiko Uchida, Birgit Koopmann-Holm, Victoria A. Floerke, Meike Uhrig, Tatiana Bokhan, and Iris B. Mauss
Effects of social defeat on dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area in male and female California mice, Gian D. Greenberg, Michael Q. Steinman, Ian E. Doig, Rebecca Hao, and Brian C. Trainor
Four lessons learned from treatingCatholic priest sex offenders, Thomas G. Plante
Six principles to consider when working with Roman Catholic clients, Thomas G. Plante
Compassion development in higher education, Roxanne Rashedi, Thomas G. Plante, and Erin S. Callister
Physical aggression, compromised social support, and 10-year marital outcomes: Testing a relational spillover model, Kieran T. Sullivan, Lauri A. Pasch, Erika E. Lawrence, and Thomas N. Bradbury
Psychological well-being of Roman Catholic and Episcopal clergy applicants, Shannon Nicole Thomas and Thomas G. Plante
Submissions from 2014
Conditioned Reinforcement, Matthew C. Bell and Margaret A. McDevitt
Sex differences in effects of dopamine D1 receptors on social withdrawal, Katharine L. Campi, Gian D. Greenberg, Amita Kapoor, Toni E. Ziegler, and Brian C. Trainor
Fighting in the home cage: Agonistic encounters and effects on neurobiological markers within the social decision-making network of house mice (Mus musculus), Gian D. Greenberg, Chris L. Howerton, and Brian C. Trainor
Sex differences in stress-induced social withdrawal: role of brain derived neurotrophic factor in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, Gian D. Greenberg, Abigail Laman-Marang, Katharine L. Campi, Heather Voigt, Veronica N. Orr, Leslie Schaal, and Brian C. Trainor
Focusing on the negative: Cultural differences in expressions of sympathy, Birgit Koopmann-Holm and Jeanne L. Tsai
The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORF): A validation study on Iranian Muslim patients undergoing dialysis, Amir H. Pakpour, Thomas G. Plante, Mohsen Saffari, and Bengt Fridlund
Employ spiritual practices ethically, Thomas G. Plante
Four steps to improve religious/spiritual competence in professional psychology, Thomas G. Plante
If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen: A reflection on “Student beliefs, multiculturalism, and client welfare.”, Thomas G. Plante
Vineyard workers need to be healthy, happy, and nurtured to tend God’s vines: Reflections on “The Development of Persons,” 33 years later, Thomas G. Plante
Does faith that does justice education improve compassion?, Thomas G. Plante and E. Callister
