Faculty Projects and Research Activities

Donald P. Corriveau

Dr. Corriveau is developing assessment techniques to evaluate psychosocial components in chronic pain patients. One study exams the factor structure of symptoms associated with both depression and anxiety in relation to chronic pain. This research is being conducted at the Saint Anne's Hospital  Pain Management Center. Another lab-based study examines the effects of predictability and distractibility in the perception of acute pain. He also maintains Web pages and international mailing lists for people who suffer from chronic pain and is a Managing Editor and contributor to PsychNews International.

As an anspiring playwright with interest in live theatre, he recently completed  a research project  demonstrating the use of theatre workshop training for improving self confidence and social skills in elementary school children.

Amy Shapiro

"What have you learned on the Internet?" Dr. Shapiro's research in human memory and learning is currently concerned with issues related to technologies such as hypertext and the WWW. Specifically, she is interested in how nonlinear information structures affect the structure of stored knowledge and learning outcome.

Dr. Shapiro is currently investigating applied instructional strategies at the Dartmouth Middle School.

Max Zurflueh

Dr. Zurflueh contributes greatly to both the Psychology Department and the Counseling Center. His penchant is to train "apprentices "in the profession of psychology. In recent years he has supervised many MA and Ph.D. level interns as well as post doctoral fellows.

As testimony to his supervisory skill,  Dr. Zurflueh has been bestowed adjunct faculty status at U Mass Amherst, Antioch New England Graduate School, and the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.

William Holt

Dr. Holt is very involved with the InterNet's potential for instructional technology. He has worked with the Fall River School system to disseminate internet skills and technologies to Fall River educators. One of his goals is to bring more of the information superhighway to each and every classroom.

Jack Conboy

Dr. Conboy is involved in several research projects in the area of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He is specifically interested in diagnostic test score patterns and continuous performance tests for this disorder.

Within his role as a clinical instructor, Dr. Conboy is noted for introducing "real world" clinical issues to prepare graduate students for the complex issues they will eventually face.

Barry Haimson

Dr. Haimson is interested in studying Event-Related Potential (ERP) correlates of information processing and attention.  Much of his current research has focused on hemispheric specialization and cooperation.  However, he has also conducted research dealing with semantic priming, picture priming and stimulus equivalence.  Currently, Dr. Haimson is a consultant at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center for Mental Retardation.  The center is a part of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is involved in a variety of neuroscience research projects.

Judy Sims-Knight

Judith Sims-Knight has a major research interest in identifying the cognitive processes that permit the development of expertise. Her major focus has been on the development of expertise in designing computer software, but she is beginning to study comparable processes in music students. She has also recently begun to study factors involved in marital satisfaction.

To find out more about her most recent research projects, connect to: " Using Personal Software Process to Augment the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model:" and " Teaching Software Design to Nonprogrammers:"

Mort Elfenbein

Dr. Elfenbein has numerous research interests including the relationship of epistemological style with  both gender and leadership styles as well as to "Implicit Theory."  As a social psychologists, he enjoys "Action Research" in organizations.

As a methodologist,  Dr. Elfenbein is particularly interested in the integration of qualitative and quantitative research. Another specific area of recent research has been in the areas of bereavement and death anxiety.

Ted Powers

Ted Powers is currently collaborating with Judith Sims-Knight and faculty from the College of Engineering on a NSF funded grant, a portion of which is devoted to the assessment and training of student teams. He has also been the PI for a Healy grant project on self-criticism and perfectionism. . Dr. Powers has recently received funding from NIH for a project investigating internet-based stress management for college students.

Mahzad Hojjat

Mahzad Hojjat has been conducting a series of studies on betrayal in intimate relationships. Currently she is investigating betrayal and agression as well as cultural myths regarding love in interethnic relationships.

Susan Egan

Susan Egan is currently working on a large scale project within the New Bedford and Fall River School Districts. Her research examines developmental relations between children's self-concept, self-efficacy, gender identity, achievement, and career aspirations.

Last Updated On: 11/16/05