ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

< Back to Program List

Graduate: Psychology

  • Program Overview

    Psychology Department

    The Department of Psychology, in the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of Stony Brook’s largest graduate departments. Our graduate programs have as their foundation rigorous training in science and research. Students are admitted to work with a faculty mentor and are trained to conduct independent research. Collaboration with other labs is welcomed to foster development of expertise in areas relevant to each student's interests. Graduates from the program are prepared for careers in academic and applied settings, including universities, colleges, medical centers, hospitals, clinics, research and governmental organizations, and business and industry.

    Description of the PhD Program in Psychology 

    The department is administratively organized into four program areas: Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Science, Integrative Neuroscience, and Social and Health Psychology.

    Stony Brook’s doctoral program in Clinical Psychology is fully accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) and also currently holds "Accredited (on probation)" status from the American Psychological Association (Commission on Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, Phone: 202-336-5979). Beginning with the entering class of Fall 2022, all incoming Stony Brook Clinical Psychology graduate students will be trained in our PCSAS-only accredited program.

    In all four program areas, the primary emphasis is on research training through apprenticeship, advisement and independent research. New students are encouraged to become involved immediately in ongoing research and to engage in independent research when sufficient skills and knowledge permit, with the goal of becoming active and original contributors.

    Description of the Masters Program in Psychology 

    The full-time program begins with enrollment in required graduate courses in the first and second summer school sessions and continues into the subsequent fall and spring academic semesters. The program is generalist in its orientation and provides advanced education that will transfer well either to a career right after graduation or to further graduate education in a variety of fields such as law, business, medical school, social work, and psychology. Specific applied training leading directly to professional licensure is not provided. Instead, the students in the MA program receive traditional and general grounding in psychology via courses chosen from our regularly offered graduate courses.

    A faculty director specifically for the MA program is available for consultation on course selection, career opportunities, and professional development. In addition to courses in clinical, social/health, cognitive/experimental, and integrative neuroscience, professional development workshops that address concerns about graduate school, career and personal choices, and professional presentation, are a regular part of the curriculum. Students complete relevant coursework, and engage in supervised research mentorship and training under the direction of Psychology or University affiliated faculty at the University. “Brown bag” seminars in Clinical, Social and Health Psychology, Cognitive Science, or Integrative Neuroscience provide awareness of ongoing research at Stony Brook and that of guest speakers at other research institutions, and the opportunity to gain applied skills through Internship placements is available.

    Department of Psychology

    Chair 
    Joanne Davila, Psychology B-313, (631) 632-7826

    Graduate Program Director 
    PhD Programs: Dr. Susan Brennan, Psychology B 201 (631) 632-7847 
    MA Program: Dr. Kristin Bernard, Psychology B-226, (631) 632-7576

    Assistant to the Chair
    Cynthia Forman, Psychology B-173, (631) 632-7027

    Graduate Program Coordinator 
    Lauren Addeo, Psychology B-150, (631) 632-7855

    Web Site 
    https://www.stonybrook.edu/psychology/

    Degrees Awarded 
    MA in Psychology, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, Ph.D. in Integrative Neuroscience, Ph.D. in Social/Health Psychology

    Application
    https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply/ 

  • Admissions
     

    Admissions Requirements for the Psychology department

    The requirements for admission to masters study, in addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements, ordinarily include:

    A. A bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology, or in a program providing adequate preparation for the intended area of study (ordinarily including statistics, research methodology, and/or psychology laboratory).

    B. An average of 3.25 or better in all graded academic undergraduate coursework.

    C. One official copy of all previous college transcripts, with certified English translations of any transcripts in a foreign language.

    D. Letters of recommendation from three instructors or academic advisors.

    E. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is not required and the programs do not consider GRE scores in making their admissions decisions. However, students who wish to be nominated for university fellowships should submit GRE scores. The subject GRE is not required by any program.

    F. For international students, TOEFL or IELTS scores (unless their native language is English) and the International Student Financial Affidavit.

    G. Students who do not meet these requirements may also apply if they feel that special circumstances should be considered.

    H. Acceptance by the department and Graduate School.

    The Master's Program begins Summer Session I. Applications are accepted January 15 through February 28th. All applications must be submitted online through the Graduate School. Admission questions and application instructions are available at the Graduate School website at: http:// https://www.stonybrook.edu/graduate-admissions/

    The requirements for admission to doctoral study, in addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements, ordinarily include:

    A. A bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology, or in a program providing adequate preparation for the intended area of study (ordinarily including statistics, research methodology, and/or psychology laboratory).

    B. An average of 3.5 or better in all graded academic undergraduate coursework.

    C. One official copy of all previous college transcripts, with certified English translations of any transcripts in a foreign language.

    D. Letters of recommendation from three instructors or academic advisors.

    E. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required by the Clinical, Cognitive Science, and Social and Health programs. The Integrative Neuroscience program does not consider GRE scores in making its admissions decisions.  However, students who wish to be nominated for university fellowships should submit GRE scores.  The subject GRE is not required by any program.

    F. For international students, TOEFL or IELTS scores (unless their native language is English; "native" languages are mastered in early childhood). The test score is still required even if the student attended college where English was the language of instruction. Also required is the International Student Financial Affidavit.

    G. Students who do not meet the above requirements may also apply if they feel that special circumstances should be considered.

    H. Acceptance by the department and Graduate School. Psychology's deadline for receipt of applications and all supporting materials for fall admission is December 1. We will continue to accept applications through January 1, but late applications will not receive full consideration for Turner and Graduate Council Fellowships.

    All applications must be submitted online through the Graduate School. Admission questions and application instructions are available at the Graduate School website at: https://www.stonybrook.edu/graduate-admissions/

  • Degree Requirements
     

     

    Requirements of the Masters Program in Psychology

    The 1-Year MA Program in General Psychology provides an advanced education preparing students for a career in psychology or related fields directly after graduation or to further graduate education in psychology or related fields such as business, law, medicine, and social work. 

    The full-time program begins with enrollment required graduate courses in the first and second summer school sessions and continues into the subsequent fall and spring academic semesters.

    • MA students are required to enroll in the Academic and Professional Development seminar (PSY610) during Summer Session 1 of the year they enter the program, and a statistics course (PSY501) during Summer Session 2.
    • Students are required to enroll in a weekly seminar in the Fall semester with all first year graduate students (PSY504), which include discussions of current research and research practices by faculty and visiting speakers.
    • MA students can select among a wide range of courses in the Psychology Department from clinical psychology, cognitive science, developmental psychology, integrative neuroscience, and social and health psychology.  For information on the courses offered, see the link below.  (Note: not all courses are offered every year.)

    http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/graduatebulletin/current/courses/psy/

    • In the Fall and Spring semesters, MA students enroll in weekly seminars in either Cognitive Science, Integrative Neuroscience, or Social and Health Psychology (PSY581, 582, 583, 584, 585, or 586).  These seminars include presentations on current methods and topic areas.
    • MA students have a faculty advisor specifically for the MA program who is available for consultation on course selection, career opportunities, and other matters.
    • The MA program includes professional development opportunities that address students’ concerns about graduate school, career and personal goals, professional presentation, etc.
    • Students engage in supervised research mentorship and training under the direction of Psychology or University affiliated faculty at the University.
    • A wide variety of internships are available to MA students, which provide them with experiential learning relevant to their future careers.
    • Applicants to the MA program will be evaluated on the basis of their undergraduate GPAs (minimum 3.25), three letters of recommendation, and their personal statement. GREs are optional.

     

    TIMELINE:

    • End of February: Application period ends.
    • March and April: Offers of admission are made.
    • End of May (Summer Session 1): Program begins.
    • Mid-May of the following year: Graduation.

    In light of the extraordinarily short period between admissions offers and the start of the MA program, applicants should carefully consider whether they will be able to satisfy all administrative and practical tasks to join the MA program on time.

    • Completion of the MA program will be contingent on completion of 30 credits with at least a 3.0 GPA, as per the regulations of the Graduate School. Additionally, students are expected to earn grades of C or better in all courses.

     Sample Curriculum:

    Semester

    Title

    Credits

    Summer session 1

    Professional Skills Seminar (PSY610)

    3

    Summer session 2

    Graduate Statistics (PSY501)

    3

    Fall

    Weekly seminar (PSY581, 583, or 585)

    0

     

    First year seminar (PSY504)

    0

     

    Survey course in Clinical Psychology

    3

     

    Course in Social Psychology

    3

     

    Research Supervision

    3

     

    Internship Supervision

    3

    Spring

    Weekly seminar (PSY582, 584, or 586)

    0

     

    Course in Cognitive Science

    3

     

    Course in Integrative Neuroscience

    3

     

    Research Supervision

    3

     

    Internship Supervision

    3

    Total

     

    30

    Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in Psychology

    The receipt of the Ph.D. signifies both a scholarly mastery of the field of psychology and the ability to conduct independent research. In addition to the Graduate School’s degree requirements, students must satisfy the following requirements (as well as requirements of their area of studies):

    A. Course Requirements
    A student must maintain a graduate G.P.A. of at least 3.0 and successfully complete an approved program of study with a grade of at least B in each required course. Two semesters of quantitative methods and three breadth courses selected from outside the student’s area of graduate studies are required. In addition, one semester of First-Year Lectures (no credit) and two semesters of a practicum in statistical computer applications are required.  Students must also complete the seminar on Human Diversity (no credit).  The four training areas of the department have additional course requirements. Following admission, students with graduate training elsewhere can petition to satisfy course requirements on the basis of their previous graduate work. No more than three departmental course requirements will be waived. Petition to waive requirements or to satisfy them on the basis of previous graduate work should be directed to the Psychology Graduate Office. Petitions concerning area requirements should be addressed to the student’s area head.

    B. Yearly Evaluation
    The progress of each graduate student is reviewed at the end of each academic year by the student's area's faculty. This provides opportunities for both positive feedback about the student's achievements and constructive feedback for improving or accelerating the student's progress. We expect that all students admitted to the Ph.D. program have the potential to succeed; however, any student whose performance is below the standards established by the department and the area may be dismissed or asked to withdraw. Under certain circumstances a student may be permitted to obtain a terminal Master of Arts degree satisfactorily completing the required courses and 30 graduate credit hours of study, and writing a second-year research paper.

    C. Second-Year Paper 
    At the end of the second year of study, each student must submit an original research paper to the advisor and the area head. Although the form of this paper and the date it is due varies by area, all second-year papers must include data collection and analysis. The second-year paper must be approved prior to the specialties paper (see item E). A copy of the approved paper must be provided to the Psychology Graduate Office.

    D. M.A. Degree in the Course of Doctoral Studies 
    The department will recommend granting an M.A. degree to students who have successfully completed the second-year requirements, including the second-year research paper, upon the recommendation of the faculty in the student’s area of graduate studies. This process is not automatic; students wishing to obtain an M.A. degree must file for one.

    E. Specialties Paper and Examination 
    This requirement should be completed by the end of the sixth semester of study. The specialties paper is a review/research paper suitable for submission to a refereed journal. The paper must be presented to and defended before a committee. The form of the specialties paper depends upon the student’s area of graduate studies, but all areas require its completion by the end of the third year in order for a student to be considered to be on track.

    F. Advancement to Candidacy 
    After successful completion of the specialties paper and examination, all required coursework, two SDI courses (see G), and the requirements of the student’s area of studies, a majority vote of the faculty of the student’s area is required to recommend advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. The Graduate School requires that students must advance to candidacy at least one year before defending their dissertations.

    G. Research and Teaching 
    All four graduate training areas focus heavily on research; research activity from the time of admission through the length of the program is required. Students who are funded on state lines serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for classes taught by departmental faculty and instructors. For all students, regardless of source of funding, two semesters or summer sessions of substantial direct instruction (SDI) in the classroom or laboratory is required (one of which must be PSY 310). Students may satisfy this requirement by providing significant hours of lecturing and student contact in a class for which they are serving as a TA, or by serving as the instructor of record for a class of their own (and obtaining faculty observation). During these semesters, graduate students must receive teaching evaluations from their students.

    H. Residence 
    Minimum residence of two years and the equivalent of three years of full-time graduate study are ordinarily required. Unless admitted as part-time students (which happens very rarely), residents must register for full-time study until they are advanced to candidacy. Full-time study is 12 credits during the first year and nine thereafter.

    I. Dissertation 
    The approval of the dissertation proposal and successful oral defense of the completed dissertation are required.

    Within Area Course Requirements: In addition to satisfying Graduate School and departmental degree requirements, students must satisfy all of the course requirements of their training programs.

    Clinical Psychology

    Complete the following courses in the first year (required of all Clinical Area students):

    PSY 534 Assessment: General Principles, Clinical Interviews, and Adult Psychopathology

    PSY 602 Assessment: Personality Testing, Intellectual/Cognitive Testing, and Child/Parent Assessment

    PSY 537 Methods of Intervention: Treatment of Internalizing Disorders

    PSY 538 Methods of Intervention: Treatment of Externalizing Disorders and Relationship Problems

    PSY 545 Psychopathology: Conceptual Models and Internalizing Disorders

    PSY 596 Psychopathology: Externalizing and Psychotic Disorders

    PSY 603 Ethics and Professional Issues

    PSY 620 Human Diversity

    Complete the following courses in the second year (required of all Clinical Area students):

    PSY 505 Structural Equation Modeling and Advanced Multivariate Methods, or an alternative advanced statistics course approved by the Area Head

    PSY 604 Intervention Practicum

    PSY 605 Advanced Clinical Practicum

    PSY 606 Supervised Practice

    PSY Breadth Course 1

    Complete the following courses in the third year:

    PSY 606 Supervised Practice (Fall and Spring)

    PSY Breadth Course 2

    PSY Breadth Course 3

    PSY 698 Research (Fall and Spring)

    Complete PSY 510 History of Psychology at some point during the program.

    Complete dissertation (PSY 699) during the fifth year and complete internship (PSY 608) in the sixth year.

     

    Cognitive Science

    Complete three of the following:

    PSY 513 Theories of Attention

    PSY 516 Judgment and Decision Making

    PSY 518 Memory

    PSY 520 Psycholinguistics

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Cognition (must be approved in advance by the Area Head)

    Sign up for the following sequence each year (required of all students):

    PSY 583 Experimental Colloquium I

    PSY 584 Experimental Colloquium II

    The Cognitive Science Area also requires submission of a First-Year Research Paper requiring data collection and analysis. This paper must be submitted to the advisor and second reader at the end of the second semester of graduate study.

     

    Integrative Neuroscience

    Complete the three following courses (required of all Integrative Neuroscience Area students):

    PSY 561 Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience I

    PSY 562 Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience II

    PSY 565 Functional Neuroanatomy

    Complete at least one of the following courses:

    PSY 560 Cognitive Neuroscience

    PSY 564 Neuropsychopharmacology

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Affective Neuroscience

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Hormones and Behavior

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Neurology of Learning & Memory

    Sign up for the following sequence each year (required of all Integrative Neuroscience Area students):

    PSY 581 Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Colloquium I

    PSY 582 Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Colloquium II

     

    Social and Health Psychology

    Complete two of the following courses:

    PSY 541 Social Psychology of Close Relationships

    PSY 543 Attachment

    PSY 549 Prejudice & Discrimination

    PSY 555 Social Psychology

    PSY 556 Stress and Coping

    PSY 558 Theories of Social Psychology: Health Applications

    PSY 559 Psychology of Women’s Health

    PSY 594 Psychology of Gender

    Complete an additional special topics course in the Social and Health Area (PSY 610 or PSY 620). Alternatively, students can complete an additional course from the preceding category.

    Students must complete one of the quantitative courses listed below or an additional methods or statistics course as approved by the student’s advisor and Area Head.

    PSY 505 Structural Equation Modeling and Advance Multivariate Methods

    PSY 506 Psychometrics

    PSY 507 Meta-Analysis

     

    Cognitive Neuroscience Certificate:

    Integrative Neuroscience students must take 3 of the following courses from the Cognitive Science Area:

    PSY 513 Theories of Attention

    PSY 516 Judgment and Decision Making

    PSY 518 Memory         

    PSY 520 Psycholinguistics

     

    Cognitive Science students must take 3 of the following courses from the Integrative Neuroscience Area:

    PSY 610/620 Current Issues in Brain Imaging

    PSY 561 Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience I

    PSY 562 Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience II

    PSY 565 Functional Neuroanatomy

    PSY 560 Cognitive Neuroscience

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Hormones & Behavior

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Molecular Psychology

    PSY 610/620 Seminars in Selected Topics: Neurology of Learning & Memory

    PSY 610/620 Neuroscience: Applications in Psychology

     

    Quantitative Methods Certificate

    Students must complete both of the following courses:

    PSY 501 Analysis & Design

    PSY 502 Correlation/Regression

    Students must complete three (3) additional quantitative courses from the following list (instructors may change; courses outside Psychology require the permission of those instructors). Any substitutions must be approved by the Graduate Director in advance by providing a syllabus of the course to be substituted.

     PSY 505 Multivariate Methods/Structural Equation Modeling

    PSY 506 Psychometric Methods

    PSY 507 Meta-Analysis

    PSY 508 Introduction to Computer Applications in Statistics

    PSY 535 Advanced Research Methods

    PSY 610/620 Computational Modeling

    POL 602 Applied Data Analysis I: Probability Theory

    POL 603 Applied Data Analysis II: Regression

    POL 604 Applied Data Analysis III: Maximum Likelihood Estimation

    POL 606 Duration & Panel Models

    POL 610 Experimental Design

    POL 676 Advanced Topics: Methods

    CSE 507 Introduction to Computational Linguistics

    CSE 529 Modeling and Simulation

    AMS 571 Mathematical Statistics II

     

    Teaching Requirement for the Quantitative Certificate:

    Students must serve as the instructor of one of the following courses:

    PSY 201 or PSY 301

    OR Serve as a Teaching Assistant in one of the following courses:

     PSY 501 or PSY 502.

     

     

  • Facilities

    Facilities of the Department of Psychology

    Faculty in each area maintain active laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment for research and graduate training.  Faculty, students, and postdoctoral associates have access to the Psychology Department's large volunteer pool of human subjects.  In addition, the program supports the development of teaching and professional skills.

    The  Clinical  Program's research interests of the core faculty center on depressive disorders (child, adolescent, adult), anxiety disorders (child, adolescent, adult), autism spectrum disorders, personality, child maltreatment, close relationship functioning (e.g., discord and aggression among couples, romantic competence among adolescents and adults, relationship education), lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues (among youth and adults), emotion regulation processes (e.g., cognitive, interpersonal, neurobiological), and emotion and attention processes in normal and pathological conditions. Faculty labs are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including equipment for observational research (e.g.,digital cameras and DVDs), psychophysiological equipment (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate,) as well as electrophysiology (EEG, ERP). The clinical area also utilizes a number of other on- and off-campus facilities for clinical research and training, including the Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Center for neuroimaging, and the Krasner Psychological Center, a training, research, and service unit that provides psychological services and consultation to the community and as well as a site for graduate practicum. Within the Krasner Psychological Center, an Anxiety Disorders Clinic provides assessment and treatment of various anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder. The University Marital Therapy Clinic provides therapy for couples and individuals in the community who are experiencing relationship difficulties. Personnel at the Marital Clinic also provide forensic assessments for child custody and therapeutic visitation for the Supreme and Family Courts of Suffolk County, NY. Affiliations have been established with the University’s Health Sciences Center, numerous other local hospitals, and local public schools.

    The  Cognitive Science  Program offers broad training in cognitive science through its affiliations with the Departments of Linguistics and Computer Science, and in cognitive neuroscience, in cooperation with the Integrative Neuroscience Program, the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, and Brookhaven National Laboratory's Medical Department. Laboratory facilities include a state-of-the-art research dedicated 3T fMRI scanner housed in our new NSF-funded SCAN (Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience) center, electrophysiology (EEG, ERP) labs, multiple eyetrackers for psycholinguistics and visual cognition studies, rooms equipped to study electronic communication and human-computer interaction, sound-isolated chambers for perception and psycholinguistics experiments, multimedia workstations for presenting stimuli and collecting data, and computer-controlled choice stations for testing human and non-human subjects. Faculty research is particularly strong in language, memory, attention, visual cognition, perception, and decision making. Most research programs are funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense.

    The  Integrative Neuroscience  Program provides opportunities to learn the neurobiology, genetics, anatomy, physiology and neurochemistry underlying a comprehensive array of behaviors and human disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, autism and depression.  The broad range of faculty expertise within the program introduces students to social, affective, cognitive and clinical neuroscience at all levels of analysis, from molecular/genetic to human brain imaging and behavioral and cognitive testing  and at all ages across the lifespan.  In addition to gaining core knowledge, students also develop the cutting edge research expertise which is essential to successful careers in neuroscience. Students have access to facilities for histological and neuroanatomical analysis, behavioral analysis, and animal models of human diseases, molecular and genetic analysis, human electrophysiology and fMRI imaging.  Students have the opportunity for research training with core faculty or with affiliated faculty in the Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry and Neurology as well as at Cold Spring Harbor Labs. The curriculum supports the development of broad content knowledge, while research training provides development of skill expertise. In addition, the program supports the development of teaching and professional skills.

    The  Social and Health  Program offers predoctoral training for students who are interested in a research career in social psychology, health psychology, or the interface between these two disciplines (e.g., application of social psychological theory to health problems). Areas of particular strength in the faculty’s research in social psychology include the study of attachment, close relationships, and social rejection in adults and children; social cognition; social-cognitive development; social identity, prejudice, and stereotyping; academic achievement; and the representation and processing of social experience, motivation, and self-regulation. Health psychology focuses on identifying, evaluating, and enhancing the psychosocial and behavioral factors that promote health, prevent disease, or affect adjustment to illness. Faculty research topics in health psychology include the impact of stress on health; the role of social support in dealing with health problems; coping with breast cancer; reproductive health; and behaviors that promote or impair health; and aging and health. Social and Health Area faculty have affiliations with the College of Business, Department of Psychiatry and other departments in the University, and they collaborate with researchers and clinicians in the Stony Brook School of Medicine, Dental School, and University Hospital. Students in our graduate program work collaboratively with faculty members on research projects of mutual interest. A variety of courses are offered so that students can fulfill requirements by selecting the courses that best fit their interests and needs. Students may also take courses in other departments of the university, such as Political Science, Public Health, or Women’s, Gender, and Sexual Studies. In addition, students have the opportunity to receive training in methodological and quantitative techniques such as structural equation modeling and meta-analysis and they may elect to complete a quantitative minor. Seminars are offered on topics such as career issues, teaching methods, and grant writing. Another important feature of our program is its cultural and ethnic diversity. We strive to integrate cultural and ethnic concerns into all aspects of graduate training.

  • Faculty

    Faculty of Psychology Department

    Distinguished Professors

    Goldfried, Marvin, Ph.D., 1961, University at Buffalo: Psychotherapy integration; Gay/lesbian/bisexual issues. Clinical Program

    Klein, Daniel N., Ph.D., 1983, University at Buffalo: Mood disorders in youth and adults; temperament and personality development. Clinical Program

    O’Leary, K. Daniel, Ph.D., 1967, University of Illinois: Etiology, prevention, and treatment of psychological and physical aggression in intimate relationships; multivariate models (biological, psychological, and social) of intimate partner aggression; the bidirectional role of marital problems and depression; marital and dyad based treatments for clinical depression; prevalence and correlates of intense love. Clinical Program

    Rajaram, Suparna, Ph.D., 1991, Rice University: Social Memory and Cognition; social transmission of memory; collaborative remembering and collective memory; social memory and aging; learning and education; social and nonsocial scaffolding of knowledge representation; emotion and memory; human memory and amnesia; implicit and explicit memory distinctions. Cognitive Science Program

    Samuel, Arthur G., Ph.D., 1979, University of California, San Diego: Perception, psycholinguistics, and attention; perception of speech as a domain of study in cognitive psychology; spatial and temporal properties of visual attention. Cognitive Science Program

    Professors

    Anderson, Brenda J., Ph.D., 1993, University of Illinois: Rodent models of the effects of exercise and stress on brain structure, metabolism, and function. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Aron, Arthur, Research Professor, Ph.D., 1970, University of Toronto, Canada: Motivation and cognition in close relationships; intergroup relations; social neuroscience. Social and Health Program

    Brennan, Susan E., Director of the Cognitive Science Program, Ph.D., 1990, Stanford University: Language production and comprehension in spoken dialogue; multimodal communication; speech disfluencies; human/computer interaction; computational linguistics; eye gaze as a measure of language processing and as a cue in conversation. Cognitive Science Program

    Canli, Turhan, Ph.D., 1993, Yale University: The genetic and neural basis of personality and emotion. Integrative Neuroscience Program, Director of the SCAN Center.  Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Davila, Joanne, Chair, Ph.D., 1993, University of California, Los Angeles: Development and course of interpersonal functioning and psychopathology (especially depression) among adolescents and adults; Romantic competence among adolescents and adults; Romantic relationship education for adolescents and young adults; Well-being among LGBT individuals. Clinical Program

    Gerrig, Richard, Director of Graduate Studies, Ph.D., 1984, Stanford University: Psycholinguistics; text understanding and representation; nonconventional language; cognitive experiences of narrative worlds. Cognitive Science Program

    Leung, Hoi-Chung, Co-Director of the Integrative Neuroscience Program, Ph.D., 1997, Northwestern University: Prefrontal and parietal function in human cognition; neural mechanisms underlying information processing and response control; FMRI applications in cognitive neuroscience. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Levy, Sheri, Ph.D., 1998, Columbia University, Ageism and aging; Prejudice and stigma; beliefs systems and intergroup relations; role models; social identity and transitions; student engagement in STEM fields. Social and Health Program

    Lobel, Marci, Ph.D., 1989, University of California, Los Angeles: Stress, coping, and physical health; psychosocial factors in pregnancy, birth, and reproduction; social comparison processes. Social and Health Program

    London, Bonita, Director of the Social & Health Program, Ph.D., 2006, Columbia University: Social identity and intergroup processes; stereotyping and prejudice; academic achievement. Social and Health Program

    Moyer, Anne, Ph.D. 1995, Yale University: Psychosocial issues surrounding cancer risk: research synthesis and research methodology. Social and Health Program

    O’Leary, Susan G., Emerita, Ph.D., 1972, Stony Brook University: Theoretical and applied research on discipline practices in the home; prevention and early intervention vis-a-vis oppositional and conduct-disordered children. Clinical Program

    Raz, Naftali, Ph.D., 1985, University of Texas at Austin: Human brain aging; age-related changes in cognition; metabolic, vascular and inflammatory risk factors in aging; life-span development of the brain and cognition. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Squires, Nancy K., Emerita, Ph.D., 1972, University of California, San Diego: Neuropsychology; neurophysiological measures of sensory and cognitive functions of the human brain, both in normal and clinical populations. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Vivian, Dina, Clinical Professor and Director, Psychology Center, Ph.D., 1986, Stony Brook University: Marital therapy; communication skills in maritally discordant couples; communication and problem solving in physically abusive couples; cognitive and affective processes in physically abusive and maritally discordant couples. Clinical Program

    Waters, Everett, Emeritus, Ph.D., 1977, University of Minnesota: Social and personality development; parent-child and adult-adult attachment relationships. Social and Health Program

    Waters, Harriet Salatas, Emerita, Ph.D., 1976, University of Minnesota: Cognitive development (comprehension and production of prose; memory and problem solving) and social cognition (mental representations of early social experiences, construction and socialization processes). Social and Health Program

    Whitaker-Azmitia, Patricia, Emerita, Ph.D., 1979, University of Toronto: Animal models of autism and Down syndrome; serotonin and its role in brain development. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Wortman, Camille, Emerita, Ph.D., 1972, Duke University: Reactions to stressful life experiences; the role of social support and coping strategies in ameliorating the impact of life stress; predictors of good psychological adjustment among those who experience major losses, including bereavement and serious injury; others’ reactions to those who experience life crisis. Social and Health Program

    Zelinsky, Gregory, Ph.D., 1994, Brown University: Visual attention, eye movements, and visual working memory; Object category representation and detection; Object and proto-object image segmentation; Neurocomputational and deep neural network models of attention and fixation prediction. Cognitive Science Program

    Associate Professors

    Bernard, Kristin, Director of MA Program, Ph.D., 2013, University of Delaware: Child maltreatment; neurobiological consequences of early life adversity; parent-child relationships; early parenting interventions; psychobiology of parenting and attachment. Clinical Program

    Eaton, Nicholas, Director of the Clinical Training Program, Ph.D., 2012, University of Minnesota: Classification and structure of psychopathology, personality, and other constructs; sexual orientation, gender diversity, and LGBT issues; quantitative methods and psychometrics; human sexuality; individual/group differences and mental health. Clinical Program

    Franklin, Nancy, Emerita, Ph.D., 1989, Stanford University: Memory, particularly false memory, eyewitness memory, and the relationship between emotion and cognition. In addition to collaborating on research projects in the lab, interested students have the opportunity to train as expert witnesses within the criminal justice system. Cognitive Science Program

    Freitas, Antonio L., Director of Undergraduate Studies, Ph.D., 2002, Yale University: Social cognition, motivation, self-regulation. Social and Health Program

    Lerner, Matthew, Ph.D., 2013, University of Virginia: Models of social competence & deficits in youth; social competency interventions for developmental disorders (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorders & Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder); therapeutic process variables (mediators and moderators of outcomes); peer relations and their impact on developmental psychopathology. Clinical Program

    Luhmann, Christian, Ph.D., 2006, Vanderbilt University: High-level cognition; causal and associative learning, probabilistic reasoning, economic and perceptual decision making, neuroimaging and computational modeling. Cognitive Science Program

    Mohanty, Aprajita, Ph.D., 2011, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign: Neural mechanisms of emotion-cognition interactions; effect of emotion on perception and working-memory in anxiety and schizophrenia; using pattern information in fMRI and computational modeling to study perception and emotion. Clinical Program

    Parsons, Ryan, Ph.D., 2008, Co-Director of the Integrative Neuroscience Program, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Neurobiology of learning and memory; memory consolidation; fear extinction; anxiety; neural plasticity. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Scott, Stacey B., Ph.D., 2009, University of Notre Dame: Stress, emotions, health, lifespan development, longitudinal and intensive measurement designs and analysis. Social and Health Program

    Assistant Professors

    Chen, Xi, Ph.D., 2019, University of Texas at Dallas: Individual differences in cognitive aging; Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers; successful aging; memory; socioeconomic status and cognitive health disparities; multi-modal neuroimaging. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Nelson, Brady, Ph.D., 2013, University of Illinois-Chicago., Emotional and motivational mechanisms of anxiety disorders and depression; developmental psychopathology; EEG; fMRI; reward sensitivity; startle reflex; uncertainty and unpredictability. Clinical Program

    Richmond, Lauren, Ph.D., 2013, Temple University: Cognitive aging; everyday cognition; individual differences in executive functioning; intervention. Cognitive Science Program

    Schleider, Jessica L., Ph.D., 2018, Harvard University: Intervention science, developmental psychopathology, treatment and prevention of adolescent depression and anxiety, family processes, mechanisms of treatment change, brief interventions. Clinical Program

    Lecturers

    Bolger, Joy, Ed.D., 2022, Johns Hopkins University: Substance use disorders and addiction; neuroscience-based prevention education, stigma, and recovery. 

    DeRosse, Pamela, Ph.D., 2007, The Graduate Center, CUNY: Risk and resilience factors for schizophrenia spectrum disorders; schizotypy; subclinical psychosis.

    Last, Briana, Ph.D., 2022, University of Pennsylvania: The social determinants of mental health; mental health services and policy research; implementation science; clinical decision-making; mental health workforce development; health equity; mixed methods; and community-based participatory research.

    Pepe, Nicholas, Ph.D., 2021, Stony Brook University, SUNY: Retrieval disruption; Part-list cuing; Collaborative memory; Collective memory; Cross-cultural deviations in cognition.

    Pittarello, Andrea, Ph.D., 2014, University of Padova, Italy: Judgment and Decision-Making; Behavioral Economics; Ethics; Eye Movements

    Joint and Associated Faculty

    Biegon, Anat, Professor, Neurology, Neurosciences Institute, Ph.D., 1980, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel: Brain response to traumatic, ischemic or inflammatory insults. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Brown, Stephanie L., Associate Professor, Psychiatry, Ph.D., 1999, Arizona State University. Altruism, prosocial behavior, and health; compassion neuroscience; hormones and behavior; evolutionary constraints on social relationships and the "caregiving system". Social and Health Program

    Caprariello, Peter, Associate Professor, Marketing, College of Business, Ph.D., 2012, University of Rochester. Consumer relationship processes; how consumers spend money pursuing happiness. Social and Health Program

    Crowell, Judith A., Professor, Psychiatry: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, M.D., 1978, University of Vermont: The attachment system across the life span; parent-child and adult-adult interactions. Social and Health Program

    Fontanini, Alfredo, Professor and Chair, Neurobiology and Behavior, M.D., Ph.D., Brescia University: Neural basis for rich perceptual experiences; how populations of cortical neurons process the multiple physical and psychological dimensions of taste. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Huffman, Marie K., Associate Professor, Linguistics, Ph.D., 1989, University of California, Los Angeles: Phonetics; phonology. Cognitive Science Program

    Hwang, Jiwon, Senior Lecturer, Asian and Asian American Studies, Ph.D., 2011, Stony Brook University: Linguistics, phonetics, phonology, Lecturer. Cognitive Science Program.

    Hymowitz, Genna, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Ph.D., 2011, Stony Brook University: Cognitive biases and chronic medical conditions; biopsychosocial processes in obesity and obesity treatment; stress and gastrointestinal illness; interdisciplinary interventions for chronic illness. Clinical Program

    Kritzer, Mary, Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior, Ph.D., Yale University, 1989: Gonadal hormone influence over function and dysfunction in the cerebral cortex. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Kotov, Roman, Professor, Department of Psychiatry: Psychiatric Epidemiology. Ph.D., 2006, University of Iowa: Classification of mental illness; relationships between personality and psychopathology; clinical assessment. Clinical Program

    London, Manuel, Dean and Professor, College of Business and Center for Human Resource Management. Ph.D. 1974, Ohio State University: Organizational psychology; person perception applied to performance ratings, feedback, and performance management systems; group learning and team development; dispositional factors affecting involvement in social advocacy. Social and Health Program

    Mahaffey, Brittain L., Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Ph.D., 2013 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Psychotherapy outcome research, anxiety and stress disorders and perinatal mental health. Social and Health Program

    Moeller, Scott J., Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Ph.D., 2010, University of Michigan: Substance use disorders; neural mechanisms of impaired self-referential processing, decision-making, and self-monitoring of behavior; PET and fMRI multimodal imaging. Social and Health Program

    Pittinsky, Todd, Professor, Department of Technology and Society, Ph.D. 2001, Organizational Behavior, Harvard University: Positive intergroup relations in their ecosystem of society, technology, and policy; positive stereotypes; allophilia; intergroup leadership. Social and Health Program

    Powers, Alice, Ph.D., 1969, Bryn Mawr College: Comparative and physiological psychology; brain and behavior of turtles, with the aim of understanding the evolutionary history of the mammalian brain; habituation and affective modification of the blink reflex in humans. Integrative Neuroscience Program

    Van Snellenberg, Jared, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Ph.D., 2012, Columbia University, neural underpinnings of psychotic and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia and related disorders, using multimodal neuroimaging methods to measure brain activity and neurochemistry. Cognitive Science Program

     

  • Contact

    Department of Psychology

    Chair 
    Joanne Davila, Psychology B-313, (631) 632-7826

    Graduate Program Director 
    PhD Programs: Dr. Susan Brennan, Psychology B 201 (631) 632-7847 
    MA Program: Dr. Kristin Bernard, Psychology B-226, (631) 632-7576

    Assistant to the Chair
    Cynthia Forman, Psychology B-173, (631) 632-7027

    Graduate Program Coordinator 
    Lauren Addeo, Psychology B-150, (631) 632-7855

    Web Site 
    https://www.stonybrook.edu/psychology/

    Degrees Awarded 
    MA in Psychology, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, Ph.D. in Integrative Neuroscience, Ph.D. in Social/Health Psychology

    Application
    https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply/ 

top
©