College of Letters and Sciences

Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior, emotion, and thought.  The goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and influence mental and behavioral processes.  Objective observation, experimentation, and quantitative and qualitative analysis are psychologists' tools for achieving these goals.  By expanding and enriching our understanding of how people think, feel and behave, the study of psychology increases and broadens students' understanding of themselves and others, and encourages students to apply this knowledge and understanding appropriately to improve the condition of individuals and society.

Contact us

Elizabeth Olson
Department Chair
Phone: 262-472-5400
Location: Laurentide Hall 1221

Davin Stavroplos
Department Assistant
Phone: 262-472-1026
Location: Laurentide Hall 1223

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What is psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior, emotion, and thought.  The goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and influence mental and behavioral processes.  Objective observation, experimentation, and quantitative and qualitative analysis are psychologists' tools for achieving these goals.  By expanding and enriching our understanding of how people think, feel and behave, the study of psychology increases and broadens students' understanding of themselves and others, and encourages students to apply this knowledge and understanding appropriately to improve the condition of individuals and society.

Studying psychology at UW-W

The Psychology Department in the College of Letters and Sciences offers undergraduates comprehensive exposure to the prominent theories and concepts of psychology, the techniques and results of psychological research, and the applications of psychological knowledge to everyday situations.  The program offers field and research experiences that allow students to apply acquired skills and knowledge.

Our department strives to be a student-focused environment with faculty who are known for excellence in teaching and advising.  We provide our students with a variety of opportunities to excel not only inside but also outside the classroom.  Students are regularly engaged in field experiences, work alongside faculty members to conduct psychological research, attend and present research at local conferences, and participate in activities of the Psi Chi National Honor Society in psychology.

The Department offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in psychology as well as experiences that focus on preparation for graduate school.  The Bachelor of Science in Education degree prepares students to teach psychology in secondary schools.  The Department’s graduate program prepares students for careers in school psychology and offers the Master’s and Education Specialist degrees.  At the completion of their major, undergraduate students should be prepared for graduate education and/or entry into occupations which utilize knowledge of human behavior.

What skills and experiences will I gain from studying psychology at UW-W?

The Psychology Department at UW-Whitewater seeks to provide students a wide variety of skills that students will utilize in their careers, education, and daily lives.  These skills will propel students into careers and graduate schools and will remain useful throughout students' lives.  The following is a list of the skills and opportunities that psychology students can expect to gain.

  • Broad exposure to the basic concepts, theories, research, and ethical issues of psychology
  • Education in the scientific method including hands-on research opportunities
  • Strong critical oral and written communication skills, including the ability to evaluate and convey the evidence for claims regarding human behavior
  • Applied experience through fieldwork opportunities in the regional community
  • Research experience working closely with faculty members on research projects that may result in presentations and/or publications
  • Access to internship opportunities
  • Critical thinking skills (more information about this skill is provided below)

Critical thinking in psychology

A primary goal of the Psychology Department's curriculum is the development of students' ability to think critically.  This essential ability to reason with purpose and to be intellectually curious includes several thinking skills that are useful to students both within their academic coursework as well as their daily lives.  These skills include the following:

  • Identifying and evaluating assumptions
  • Integrating information
  • Considering the validity of sources
  • Evaluating evidence
  • Considering alternative explanations/hypotheses/confounds
  • Communicating valid conclusions that reflect critical thinking
  • Making appropriate inferences
  • Making logical arguments
  • Comparing and contrasting different points of view
  • Problem solving
  • Objectivity

Experiential Courses

The Psychology Department supervises field placements for majors interested in applying their knowledge of psychology to real-world situations for course credit (PSYCH 487).  Students are supervised by both a Psychology Department faculty member and an on-site supervisor.  These experiences provide insight into the types of employment students may achieve with a Bachelor's degree in psychology.  Field Training is also excellent experience for students intending to pursue graduate training in such areas as counseling, clinical psychology, school psychology, and social work.  Field placements include a range of human service agencies, schools, crisis intervention programs and correction facilities.  Students are encouraged to take this course during their junior year.

Nursing Home Visitation Program

An option for placement in Field Training is the Nursing Home Visitation Program.  Students are encouraged to participate in this well-known project founded by a UW-W student and a psychology professor, Dr. Clifford O'Beirne.The N.H.V.P has been a part of UW-Whitewater campus' efforts in community service for over 35 years, and has averaged over 200 hours per week.  This is one of the largest programs in the nation that goes to nursing homes.  To date, UW-W students have made over 175,000 visits to nearby nursing homes.For more information on the Nursing Home Visitation Program, please visit the program's website: http://www.nhvp.com

Independent Study (PSYCH 498, 498R) and Senior Thesis (PSYCH 499) are courses in which students work closely with a faculty member on a research project.  Whether students should have certain background, such as having taken statistics will depend on the specific project.  Students are always encouraged to contact their interested faculty to learn about possible research opportunities.  A good way to get started on accumulating research experience is to volunteer to help with faculty's research if they have never worked with the faculty before.

Students may apply for financial support for their research (e.g., to purchase materials, travel) through the Undergraduate Research Program.  Students who participate in this program will have the opportunity to present their research on UW-Whitewater's Undergraduate Research Day.Students interested in undergraduate research are encouraged to plan for enrollment in these courses by discussing the possibility with their academic advisor as early as possible.

Students may work with faculty on research in a number of different ways.  Many students opt to take Independent Study (PSYCH 498) in which they work under the direction of a faculty member on research topics that interest them.  These hands-on experiences may include literature review, data collection, analysis, or writing up papers or manuscripts.  Students in the Undergraduate Research Program may enroll in Independent Study - Undergraduate Research (PSYCH 498R). These courses are repeatable (in combination with one another) for a maximum of 6 units in the major and 12 units in the degree.

Some students choose to complete Senior Thesis projects (PSYCH 499) that involve a faculty advisor and a committee of faculty project reviewers.  Students engage in a critical review or an experimental study of a topic of interest to them under the supervision of an honors thesis committee of the Psychology Department.  The course is repeatable for a maximum of 6 credits in the major and 12 units in the degree.

Matthew E Andrzejewski

Matthew E Andrzejewski

Lecturer 2

Department(s): Psychology

andrzejm@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1228 |

(262) 472-5417

Barbara Rybski Beaver

Barbara Rybski Beaver

Professor

Department(s): Psychology

beaverb@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1233 |

(262) 472-5416

Abby  Biddle

Abby Biddle

Graduate Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

BiddleA25@uww.edu

Amber  Buxton

Amber Buxton

Lecturer 1

Department(s): Psychology

PaavolaAL13@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1223 |

(262) 472-1026

Kaitlyn  Disalvo

Kaitlyn Disalvo

Graduate Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

DisalvoKR11@uww.edu

Owen M Gaber

Owen M Gaber

Graduate Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

GaberOM25@uww.edu

David A. Havas

David A. Havas

Associate Professor

Department(s): Psychology

havasd@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1226 |

(262) 472-1872

Sasha L Karnes

Sasha L Karnes

Associate Professor

Department(s): Psychology

karness@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1211 |

(262) 472-3037

Amanda L Kidwell

Amanda L Kidwell

Lecturer 1

Department(s): Psychology

KidwellAL28@uww.edu

Kimberly K Knesting

Kimberly K Knesting

Associate Professor

Department(s): Psychology

knestink@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1213 |

(262) 472-5412

Elizabeth S Kraemer

Elizabeth S Kraemer

Lecturer 1

Department(s): Psychology

kraemere@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall |

Jena R Krueger

Jena R Krueger

Graduate Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

KruegerJ21@uww.edu

James D Larson

James D Larson

Lecturer 1

Department(s): Psychology

larsonj@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall |

(262) 472-1026

Anna K Lindell

Anna K Lindell

Associate Professor

Department(s): Psychology

lindella@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1224 |

(262) 472-1804

Carolyn L Morgan

Carolyn L Morgan

Professor

Department(s): Psychology

morganc@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1235 |

(262) 472-5410

Ashley J Murray

Ashley J Murray

Graduate Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

MurrayAJ07@uww.edu

Christine E Neddenriep

Christine E Neddenriep

Professor

Department(s): Psychology

neddenrc@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1229 |

(262) 472-1850

Heather M Niemeier

Heather M Niemeier

Associate Professor, Add'l Pay Non-Instructional

Department(s): Psychology

niemeieh@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1227 |

(262) 472-5418

Clifford W O'Beirne

Clifford W O'Beirne

Lecturer 1

Department(s): Psychology

obeirnec@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1232 |

(262) 472-5414

Elizabeth A Olson

Elizabeth A Olson

Associate Professor, Add'l Pay Non-Instructional

Department(s): Psychology

olsone@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1221 |

(262) 472-5400

Dan  Stalder

Dan Stalder

Professor

Department(s): Psychology

stalderd@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1219 |

(262) 472-5419

Davin R Stavroplos

Davin R Stavroplos

Department Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

StavroplDR21@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1223 |

(262) 472-1026

Krystalyn M Terski

Krystalyn M Terski

Graduate Assistant

Department(s): Psychology

TerskiKM16@uww.edu

Brandon J Thomas

Brandon J Thomas

Assistant Professor

Department(s): Psychology

thomasb@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1207 |

(262) 472-5824

Jiahe  WANG XU

Jiahe WANG XU

Assistant Professor

Department(s): Psychology

wangxuj@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1215 |

(262) 472-1018

Meg A Waraczynski

Meg A Waraczynski

Professor

Department(s): Psychology

waraczym@uww.edu

Upham Hall 368 |

(262) 472-5415

Shen  Zhang

Shen Zhang

Associate Professor

Department(s): Psychology

zhangs@uww.edu

Laurentide Hall 1217 |

(262) 472-5430

There are numerous scholarship opportunities available to students, both through the university, the College of Letters and Sciences and the Psychology Department. To make life a little easier, all of the university's scholarship applications and requirement listings are available online.

The Larry and Mary Lee Anding Psychology Student Merit Scholarship

  • The Anding scholarship was established by Julie Anding, an alumni of our department, in honor of her parents. Julie’s contributions were matched by her employer, Harley-Davidson.
  • This scholarship shall be made only to UW-Whitewater students who have declared a major in Psychology, with a minimum of 24 credits and a maximum of 90 cumulative credits taken at UW-W during the award period.  Applicants must meet the minimum required cumulative and major GPA of 3.0.  Applicants must also have completed Introduction to Psychology (Psych 211) and Statistics (Psych 215) at the time of application and must have demonstrated financial need.

The Huang-Christner Psychology Scholarship

  • This scholarship was established by alumni, faculty, students, and friends of the Psychology Department.  The award is in memory of H. H. Huang; in honor of Dr. I-Ning Huang and his many years of dedicated service to and support of Psychology students as a Psychology Department faculty member; and in memory and honor of Dr. Charlotte A. “Chris” Christner and her dedication to students in the Psychology Department as well as her long-term service as Psychology Department chair.  Through this scholarship, Drs. Huang and Christner continue their traditions of fostering student success.
  • This scholarship is for outstanding juniors who have declared a major in psychology and who will be continuing enrollment in the fall.  The purpose of the award is to recognize and encourage excellence in scholarship in undergraduate psychology at UW-Whitewater.
  • This scholarship shall be made only to students currently enrolled at UW-W, who have declared a major in psychology and have completed at least two terms at UW-W, with a Junior standing during the award period.

The Paula Poorman and Susan Simmons Family Psychology Scholarship

  • The purpose of this scholarship is to financially assist students who have the potential and commitment for graduate work and service in the field of psychology.  This scholarship is in honor of Paula (P.B.) Poorman who taught psychology at UW-Whitewater from 1996 until her untimely death in a tragic traffic accident in 2007.  It was made possible through gifts from family, friends, colleagues, and former students in her memory.  Susan Simmons and P.B. had intended to start their family scholarship when Paula retired.  P.B. is remembered for her passion for teaching, her integrity, her irrepressible sense of humor, and for being an amazing force in her student's lives.
  • This award will be made to a UW-Whitewater Junior or Senior who has declared a major in psychology.  The candidate must be a full-time student and must maintain full-time status for the period covered by the scholarship.  Preference will be given to first-generation, returning, and non-traditional students, and to members of other underserved populations.  Preference will also be given to those who demonstrate an established interest in research or whose interest in psychology extends beyond the classroom.

The Amy Krueger Memorial Scholarship

  • Amy was a UW-W Psychology major and a member of the U.S. Army.  She died in 2009 in Fort Hood, Texas, where she was preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.  This scholarship is generously supported by Tom and Cheryl Hayes in Amy’s memory to support psychology majors with financial need, especially students in the armed forces.
  • This scholarship shall be made only to students enrolled at UW-Whitewater who have a declared major in psychology, with preference given to a student in the armed forces, with financial need. The candidate must be a Junior or Senior during the award period, minimum accumulative and major GPA of 3.2, male or female.

The Richard D. Kelley Psychology Scholarship

  • The Richard D. Kelley Psychology Scholarship was established by Douglas and Leilani Anderson, alumni of our department, in honor of their professor Richard D. Kelley. The endowment was established to recognize his many years of dedicated service to and support of students as a psychology department faculty member. The Andersons state that Dr. Kelley had a profound effect on his students and they fondly recall his ability to persuade them to “think in a different way – outside the box.” This was a lasting lesson, which aided them both in life. The Andersons are grateful for the opportunity to recognize Professor Kelley’s excellent pedagogy by establishing an endowment in his name to benefit psychology students in perpetuity.
  • This scholarship shall be made only to UW Whitewater students who have declared a major in Psychology with a Junior or Senior standing during the award period. The purpose is to aid students with financial need while recognizing and encouraging excellence in scholarship in undergraduate psychology.

Song Family School Psychologist Scholarship

  • Dr. Song, Emeritus, taught as a professor in the Psychology Department for 22 years. His specialization was School Psychology, and he taught regularly in the graduate program as well as serving as Program Coordinator. Dr. Song was dedicated to scholarship in school psychology and was awarded the prestigious distinction of Diplomate in School Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He showed great devotion to teaching and concern for his students, consistently seeking to meet their needs. Through his fund-raising efforts, he established the Song Family Scholarship to support graduate students in school psychology who demonstrate strong potential to contribute to the field.
  • The Song Family Scholarship shall recognize academic excellence in a UW-Whitewater student admitted to the UW-Whitewater School Psychology Program.

The Barbara Ann Hersko Scholarship

  • The Barbara Ann Hersko Scholarship shall recognize academic excellence and superior effort at professional development of first-year students in the School Psychology Program in memory of Barbara Ann Hersko, a former UW-Whitewater school psychology student.
  • APA Style A brief video on APA style plus UW-W Library links to APA-style guides.
  • Center for Students with Disabilities UW-W Center for Students with Disabilities website.
  • Course Catalog UW-W course catalog listing current course offerings and schedules.
  • Department of Curriculum and Instruction Website of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for those interested in the Education Program.
  • McNair Program UW-W McNair Program that prepares first-generation and multicultural students for doctoral study.
  • Nursing Home Visitation Program A program founded by a UW-W student and psychology professor, Dr. O'Beirne, in which students volunteer at local nursing homes and aging communities.
  • Project Assist UW-W Center for Students with Disabilities Project Assist program for those in need of academic support.
  • Psi Chi UW-W chapter of the International Honor Society in psychology.
  • Scholarships UW-W scholarships website.
  • APA  American Psychological Association website provides a plethora of information for psychology students including APA style writing, career opportunities, a list of graduate programs in psychology, and current events in psychology.
  • APS  Association for Psychological Science website provides current psychological articles, publications, and news items.
  • APSSC  Association for Psychological Science membership information.
  • Midwest Psychological Association  Midwest Psychological Association website.
  • National Association of School Psychologists  National Association of School Psychologists for those interested in School Psychology.

Research Labs and programs

Students may gain valuable research experience through the department's research laboratories and research programs dedicated to conducting psychological research.  These labs and programs are typically led by individual faculty members who serve as the "principal investigator" on research studies that are conducted within the lab or program.  It's also typical for the research conducted in labs and programs to have a long-term and specific research focus, such as investigating the mechanisms of reward evaluation in the brain, or the relation between reading fluency and reading comprehension among school children. Involvement in a research lab can confer students with a strong background in a particular and focused field of research. 

Below are details about several labs/programs within the psychology department.  More detail can be obtained by contacting research faculty directly. 

Interested students are advised to have successfully completed both PSYCH 215 (Basic Statistical Methods) and PSYCH 216 (Research Methods), and have Junior standing before applying to join a lab or program. 

Behavioral Neuroscience Research Lab (Dr. Meg Waraczynski)

We study the neural mechanisms of reward evaluation in the mammalian brain.  Specifically, we study how neurochemical manipulations of cells in a structure called the extended amygdala affect rats' evaluation of the reward effect of stimulating the brain's medial forebrain bundle.  Ultimately, we seek to computationally model how cellular activity patterns in the extended amygdala represent the momentary value of a reward in the context of the animal's current internal and external environment.

The work of undergraduate assistants is critical to these goals.  Each semester students in both psychology and the biological sciences assist with animal testing, data analysis, and other related tasks.  Some students earn competitive undergraduate research grants, complete thesis projects, and present their work at professional conferences and in professional journals.  Students also get to know other motivated, curious, hard working students with a variety of interests and gain experience working as part of a team to achieve important goals.  If you would like more information about our lab contact Dr. Waraczynski ( waraczym@uww.edu) or any students currently part of our research team. 

School-Based Reading Research (Dr. Christine Neddenriep)

Our research team is interested in looking at the relationship between reading fluency (reading with ease) and comprehension (reading for understanding) in elementary-school children. We are currently working with third-grade students at Washington Elementary School in Whitewater to improve their fluency and comprehension by using a strategy, Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) which has been shown to increase students' speed and accuracy in reading as well as their understanding of fictional text. However, RAAC has not been applied to improving understanding of nonfiction text. Our research team has developed specific comprehension questions to assist students in understanding nonfiction text using the RAAC method. We use single-case, experimental designs (e.g., multiple baseline design across participants) to evaluate the effects of the intervention. We first evaluate the effects of fluency instruction alone on reading speed and accuracy as well as comprehension and then we add the comprehension instruction to determine the relative change in both fluency and comprehension with the addition of comprehension instruction. Our team currently includes one undergraduate student, Shawna Loniello, who is in the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) and five graduate students in school psychology.

The Laboratory for Language and Emotion (Dr. David Havas)

The Laboratory for Language and Emotion uses the theory of embodied cognition to explore the relationship between language and emotion.  This lab is specifically interested in how language can evoke strong emotions in people, and also, how emotions impact language comprehension.  Recent research has shown that manipulations of participants' facial expressions of emotion change the speed with which they comprehend emotional sentences.  For example, pleasant sentences are read faster while smiling than while frowning, and vice versa for unpleasant sentences.  This finding helps support theories of embodied cognition, and shows that emotional states interact with sentence understanding.  Students who participate in this lab will be exposed to a variety of research methods, including the use of electrodes and eye tracking equipment.  Please visit the lab's website or contact Dr. Havas ( havasd@uww.edu) for more information about this lab.

The Applied Health Psychology Lab (Dr. Sasha Karnes)

The Applied Health Psychology Lab is currently recruiting and enrolling adult patients from Aurora Health Care for a randomized controlled trial. The purpose of the research is to test the effectiveness of a web-based program that is based on motivational interviewing for increasing physical activity. Undergraduate researchers are involved with day-to-day study operations. Specific tasks include gathering and cataloging participant intake information, obtaining informed consent, collecting survey data, and sending intervention materials.

Dr. McCready's Research