Featured Professor
Dr. Elizabeth Kyonka recently joined the WVU Department of Psychology faculty as an Assistant Professor of Psychology and a member of the Behavior Analysis program. She earned an Sc.B degree at Brown University and subsequently earned her Ph.D. degree at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
Dr. Kyonkas research interests include the quantitative analysis of behavior, mechanisms of complex choice, preference, and decision making, and the interplay of choice and temporal control. She is currently developing a quantitative analysis research laboratory at WVU where she will continue to study human and non-human behavior. The Psychology Department is pleased to welcome Dr. Kyonka as a new member of our community.
Two publications representative of Dr. Kyonka’s work are:
Kyonka, E. G. E. & Grace, R. C. (2009). Effects of unpredictable changes in initial-link duration on choice and timing. Behavioural Processes, 81(2), 227-32.
Kyonka, E. G. E. & Grace, R. C. (2008). Rapid acquisition of preference in concurrent chains when alternatives differ on multiple dimensions of reinforcement. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 89, 49-69.
Welcome
Here you will find detailed information about our graduate and undergraduate programs and our many research, teaching, and service activities. The Department consists of approximately 25 faculty, 80 graduate students, 600 undergraduate majors and pre-majors, and 5 support staff, housed in the state-of-the-art Life Sciences Building. Both our undergraduate and doctoral programs have been designated Programs of Excellence by the West Virginia University Board of Governors, and our graduate program recently received the Award for Innovation in Graduate Education from the American Psychological Association. We invite you to learn more about us by exploring these pages.
Featured Items
Psychology News & Events
Leo Schlosnagle and Tara Karns, graduate students in the Life-span Developmental program, received a $1,200 grant from the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED) to conduct a study to evaluate the Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints program. The CED’s innovative Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints program facilitates older adults’ physical activity in the form of gardening using specially-designed flower beds to offset physical limitations. The program aims to promote older adults’ physical and psychological well-being while benefiting the community. The goal of Schlosnagle and Karn’s study is to identify components of the program that could be adjusted to make the program more efficient and advantageous for older adults. Existing data collected by the CED on the Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints program will be analyzed. The award will be used to facilitate further research and to disseminate the results of the study. The project will take 6 months to complete, and findings will be presented to the CED in May 2010.
What’s social support got to do with it? In terms of dealing with chronic illnesses, maybe a lot. A recent review of the social support and health literature by Lauren Penwell, a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Program, examined the link between social support and inflammation in cardiovascular disease and cancer. Previous research has indicated that better social support is associated with more favorable health outcomes, but just how that happens remains unanswered. There is now some evidence that the immune system’s response, particularly with respect to markers of inflammation, may be affected by the social support received by patients, leading to a better or worse prognosis. These results should be interpreted cautiously, though, as there are many limitations in the studies in this area of research (Nov. 2009).
Teachers Go to “BAT” for Effective Behavior-Management Skills
Three-quarters of teachers report that their training did not adequately prepare them to deal with challenging behavior in the classroom. Thus, teachers are left wondering how to handle behavioral challenges, and often rely on trial-and-error to develop effective behavior management strategies. Despite federal mandates regarding the use of empirically based practices, teachers often implement programs that have little or no empirical support.
This unfortunate scenario doesn’t have to be the case. Teachers trained in evidence-based behavior management strategies report more success with their students and greater job satisfaction. Applied Behavior Analysis provides empirically supported behavior management strategies, but most teachers do not have easy access to instruction in these techniques.
The Behavior Analysis for Teachers (BAT) program is a collaborative project between Monongalia County Schools and West Virginia University (WVU), aimed at providing teachers with a solid foundation in behavior management principles and strategies. Teachers who complete the program are eligible for national certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA). The BCBA certification is a nationally recognized credential that is highly esteemed in the educational and behavioral communities. Caron Vilasuso, BAT teacher, noted, “I am glad to work for a school board that recognizes that ABA is cutting edge… It is a powerful tool that can turn a student’s future around.”
The BAT program consists of a series of five graduate-level courses taught through WVU, coupled with a year-long practicum. The first cohort of teachers began the program in the summer of 2009, and will complete the requirements by the summer of 2010. Teachers are learning core principles of behavior, and their coursework specifically focuses on behavioral issues in the classroom. For example, the program includes a course on how to conduct Functional Behavior Assessments and how to use assessment information to develop function-based interventions for students.
Teachers report that the program is rigorous and challenging, but that they have learned a lot. “I have not worked so hard in a long time to learn so much that is so useful. I am learning how to really change children’s behaviors to benefit them and their learning, with an added plus of better classroom management,” said BAT teacher Libby Davis.
For more information on the BAT program, please contact Dr. Claire St. Peter Pipkin at Claire.StPeterPipkin@mail.wvu.edu.
Merrett, F. & Wheldall, K. (1993). How do teachers learn to manage classroom behavior? A study of teacher’s opinions about their initial training with special reference to classroom behavior management. Educational Studies, 19, 91-106.
Burns & Yssledyke (2009). Reported prevalence of evidence-based instructional practices in special education. Journal of Special Education, 43, 3-11.
