Social-Personality Psychology Program Area

Overview The Department of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, offers the opportunity for exceptional students to pursue graduate study in social-personality psychology. Students in social-personality psychology are given a strong research background. The major emphasis of social-personality is empirical research. Students are expected to become familiar with research methods and their implementation, basic theoretical models
and their application to human behavior, and effective ways to communicate their acquired knowledge and skills. Because of our flexible course offerings, each student can develop a specialization in any of several broad areas of social and personality psychology. Current faculty interests are wide-ranging and include such topics as interpersonal attraction, gender and sex roles, personality theory, forensic psychology, black psychology, social influence, early personality development and self-regulation, motivation, and human sexuality.
Facilities Most offices and labs are networked with the University Computer Center, which has IBM, MAC, VAX and Unix systems available for data analysis and electronic communication. FURTHER DETAILS COMING SOON.
Financial Aid Graduate assistantships are awarding to students in the social-personality program on the basis of merit. Students in good standing typically receive three years of financial support in the form of academic-year assistantships. Teaching fellowships are available to students in their fourth year.
Admissions Individuals interested in obtaining application materials or additional information about the program in social-personality psychology at the University at Albany may contact Dr. Kevin Williams, Program Director, University at Albany, State University of New York, Department of Psychology, SS369, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 (Ph: 518-442-4849; Fax: 518-442-4867).
Course Requirements in Social-Personality Psychology Specific requirements for social-personality students include Psy 605 and Psy 606 as two of the four introductory courses taken in the first year, as well as Psy 730 Attitudes and Social Cognition, Psy 737 Research Methods in Social and Personality Psychology, Psy 755 Personality Processes and Individual Differences, and Psy 765 Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes (taken during the second and third years).
Faculty in Social-Personality Psychology James Anderson Vice President for Student Success and Vice Provost for Institutional Assessment and Diversity. Development of student learning styles across gender, race, culture and class; formal assessment of student learning in the college classroom; and examination of how diversity impacts student learning, retention, and overall institutional effectiveness. Email: jaanderson@uamail.albany.edu Ronald S. Friedman Ph.D., 1999, Columbia University. Creativity; situational (e.g., mood, task framing, contextual cues) and individual differences (e.g., motivational orientation) that influence creative insight and the ability to generate innovative alternatives; alcohol and social behavior. Email: rfriedman@albany.edu Mark Muraven Ph.D., 1998, Case Western Reserve University. Self-control and self-regulation; theories of emotions; addictions. Email: muraven@albany.edu Monica L. Rodriguez Ph.D., 1985, State University of New York at Stony Brook. Early social and personality development; self-regulatory processes; field studies in populations at risk. Email: monica@albany.edu Marcia E. Sutherland Ph.D., 1985, Howard University. Psychology of the black experience; psychology of oppression; black students on white campuses. Email: ms781@albany.edu Kevin Williams, Social-Personality Program Director Ph.D., 1984, University of South Carolina. Work motivation; Self-regulation models of human motivation and task performance; Performance evaluation; worker satisfaction and job attitudes; work and family issues; occupational stress Email: kevinw@albany.edu Emeritus/Adjunct Faculty Donn Byrne, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Emeritus Glenn Sanders, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Emeritus Caroline Waterman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Emerita Links and Documents Coming Soon!