The psychology department’s main fields of specialization include cognition and language, social and cognitive development, and social cognition and personality.
Cognition and Language
Broad training in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience; special expertise in cognitive control and attention, executive processes, memory, knowledge representation, language, causal reasoning and categorization. (Central faculty include: Arrington, Bickhard, Carlisle, Cox, Hupbach, and Marsh)
Social and Cognitive Development
Research covers many central developmental topics, including cognitive, meta-cognitive, and perceptual development; language, narrative, and literacy development; symbolic and play development; attachment, socio-emotional, and moral development; gender and identity development; socio-relational and socio-cultural development, and lifespan development. (Central faculty include: An, Barrett, Bickhard, Borowski, Brandone, Laible)
Social Cognition and Personality
Examination of how situational influences, individual differences, and information processing mechanisms combine to create social cognition and behavior. Current emphases include conscious and unconscious influences on social judgment, social influence, prejudice and stereotypes, goals, motivation, and self-regulation, and social-cognitive changes associated with aging and health status, including coping and depression. (Central faculty include: Burke, Gill, Moskowitz, Napper, Packer)