RESEARCH INTERESTS
I apply an evolutionary and social-cognitive approach to studying reasoning and decision making in business models and in social environments. Specifically, I am interested in how heuristics, biases, judgement, and information-seeking behavior associate with cognitive style. I am also interested in how the desire to adopt belief and moral systems pertain to cognitive modules and how they may be mediated by social conditioning factors. My other interests include psychometric scale development, dual process theory, logic, game theory, theory of mind, and religiosity.
I apply an evolutionary and social-cognitive approach to studying reasoning and decision making in business models and in social environments. Specifically, I am interested in how heuristics, biases, judgement, and information-seeking behavior associate with cognitive style. I am also interested in how the desire to adopt belief and moral systems pertain to cognitive modules and how they may be mediated by social conditioning factors. My other interests include psychometric scale development, dual process theory, logic, game theory, theory of mind, and religiosity.
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
My previous research at Florida International University from 2010-2012 explored the evolutionary variables influencing human memory, where I collaborated with my undergraduate mentor,
Dr. Bennett Schwartz. We examined the potential implications of the survival processing paradigm as a new encoding and retention technique. Evolutionary theory suggests our memory is a function of processing that was shaped by evolution. Survival Processing examines this theory by attempting to match ancestral processing by emphasizing survival relevant content for purposes of recall and paired-associate learning. Our findings summarize the advantages and disadvantages of survival processing compared to other retention techniques in the book, "What is Adaptive About Adaptive Memory?" available on Amazon.
I also had the privilege of working with Dr. Nadja Schreiber Compo in her legal psychology I-lab (see video here) at Florida International University where we investigated the effects of alcohol on eye witness perception. We manged a full-cycle lab where some participants (with the exception of various placebo and control groups) were intentionally introduced to alcohol and put through a series of cognitive tasks designed to evaluate episodic memory of certain crime scenes. The lab’s research has been in ScienceNews Magazine and has been part of several expert witness cases regarding witness memory.
From 2012-2016, I mainly worked with Dr. Jennifer Vonk at Oakland University. Our main study examined information-seeking behavior in different domains, and how these information-seeking tendencies associate with degrees of religiosity, personality, and cognitive style across various categories. This research lead to our development of a novel psychometric measure known as the Information Seeking Strategy Scale. Our other research projects focused on how individual belief biases significantly affect false episodic memory, and a study about how decision-making of factual content is influenced by the content's source, specifically as it relates to an authority figure or someone of high prestige. If you are interested in the results of these studies, please contact me.
My previous research at Florida International University from 2010-2012 explored the evolutionary variables influencing human memory, where I collaborated with my undergraduate mentor,
Dr. Bennett Schwartz. We examined the potential implications of the survival processing paradigm as a new encoding and retention technique. Evolutionary theory suggests our memory is a function of processing that was shaped by evolution. Survival Processing examines this theory by attempting to match ancestral processing by emphasizing survival relevant content for purposes of recall and paired-associate learning. Our findings summarize the advantages and disadvantages of survival processing compared to other retention techniques in the book, "What is Adaptive About Adaptive Memory?" available on Amazon.
I also had the privilege of working with Dr. Nadja Schreiber Compo in her legal psychology I-lab (see video here) at Florida International University where we investigated the effects of alcohol on eye witness perception. We manged a full-cycle lab where some participants (with the exception of various placebo and control groups) were intentionally introduced to alcohol and put through a series of cognitive tasks designed to evaluate episodic memory of certain crime scenes. The lab’s research has been in ScienceNews Magazine and has been part of several expert witness cases regarding witness memory.
From 2012-2016, I mainly worked with Dr. Jennifer Vonk at Oakland University. Our main study examined information-seeking behavior in different domains, and how these information-seeking tendencies associate with degrees of religiosity, personality, and cognitive style across various categories. This research lead to our development of a novel psychometric measure known as the Information Seeking Strategy Scale. Our other research projects focused on how individual belief biases significantly affect false episodic memory, and a study about how decision-making of factual content is influenced by the content's source, specifically as it relates to an authority figure or someone of high prestige. If you are interested in the results of these studies, please contact me.
CURRENT RESEARCH
My work with Fors Marsh Group (FMG), an applied research and consulting company, spans across several large survey research projects for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies. In 2016, I joined the FMG military personnel research team and studied US military recruitment trends and national propensity rates for FMG's quarterly Youth Poll Study. Beginning in 2017, I served as a RIVA-trained focus group moderator at numerous US military installations, both domestic and foreign, gathering qualitative data and analyzing summaries of reports for military gender relations studies.
My other research projects include the Survey of Reserve Component Spouses and the Transition GPS Participant Assessment (TGPSP); TGPSP is a published quarterly survey for military personnel and military spouses regarding the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Furthermore, I analyze large data sets, written reports, and research findings for the Status of Forces Survey for U.S. Military Active (and Reserve) Component Members. These ongoing research projects are reported to the DoD's Office of People Analytics (OPA) and directly influence military trends and human resource policies on a yearly basis.
My work with Fors Marsh Group (FMG), an applied research and consulting company, spans across several large survey research projects for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies. In 2016, I joined the FMG military personnel research team and studied US military recruitment trends and national propensity rates for FMG's quarterly Youth Poll Study. Beginning in 2017, I served as a RIVA-trained focus group moderator at numerous US military installations, both domestic and foreign, gathering qualitative data and analyzing summaries of reports for military gender relations studies.
My other research projects include the Survey of Reserve Component Spouses and the Transition GPS Participant Assessment (TGPSP); TGPSP is a published quarterly survey for military personnel and military spouses regarding the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Furthermore, I analyze large data sets, written reports, and research findings for the Status of Forces Survey for U.S. Military Active (and Reserve) Component Members. These ongoing research projects are reported to the DoD's Office of People Analytics (OPA) and directly influence military trends and human resource policies on a yearly basis.
