John Edlund Headshot

John Edlund

Professor

Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts

585-475-7475
Office Location

John Edlund

Professor

Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts

Education

BS, MA, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University

Bio

John E. Edlund is a Professor of Psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He serves as the Research Director of Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology; he serves as an executive editor at the Journal of Social Psychology and as an associate editor of Psychological Reports as well as Collabra: Psychology. He received his doctorate from Northern Illinois University.  He has won numerous awards related to teaching and mentoring and is passionate about the dissemination of scientific knowledge. His research interests are quite varied, ranging from exploring meta-research scientific questions, evolutionary theory being applied to interpersonal relationships, to social and legal psychologies. Additionally, his work is focused on the improvement of knowledge and teaching in science. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and edited chapters, and well as editing multiple research methods textbooks. 

585-475-7475

Areas of Expertise

Select Scholarship

Journal Paper
Nichols, Austin Lee and John E. Edlund. "When New Methods Only Aggravate Old Problems: The Case of Careless Participants." International Journal of Social Research Methodology 23. 6 (2020): 625-638. Print.
Heider, Jeremy D., et al. "Perceptions and Understanding of Research Situations as a Function of Consent Form Characteristics and Experimenter Instructions." Methods in Psychology 2. 10015 (2020): 1-9. Print.
Hartnett, Jessica L. and John E. Edlund. "Critical Thinking and Discussion Boards in Undergraduate Research Methods." Currents in Teaching and Learning 12. 1 (2020): 56-64. Print.
Edlund, John E. "Exam Wrappers in Psychology." Teaching of Psychology 47. 2 (2020): 156-161. Print.
Beck-Dincher, Cassandra D., Katherine Lawrence, and John E. Edlund. "Difference in Attraction Towards Tattooed and Non-tattooed Individuals." North American Journal of Psychology 22. 4 (2020): 555-576. Print.
Anglin, Stephanie M. and John E. Edlund. "Perceived Need for Reform in Field-Wide Methods and the Teaching of Replication, Interpretation, and Transparency." Psychology Learning and Teaching 19. 1 (2020): 60-76. Print.
Eberesole, Charlie, John E. Edlund, and Brian Nosek. "Many Labs 5: Testing Pre-Data-Collection Peer Review as an Intervention to Increase Replicability." Advances in Methods and Practice in Psychological Science 3. 3 (2020): 309-331. Print.
Buck, Ashley E., et al. "Journal of Positive Sexuality, Vol. 5, No. 2, October 2019 © 2019 Center for Positive Sexuality Reactions to Homosexual, Transgender, and Heterosexual Public Displays of Affection." Journal of Positive Sexuality 5. 2 (2019): 34-47. Print.
Edlund, John E., et al. "Male Sexual Jealousy: Lost Paternity Opportunities?" Psychological Reports 122. 2 (2019): 575-592. Print.
Edlund, John E., et al. "Psi Chi Is Engaging Undergraduate Students in Publishable Research." Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research 24. 1 (2019): 12-14. Print.
Sutton, Tina M. and John E. Edlund. "Assessing Self-Selection Bias as a Function of Experiment Title and Description: The Effect of Emotion and Personality." North American Journal of Psychology 21. 2 (2019): 407-422. Print.
M, O’Donnell, Edlund J. E., and Sackett K. "Registered Replication Report: Dijksterhuis & van Knippenberg (1998)." Perspectives on Psychological Science 13. 2 (2018): 268-294. Print.
J.E, Edlund,. "Sex Differences in Jealousy: The (Lack of) Influence of Researcher Theoretical Perspective." Journal of Social Psychology 158. 5 (2018): 515-520. Print.
R, McCArthy, and Edlund, J.E. "An Investigation of Abstract Construal on Impression Formation: A multi-lab replication of McCarthy and Skowronski (2011)." International Review of Social Psychology 18. 1 (2018): 1-6. Print.
Edlund, J. E. and A.E. Edlund. "Contextual Effects on Abortion Decisions: A Short Report." North American Journal of Psychology 16. 1 (2014): 159-163. Print.
Edlund, J. E., et al. "Experimenter Characteristics and Word Choice: Best Practices When Administering an Informed Consent." Ethics and Behavior 24. 5 (2014): 397-407. Print.
Edlund, J.E. and A.L. Nicolas. "Contribution to Alonga et al." Perspectives on Psychological Science 9. 5 (2014): 556-578. Print.
Edlund, J.E. and B.J. Sagarin. "The Mate Value Scale." Personality and Individual Differences 64. 1 (2014): 72-77. Print.
Edlund, J.E., et al. "The Prevalence and Prevention of Crosstalk: A Multi-institutional Study." Journal of Social Psychology 154. 3 (2014): 181-185. Print.
Edlund, John and Jessica L. Hartnett. "Second Life in the Psychology Classroom: Teaching and Research Possibilities." International Journal of Interactive Communication Systems and Technologies 3. 1 (2013): 47-56. Print.
Edlund, John, Cory R. Scherer, and Jeremy D. Heider. "Cultural Stereotypes and Personal Beliefs About Individuals with Dwarfism." Journal of Social Psychology 153. 1 (2013): 80-97. Print.
Edlund, John E., Bettina Zengel, and Brad J. Sagarin. "Sex Differences in Jealousy in Response to Infidelity: Evaluation of Demographic Moderators in a National Random Sample." Personality and Individual Differences 54. 1 (2013): 47-51. Print.
Sagarin, B.J., et al. "Sex Differences in Jealousy: A Meta-Analytic Examination." Evolution and Human Behavior 33. (2012): 595-614. Print.
Scherer, C.R., et al. "Trait Expectancies and Stereotype Expectancies Affect Person Memory Similarly in a Jury Context." Journal of Social Psychology 152. (2012): 613-622. Print.
Edlund, J.E. "Sex Differences in Jealousy: A Meta-Analytic Examination." Evolution and Human Behavior 33. (2012): 595-614. Print.
Edlund, J.E. "Trait Expectancies and Stereotype Expectances Affect Person Memory Similarly in a Jury Context." Journal of Social Psychology 152. 5 (2012): 613-622. Print.
Edlund, John E. "Jealousy Reconsidered: A Reply to DeSteno (2010)." Evolutionary Psychology 9. (2011): 116-117. Web.
Full Length Book
Edlund, John E. and Austin Lee Nichols. Advanced Research Methods for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. 1 ed. London, NA: Cambridge University Press, 2019. Print.
Invited Keynote/Presentation
Nichols, Austin Lee and John Edlund. "Predicting And Preventing Participant Crosstalk: A Multi-Institutional Investigation." Second International Conference on Emerging Research Paradigms in Business and Social Sciences. Middlesex University Dubai. Dubai, UAE. 27 Nov. 2013. Conference Presentation.
Heider, J. D., et al. "Factors Influencing Participant Comprehension and Task Performance: Instructional Detail and Form Complexity." Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Society for Personality and Social Psychology. New Orleans, LA. 17-19 Jan. 2013. Conference Presentation.

Currently Teaching

PSYC-101
3 Credits
Introduction to the field of psychology. Provides a survey of basic concepts, theories, and research methods. Topics include: thinking critically with psychological science; neuroscience and behavior; sensation and perception; learning; memory; thinking, language, and intelligence; motivation and emotion; personality; psychological disorders and therapy; and social psychology.
PSYC-101H
3 Credits
A state-of-the-art survey of major subfields in psychology and the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Topics include: a critical evaluation of psychological science; neuroscience and behavior; sensation and perception; learning; memory; thinking, language, and intelligence; motivation and emotion; personality; psychological disorders and therapy; and social psychology. The course focuses not only upon understanding the behavior of the individual, but also upon understanding how the individual acts within groups and reacts to group membership. Besides textbook reading, students will read and discuss current publications on the topics we explore, including examination of the scientific method (including validity and reliability) employed in published studies.
PSYC-225
3 Credits
This course explores topics related to behaviors and mental processes of individuals in social situations. Topics include: methodology, social perception, social cognition, the self, attitudes, prejudice, attraction, social influence, pro-social behavior, aggression, and behavior in groups. Course activities include lecture, class demonstrations, and assignments.
PSYC-313
3 Credits
An exploration of the theoretical, methodological, and practical issues associated with forensic psychology. Topics will cover the psychological aspects of the full range of the criminal justice system from policing to incarceration. Specific topics include: criminal profiling, eyewitness memory, jury decisions, and special trial cases (e.g, discrimination, sexual harassment).
PSYC-440
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the social track. This course explores topics related to interpersonal relationships including: methodology, communication in relationships, romantic relationships, friendships, work relationships, as well as individual differences that can influence the development, maintenance, and cessation of relationships. Course activities include lecture, class discussions, and assignments.
PSYC-441
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the social track. This course explores social psychological phenomena at the level of the group. It explores intragroup processes such as cohesion, norms, network structure, social influence, task productivity, group decision making and polarization. It also explores intergroup processes, especially those related to intergroup conflict and cooperation, such as social categorization, social identity, and stereotyping.
PSYC-442
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the social track. This course explores social psychological phenomena at the level of the individual. This course addresses those domains of social behavior in which cognition plays a major role, including the interface of cognition with overt behavior, affect, and motivation. Among topics covered are the formation, change, and utilization of attitudes, attributions, and stereotypes, person memory, self-regulation, and the origins and consequences of moods and emotions insofar as these interact with cognition. This course also explores the influence of cognition on significant social phenomena such as persuasion, communication, prejudice, social development, and cultural trends. Part of the social track for the psychology degree program.
PSYC-501
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the psychology major to develop experimental research expertise and put into practice some of what is learned in Research Methods I and II. Students will explore topics of interest for further research in psychology. They will develop one research idea that could either form the basis for a senior project in psychology or is a valid test of a research idea. Students will be supervised by the course instructor as they develop a research question, conduct a literature review, write the introduction, and examine questions about control, validity and reliability. This course will culminate in a research proposal. Students going on to Senior Project in Psychology can use this as a proposal course and must find their faculty adviser for senior project before they finish this course. Students who are not planning for Senior Project will practice writing a proposal and the related skills required to critically examine an advanced topic in Psychology.
PSYC-510
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the psychology major to demonstrate experimental research expertise, while being guided by faculty advisors. The topic to be studied is up to the student, who must find a faculty advisor before signing up for the course. Students will be supervised by the advisor as they conduct their literature review, develop the research question or hypothesis, develop the study methodology and materials, construct all necessary IRB materials, run subjects, and analyze the results of their study. This course will culminate in an APA style paper and poster presentation reporting the results of the research. Because Senior Project is the culmination of a student’s scientific research learning experience in the psychology major, it is expected that the project will be somewhat novel, will extend the theoretical understanding of their previous work (or of the previous work of another researcher), and go well beyond any similar projects that they might have done in any of their previous courses.
PSYC-550
0 Credits
Practicum open to psychology students. Gives the student first-hand experience in the field of psychology working on research that matches the student's career objectives. Students are closely supervised by a faculty member, developing relevant skills and learning how to do research first-hand. May count for the equivalent of the psychology co-op experience with prior approval and sufficient time commitment. (3rd or 4th year status). Prerequisites PSYC-101, -250, -251. Credit 0 (F, S, Su)
PSYC-716
3 Credits
This course explores topics related to understanding individuals in a social context. Topics may include, but are not limited to: Social Perception and Social Cognition; Attitudes; Social Identity; Prejudice and Discrimination; Interpersonal Attraction; Close Relationships; Social Influence; Prosocial Behavior; Aggression; Group Behavior; Artifacts and Methodological Issues in Social Psychology. Course format is seminar focused on reading assigned texts each week, writing reaction papers, and participating in discussion. Students will also conduct a study on the topic of their choice and present their findings both in an oral and written format.
PSYC-752
3 Credits
The Thesis courses will vary widely but will fulfill the work plan agreed by the student and the adviser. The guiding principles of the Thesis Proposal course are to initiate thesis research including selecting a thesis advisor, choosing and defining a topic, surveying relevant research literature, and planning the research. To complete the course, the student will successfully submit and defend a thesis proposal, which is a detailed and complete plan of the thesis research. The thesis proposal should include exhaustive review of relevant literature, statement of the student's thesis, formulation of hypotheses, operational definitions of independent and dependent variables, and a detailed procedure for carrying out the research. The proposal may also include a section on anticipated results with a detailed plan for analysis of data.
PSYC-798
3 Credits
Practicum open to MSc Experimental Psychology students. This course gives the student first-hand experience in the field of Psychology. The experience may involve a specific research project or other relevant professional development projects independent of the student’s thesis research. Students are closely supervised by a faculty member and will develop skills and gain experience in relevant advanced research and professional development in Experimental Psychology.

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