Research

In the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience in the College of Liberal Arts, faculty and students are finding vital answers to big questions through their work in cutting-edge research laboratories and training facilities. 

The research conducted in our world-renowned laboratories addresses a wide-range of human conditions and behaviors. The award-winning faculty, many of whom are internationally recognized scientists, investigate how individuals think, feel and grow using a range of methods, from measuring and analyzing behavior through to recording of neural activity. 

The (psychology) field recognizes Temple as an elite program with a world-renowned faculty. Upon graduating it became very clear that I had received the training, experience, and relationships that would put me in a very strong position wherever I wanted to go next. I got the job I had wanted and now get to do what I love with the confidence in knowing that I am doing it with thorough understanding and expertise. - Muniya Khanna, Ph.D., CHOP Research Associate, Children and Adult’s Center for OCD and Anxiety Ph.D. 2004

Temple University is one of only 146 universities in the United States that are classified by the Carnegie Foundation as Doctoral institutions with very high research activity. The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience plays an integral role in the research profile of Temple, with many of our faculty research programs being actively funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, or through private foundations. 

Research discoveries in the department are being advanced by teams of faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, and full time lab staff.  One key feature of our research activities is the involvement of both graduate and undergraduate students. Many undergraduate Psychology majors become involved in research by taking course credit for lab experiences or by volunteering time to assist with research studies. There are various avenues to support undergraduate research, including LAURA awards from the College of Liberal Arts, and participation in the Psychology Honors Program.

The Honors program encouraged me to think critically and deeply about psychology. I was able to create my own research project with expert advice from the professor, the graduate students, and the very supportive lab group. With Dr. Hirsh-Pasek’s help, I found employment immediately after graduation. At some point, I may apply to graduate school. - Molly Finkel BA 2015

Psychology Research Laboratories

The (psychology) field recognizes Temple as an elite program with a world-renowned faculty. Upon graduating it became very clear that I had received the training, experience, and relationships that would put me in a very strong position wherever I wanted to go next. I got the job I had wanted and now get to do what I love with the confidence in knowing that I am doing it with thorough understanding and expertise.

Temple University Logo

Muniya Khanna, Ph.D.

CHOP Research Associate, Children and Adult’s Center for OCD and Anxiety

The Honors program encouraged me to think critically and deeply about psychology. I was able to create my own research project with expert advice from the professor, the graduate students, and the very supportive lab group. With Dr. Hirsh-Pasek’s help, I found employment immediately after graduation. At some point, I may apply to graduate school.

Temple University Logo

Molly Finkel

Adaptive Memory Lab - Murty; Cognition & Neuroscience / Social

The Adaptive Memory Lab focuses on how engagement of neuromodulatory systems, particularly the mesolimbic dopamine system, influences memory and memory-guided behavior to help individuals achieve their goals. Research investigates these systems in a variety of affective and motivational states, including reward, novelty, and threat. Additionally, we study individuals who are at risk for developing psychopathology to better understand the role of episodic memory in adaptive behavior.  

Adolescent Development and Decision-making Lab - Steinberg; Developmental

The Adolescent Development and Decision-making Lab, directed by Laurence Steinberg, studies various aspects of adolescent development and decision-making with a special focus on understanding why adolescents often engage in risky and reckless behavior. Research seeks to address topics such as why teenagers engage in risky behavior, using a variety of methods, including behavioral tests, brain imaging and questionnaires. 

ASH Lab on the Neurobiology of Feeding and Motivation

The ASH Lab, directed by Dr. Ames Sutton Hickey (she/her), investigates the neurobiology underlying diseases associated with dysregulated feeding behavior, such as eating disorders. To achieve this goal, the lab leverages a variety of genetic and behavioral rodent models in combination with systems neuroscience techniques including opto-/chemogenetics and in vivo calcium imaging in freely behaving animals.

Behavioral Neurophysiology Lab - Briand; Cognition & Neuroscience

The Behavioral Neurophysiology Lab, directed by Lisa Briand studies the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability to addiction. It seeks to identify why some people who experiment with drugs of abuse become addicts, and the reasons why it is difficult to quit. To answer these questions, researchers utilize behavioral neuroscience, cellular and molecular biology, and optogenetic and electrophysiological techniques. 

Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic - Kendall; Clinical

The Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic, directed by Philip Kendall, focuses on researching therapy for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. The work of the clinic involves evidence-based services for youth with anxiety and research that evaluates the effectiveness of different treatment approaches. Areas of research in the clinic include examining which elements of effective treatment are largely responsible for gains, the best way to treat anxiety in youth, the role of parents, and how best training community practitioners in evidence-based treatment for youth anxiety.

Child and Adolescent Development of Emotion and Personality Laboratory - Olino; Clinical

Under the direction of Thomas Olino, researchers in the Child and Adolescent Development of Emotion and Personality Laboratory study how emotional processing and personality confer risk to (and protection from) developing problem behaviors. It examines how reward-related behaviors and neural processes are associated with risk for multiple forms of psychopathology.

Child Health and Behavior Lab - Drabick; Clinical / Developmental

The Child Health and Behavior Lab, directed by Deborah Drabick, studies the ways in which disadvantaged youths can improve their opportunities for success, and if family, peers, and community are an integral part of this development. Researchers identify the factors associated with risk or resilience for emotional and behavioral problems among disadvantaged youths, and the lab runs a program that helps youths improve their emotion regulation, interpersonal behavior and problem-solving skills. 

Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab - Giovannetti; Clinical / Cognition & Neuroscience

The goals of the Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab led by Tania Giovannetti, are to develop and refine the understanding of the neurocognitive processes necessary for optimal everyday functioning in healthy people; understand the breakdown of everyday functioning following brain damage or disease; and develop and evaluate rehabilitation strategies. 

Cognitive Neuroscience Lab - Olson; Cognition & Neuroscience / Social

The  Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, led by Ingrid Olson, has two lines of research. The first line of work studies the development and the degeneration of episodic memory. Current studies are testing children and older adults with vascular dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The second line of work studies social cognition, with a focus on social concepts and theory of mind through the lens of white matter networks and cerebellar-cortical networks. The lab conducts studies using various  brain imaging techniques including fMRI and DTI. 

Control and Adaptive Behavior Lab - Chein; Cognition & Neuroscience / Social

The  CAB lab  explores the cognitive processes that underlie adaptive behaviors – like making good decisions, choosing task-appropriate strategies, finding solutions to difficult problems, forming and maintaining healthy habits, and dealing well with distractions, emotional arousal, and social influences on behavior. Under the direction of  Jason Chein, the lab work focuses on the central role of self-regulatory control processes in supporting favorable outcomes in each of these contexts. 

Determinants of Major Psychopathology Lab - Ellman; Clinical

In the Determinants of Major Psychopathology Lab, Lauren Ellman and her students investigate the factors that contribute to risk for mental disorders, including the environmental and biological contributions to the development of schizophrenia and related disorders, such as other psychotic disorders and depression. 

Developmental Science Lab - Marshall; Developmental / Cognition & Neuroscience

The  Developmental Science Lab  group researches the processes involved in social understanding and interaction with others, and how these processes develop. Under the direction of  Peter Marshall, lab members use various behavioral and neuroscientific methods to examine the connections between self and other, beginning in infancy and extending into adulthood. Current research projects include examining how the body is represented in the developing brain, and how these representations may provide a building block for imitation and other cognitive capacities. 

Health Disparities and Prevention Science Lab - Vincent; Clinical

The Health Disparities and Prevention Science Lab led by Will Vincent, merges clinical and community psychology, health psychology, and public health to focus on vulnerable populations. Members investigate the impact of social and structural determinants of health, such as stigma and poverty, on mental and physical health outcomes, including health behaviors. They strive toward a strengths-based approach. Additionally, they are interested in multilevel conceptualizations of the individual in context with an appreciation for intersectionality theory. Finally, as part of a multilevel approach, broadly defined, they also investigate intra-individual, biological substrates of stigma and other social and structural determinants of health.

Mechanisms of Affect Dysregulation Lab - McCloskey; Clinical

The Mechanisms of Affect Dysregulation Lab considers biological, psychological (cognitive-affective) and environmental mechanisms underlying difficulties in affect regulation (control of one’s emotional state). Under the direction of Michael McCloskey, researchers seek to understand how humans control their emotions through a combination of behavioral and neuroimaging studies. 

Memory, Epigenetics and Addiction Lab - Wimmer; Cognition & Neuroscience

The Memory, Epigenetics and Addiction Laboratory led by Mathieu Wimmer, combines animal models of addiction with molecular biological techniques to study epigenetic mechanisms underlying addiction susceptibility. Researchers have developed a multigenerational model to study the influence of drug exposure on future generations. 

Mood and Cognition Lab - Alloy; Clinical

The  Mood and Cognition Lab  is led by principal investigator  Lauren Alloy. Researchers investigate the cognitive, developmental, emotional, neurobiological, and psychosocial processes in the onset and course of depression and bipolar disorder in adolescents and adults. Researchers investigate the causes of the first onset of depression and bipolar disorder in adolescents and young adults, and the factors that provide protection against these disorders. 

Neurochemistry and Cognition Lab - Parikh; Cognition & Neuroscience

The  Neurochemistry and Cognition Lab  is led by  Vinay Parikh. Researchers investigate cellular and neurochemical circuit mechanisms that maintain cognitive processes, specifically those involved in attention and executive functions and how these mechanisms are affected by aging/pathological aging and exposure to drugs of abuse. Researchers utilize a combination of neuroscientific approaches, including rodent behavioral paradigms, in vivo electrochemical recordings, genetic manipulations, and protein biochemistry.  

Neuroeconomics Lab - Smith; Cognition & Neuroscience / Social

The  Neuroeconomics Lab is directed by David V. Smith. Lab members examine how humans process rewards and make decisions. They study a broad range of decisions, but they are particularly interested in social decisions (e.g., trusting other people) and economic decisions (e.g., gambling). To study these processes, they integrate perspectives from economics, neuroscience, and psychology.  One of their current major projects uses fMRI to assess age-related differences in reward processing and decision making. They also use transcranial electrical stimulation to modulate the brain and cause temporary changes in decision making. 

Neuroendocrinology & Behavior Laboratory - Bangasser; Cognition & Neuroscience

The Neuroendocrinology & Behavior Laboratory investigates the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability and resilience to stress and stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. A primary goal of the lab is to identify differences in stress responses systems that underlie female susceptibility to stress and stress-related disorders. 

Peer Social Networks Lab - Xie; Developmental / Social

The Peer Social Networks Lab is directed by Hongling Xie. Lab members investigate positive and negative peer relations and interactions in school social networks. Specifically, researchers study the various forms of aggression (e.g., physical and social), victimization and peer relationships (e.g., popularity, peer groups, and preferences) in childhood and adolescence.

Research in Spatial Cognition Lab - Newcombe; Developmental / Cognition & Neuroscience, Shipley; Cognition & Neuroscience

The  Research in Spatial Cognition Lab  is led by  Thomas Shipley and Nora Newcombe. It seeks to understand cognition and spatial learning across age levels, from preschoolers to adult learners and how they can be fostered by effective technology and education. Shipley’s research focuses on learning in the geosciences including supporting students reasoning about 3D geological structures and the spatiotemporal processes that produced the structures, as well as supporting Earth and planetary geologists reasoning with robots and spatial database tools. Newcombe's research focuses on navigation and cognitive maps, including development, individual differences, and relevance for STEM learning.  

Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab - Helion; Cognition & Neuroscience / Social

The Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab directed by Chelsea Helion, studies the neural and behavioral bases of social cognition in adult and developmental populations. The lab investigates emotional influences on social decision-making using a variety of methods, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and implicit and explicit behavioral measures. 

Social Developmental Neuroscience Lab - Jarcho; Cognition & Neuroscience / Social

Under the direction of  Johanna Jarcho, the  Social Developmental Neuroscience Lab  works to bridge the gap between clinical, cognitive, developmental and social affective neuroscience. It studies brain function and processes associated with social cognition, particularly during social interactions, that develop during adolescence and shift across the lifespan. It uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalogram (EEG) tests, eye movement, facial expression and behavioral responding during peer-based experiences. 

Temple Cognition and Learning Lab - Gunderson; Cognition & Neuroscience / Developmental

The Temple Cognition and Learning Lab directed by Elizabeth Gunderson, investigates mathematical development from cognitive and socio-emotional perspectives, including topics such as the development of math anxieties and stereotype; numerical development; parenting practices that promote math learning and motivation; and the relation between spatial and numerical skills. 

Temple Eating Disorders Program - Chen; Clinical

At TEDp, we conduct science to improve the lives of the clients we serve. Under the direction of Eunice Chenour work seeks to improve our understanding of eating and weight disorders. We have adapted and tested a range of psychosocial interventions for eating and weight disorders. We use clinical trial designs, behavioral and neuropsychological assessment, psychophysiological and neuroimaging methods, as well as clinical interview and self-report methods. More recent work uses meta-analytic methods and analysis of existing datasets.

Temple Infant and Child Lab - Hirsh-Pasek; Developmental, Newcombe; Developmental / Cognition & Neuroscience

The Temple Infant and Child Lab  is led by  Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek and  Nora Newcombe. Researchers examine cognitive development in infants and children, aged two months to 13 years. Newcombe’s  research focuses on memory development, and spatial development. Hirsh-Pasek's research looks at language development, reading, the role of play and creativity in learning, and school readiness.  

Department Training Facilities

The Psychological Services Center (PSC), under the direction of Dr. Robert Fauber, is a nonprofit community center providing counseling, psychological services, and comprehensive psychological assessments. It serves individuals from Temple University and the surrounding communities. The PSC is a training clinic for the doctoral students in the Clinical Psychology Program, one of the top clinical psychology doctoral programs in the country. Among the faculty are leading researchers in the fields of depression and anxiety disorders.

The Temple University Brain Research & Imaging Center (TUBRIC), under the direction of Dr. Jason Chein, is an interdisciplinary research hub dedicated to the study of the human brain through the use of neuroimaging methods (MRI, EEG). The center supports research conducted by faculty from multiple colleges at Temple University, and from neighboring institutions. TUBRIC supports the training of graduate and undergraduate students engaged in neuroimaging research at the university.

Opportunities to Participate in Research

Many Psychology laboratories have opportunities for individuals and families to contribute to science by participating in research studies. Temple undergraduate students often also participate in research. For more information on opportunities, see the links in the list of research laboratories (above).