The Department faculty, along with colleagues within and outside of the University, form fluid research collaborations. Most, but not all, of these research groups fall into our identified areas of research concentration. This is a list of the current research groups and their ongoing projects.
     
  Illness Behavior Research Group The IBRG studies the psychological processes that contribute to excessive or unnecessary illness behavior. Current interests include the role of self-esteem, self-presentation, and attachment on sick role enactments; the status of the somatoform and factitious disorder categories in the DSM; and the relation of illness excuse making and assertiveness.

Dr. Jim Hamilton, Psychology, UA
Dr. Marc Feldman, Psychiatry, UA
Dr. Jeff Janata, Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve Univ.
Dr. Roy Martin, Neurology, Univ. of Alabama - Birmingham
 
  Caregiving Research Group Caregiving Research at UA addresses dementia, end-of-life, grandparents raising relatives, and other caregiving areas.  Recent projects include: REACH I and II, Legacy,  and grandparent support groups and coping among rural and urban grandparents.

Lou Burgio, Ph.D. 
Rebecca S. Allen, Ph.D.
Martha Crowther, Ph.D., MPH
Michelle Hilgeman, M.A.

 
  Aging Prisoners Research Group This research group  examines health services, health care choices, physical and mental health, religiousness/spirituality, and quality of lfie of middle-aged and older prisoners.

Rebecca S. Allen, Ph.D.
Laura L. Phillips, Ph.D.
Karen Salekin, Ph.D.
Lucinda L. Roff, Ph.D.
Lisa Jennings, MSW
Jessie McAlpine
 
  Crime and Attitudes Research Lab The "Crime Lab" examines public attitudes towards offenders, including mentalli ill and sex offenders, rehabilitation, and victims. In addition, we have examined psychopathic traits in non-clinical populations and the relation of those traits to emotional intelligence and affective processing. Our group also studies the roles and attitudes of professionals in correctional and forensic settings. Recent projects include personality cluster analyses of juvenile sex offenders, the relation of psychopathology to impulsive conduct of female inmates, and a new project evaluating the impact of a meditaion program for offenders.

Carl B. Clements, Ph.D.                                               Victoria Tomczak, MA                                                         Emily Wakeman, MA                                                   Sarah Miller, MA                                                                   Abbie Perelman, BA                                                        Amy Rodriguez, BA                                                            Alisha Powell (Honors)                                                        Wesley Church, Ph.D. (Social Work)

 
  Developmental Disabilities Researchers The Psychology Department has a long history of leading research and training in develomental disabilities. Currently, researchers in this group are investigating intellectual disability (mental retardation), autism, and learning disability. Graduate students working in these areas may be in the Clinical Child, Cognitive, Developmental Science, or Psychology & Law concentrations.

David Boles, Ph.D.
Fran Conners, Ph.D.
Laura Klinger, Ph.D.
Mark Klinger, Ph.D.
Ed Merrill, Ph.D.
Beverly Roskos-Ewoldsen, Ph.D.
Karen Salekin, Ph.D.

 
  Health Sciences The focus of this group is interdisciplinary approaches to the prevention, assessment, and treatment of health risk behaviors and disorders that straddle the border of psychology and medicine, such as chronic pain, sleep disorders, factitious behavior, and reduction of cancer risk.

Jim Hamilton, Ph.D.
Beverly Thorn, Ph.D
Kenny Lichstein, Ph.D.
Steve Prentice-Dunn, Ph.D.
Becky Allen, Ph.D

 
  Hospice Palliative Care and End-of-Life Decisions The focus of this group is interdisciplinary examination of interventions, care practices and decision-making processes among individuals with life limiting illness and their family members.  Graduate students working with this group may be in the clinical geropsychology, health psychology, experimental psychology or the School of Social Work.
Rebecca S. Allen, Ph.D
John L. Shuster, M.D.
Ellen Csikai, Ph.D.
Steve Prentice-Dunn, Ph.D.
 
  Psychological Treatment and Older Adults The focus of this group is on the process and outcome of psychological treatments for older adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Graduate students working with this group may be in the clinical geropsychology or health psychology concentrations or the School of Social Work.

Forrest Scogin, Ph.D
Martha Crowther, Ph.D., MPH
Allan Kaufman, Ph.D.
Kenny Lichstein, Ph.D

 
  Witness Research Lab The Witness Research Lab brings together faculty and graduate students to investigate variables associated with the quality and effectiveness of expert and lay testimony. Drawing on the mock courtroom and witness stand in room 404 of Gordon Palmer Hall, simulated testimony is designed and taped and then assessed empirically as part of the systematic study of witness confidence, trustworthiness, likeability, and knowledge.

Stanley L. Brodsky, Ph.D.
Robert Cramer, M.A.
Michael P. Griffin, M.A.
Shalene Kirkley, M.A.
Bridget Larson, M.A.
Tess Neal
Jolene Tupling, M.A.
Desiree West