School of Psychology

• The Study of Anger & Violence
• Cross Cultural Personality Research Team
• Flexible/Inflexible Schema Belief Inventory
• Media Psychology
• Neuropsychological Research
• Parenting in Times of Stress
• Substance Abuse: Diagnosis & Treatment
• Therapist Empathic Process
• Women's Mid-life Development: Career, Relationship, Identity, & Generativity
• Young Voices: What Youth Say About Their Anger

Summary: Whether they take the form of road rage, domestic abuse, destructive aggression in sports, or force in the service of criminal pursuits, anger and violence are among the most serious threats to the quality of life in the world today. Efforts to develop programs that prevent and treat aggression must begin with studies that develop means of assessing and predicting anger and violence. Both problems have many faces, so assessment and prediction tools must have wide generality. We plan to begin with two foundation studies that will provide the basis for extensive lines of investigation.

Publications/presentations:
Johnson, E.H., Greene, A.F. (1992). The interview method for assessing anger: Development and validation. In Johnson, E.H., Gentry, D.W. & Julius, S.O. (eds.), Personality, Elevated Blood Pressure, and Essential Hypertension, pp. 27-66, Washington: Hemisphere.

Funding: Support from an anonymous gift and Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Anthony Greene - afgreene@fielding.edu

Cross Cultural Personality Research Team [back to top]
Nolan Penn, PhD, Pat Hodges, PhD, Lynne Saba, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: The Cross Cultural Personality Studies Research Team strives to apply psychological, psychometric, and world-view theories to our understanding of etic-emic issues grounded in psychological tests designed to measure personality characteristics, i.e., the extent to which psychological tests normed in one identified culture can be used effectively with populations from another culture. Our goals are to [1] study tests used in clinical, counseling, forensic, and educational venues in the US, e.g., the MMPI-2/A, Spanish GAMA (a cognitive test), and others, [2] collect test data on populations insufficiently represented in US norms for the aforementioned tests, and [3] offer research practica to pre-and postdoctoral psychology students. Test protocols are administered to populations of interest in the US and other countries, e.g., Latin American countries. Findings from our studies have been presented at Fielding Graduate University national sessions, and professional conferences in and outside of the US, e.g., Venezuela and Italy. Tests administered outside the US use the language of the countries in which we are testing, e.g., Spanish language versions are used in Latin American countries.

Publications/presentations:
Saba, L. & Penn, N. (2003). A view from the new Restructured Scales on the MMPI-2 in non-English speaking populations. Presented at the Hawaiian Psychological Association, October 16, 2003.

Boscan, D., Penn, N., Velasquez, et al. (2002). MMPI-2 Performance of Male University Students and Prison Inmates. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, (4), 465-470.

Boscan, D., Penn, N.,Velasquez, et al. (2002). MMPI-2 Profiles of Colombian, Mexican, Venezuelan University Students. Psychology Reports, 87, 107-110.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Nolan Penn - npenn@fielding.edu

Flexible/Inflexible Schema Belief Inventory [back to top]
Charles Elliott, PhD and Maureen Lassen, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: We have designed and are testing and validating a schema polarity personality assessment instrument that measures clinically derived schema continua, each with a negative inflexible pole, a positive inflexible pole, and an adaptive flexible point in-between. This instrument is called the Flexible/Inflexible Schema Belief Inventory (i.e., the FISBI).

Publications/presentations:
Elliott, C. H. (November, 2002). Comparing Schema models and Schema Research of Cognitive Therapy, REBT, and Applied Cognitive Science. Panel discussion at the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Reno.

Elliott, C. H. & Smith, L.L. (November, 2000). Conceptualizing and Treating Child Psychopathology: A Schema Centered Approach. Workshop presented at the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New Orleans.

Elliott, C.H. & Lassen, M.K. (1997). A Schema Polarity Model for Case Conceptualization, Intervention, and Research. Clinical Psychology: Research and Practice, 4, 12-28.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Chuck Elliott - celliott@fielding.edu

Neuropsychological Research [back to top]
Henry V. Soper, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: This work incorporates many research projects designed to understand general and hemisphere-specific neuropsychological functionings. These are examined from several perspectives, including language, visual processing, memory, gender, culture, birth factors, and premorbid level of intellect.

Publications/presentations:
Soper, H. V., & McWhorter, N. (2003). Gender differences in various brief neuropsychological tests. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 29.

Soper, H. V., & McWhorter, N. (2002). Right hemisphere visual and auditory abilities. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 17, 854.

McWhorter, N., & Soper, H. V. (2002). Assessment of receptive and expressive prosody. Abstracts of the 82nd Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association, 130.

Parra, E., & Soper, H. V. (2002). Effects of subculture on neuropsychological memory tasks. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 17, 849-850.

Soper, H. V., Gaier, D. J., & McWhorter, N. (2002). Neuropathogenic birth factors and severe to profound mental retardation with and without autism. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 17, 806-807.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Henry V. Soper - hvsoper@fielding.edu

Parenting in Times of Stress [back to top]
Debra Bendell Estroff, PhD, Stephen Ruffins, PhD, Tiffany Field, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: This research examines several pre- and post-natal factors related to pregnancy outcomes and post-natal development with the goal of better understanding and enhancing parenting skills and improving developmental outcomes for young children. The projects frequently use research-based educational programs to provide interventions whose results can be compared to non-intervention results. There have been or are projects underway in the greater Los Angeles area, Bermuda, and Florida. Some of these projects are conducted in partnerships with local hospitals, providing the best combination of service and research for the populations they serve.

Publications/presentations:
Field, T., Bendell, D., & Yando, R. (In Review). Anxiety and anger effects on depressed mother-infant interactions.

Field, T., Yando, S., Bendell, D., Hernandez-Reif, M., Diego, M., Vera, Y., & Gil, K. (In Review). Prenatal depression effects on pregnancy feelings and substance use.

Latifses, V.,Bendell, D., Bush, J. ( In Review) Partner Pregnancy Massage Outcomes.

Field, T., Yando, R., & Bendell, D. (In Press). Pregnancy Anxiety Effects on the Fetus and Neonate. Psychiatry.

Field, T., Diego, M., Dieter, J., Hernandez-Reif, & Bendell, D. (2004). Prenatal depression effects on the fetus and neonate. Infant Behavior &Development, 27, 216-229.

Latifses, V. (2003). Teaching Expectant Fathers to Massage Their Partners: An Exploration of Fetal Attachment Behaviors, Anxiety, and Marital Adjustment. Doctoral Dissertation. Fielding Graduate University. (UMI Publication #3117869).

Funding: Grant support from The Louis and Harold Price Foundation and Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Debra Bendell Estroff - dbendell@fielding.edu

Under-recognition & Under-diagnosis of Addictions [back to top]
Marilyn Freimuth, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: This research explores a variety of issues related to mental health providers failing to recognize or suspect an alcoholism problem in their clientele. This includes issues such as treatment provider's attitudes towards addiction and its treatment, factors impeding recognition which arise from the patient and treatment provider, and "typical practices" when addiction is recognized. Findings will provide information about how to best train providers and make possible earlier interventions. Dr. Freimuth has just finished a book entitled Hidden Addictions which includes the initial findings of this ongoing research project. The book will be published during the coming year.

Publications/presentations:
Freimuth, M. (2002). The Unseen Diagnosis: Substance Use Disorder. Psychotherapy Bulletin, 37, 26 - 30.

Freimuth, M. (2002). The Unseen Diagnosis: Addiction Assessment. Psychotherapy Bulletin, 38, 38 - 42.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University.

Contact: Marilyn Freimuth - mfreimuth@fielding.edu

Therapist Empathic Process [back to top]
Sherry Hatcher, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: Therapists rely on empathic interventions in most major approaches to therapeutic work. We expect that different therapists will describe styles of empathy that can be categorized. Little is known about how a therapist actualizes the empathic process. This exploratory research is a process study, partly quantitative and partly qualitative, seeking to identify characteristics of empathic process that are most successful and which, if any, correspond to ability to bridge differences between the therapist's life experience and cultural background, and that of the patient(s).

Publications/presentations:
Hatcher, S. L. (2003). Panel on "Therapists' Empathic Process: Working With Difference" presented at SEPI Annual Meeting, New York City, May 2-4, 2003.
The titles of the panel talks were:
"Introduction: Therapists describe their empathic process: Working with difference"- Sherry L. Hatcher, PhD , ABPP
"Trait empathy and state empathy: The Davis Empathy Scales and coded responses for empathy"- Todd Favorite, MA
"Are theoretical orientation, experience level and therapist empathy related?"- Linda DeShetler, MA
"Therapist empathy and gender"-Elizabeth Hardy, A.B.
"Do self-observed reference points facilitate therapist empathy?"- Robert Goode, MA
"How therapists empathize with stories of difference"- Rosa Thomas, MA
The discussant for the panel was:
Dr. George Stricker, Professor, The Derner Institute, Adelphi University, New York.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Sherry Hatcher - shatcher@fielding.edu

Women's Mid-life Development: Career, Relationship, Identity, & Generativity [back to top]
Ruthellen Josselson, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: This project is a 30+ year follow up of a group of women whose development has been followed since they were seniors in college. The study now focuses on their midlife development and the ways in which their progress through (mid)life is related to the issues they were struggling with in college, with particular emphasis on the role of education throughout. The data collected will be used to explore issues related to lifelong education, adult adjustment, and identity development. In addition the data will provide understanding of the ways in which life story changes as it unfolds; and, how earlier stories get reshaped to fit the emerging narrative. Earlier stages in the research have resulted in two books.

Publications:
Josselson, R. (1996). Revising Herself: The Story of Women's Identity from College to Midlife. New York: Oxford University Press.

Josselson, R. (1987). Finding Herself: Pathways to Identity Development in Women. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University.

Contact: Ruthellen Josselson - rjosselson@fielding.edu

Young Voices: What Youth Say About Their Anger [back to top]
Anthony Greene, PhD
School of Psychology

Summary: The escalating frequency and magnitude of violent incidents in schools is but one manifestation of what seems to be an increasing level of anger and active dissatisfaction amongst a majority of young people. Many studies have targeted high risk and other special populations, the focus of this research is a cross-section of adolescents from multiple communities and settings. This research examines in a systematic way the nature and content of ordinary anger expression in young adults. The research will contribute to clearer understanding of the validity of the congruence of multiple methods of anger assessment and of the level of insight and sophistication in teen's views of their own anger.

Publications/presentations:
Coles, C.J, Greene, A.F, & Braithwaite, H.O. (2002). The relationship between personality, anger expression, and perceived family control among incarcerated male juveniles. Adolescence, 37, 395 - 410.

Greene, A.F. (1999). Soothing adolescent anger: a community-based intervention. Proceedings of the Society of Behavioral Medicine 20th Annual Meeting.

Funding: Support from Fielding Graduate University

Contact: Anthony Greene - afgreene@fielding.edu