Faculty pages

Academic Degrees

Ph. D., University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK. (Fall, 1982 to Spring, 1988) Majority of courses: social psychology, personality, quantitative methods, and human cognition. Dissertation Title: Covariation reasoning and the sequential processing of information: A test of the memory-strain hypothesis .
M. S., Yeshiva University, NY, NY (Fall, 1977 to Summer, 1978) Majority of courses: child psychology, and personality. Independent Study Topic: Cognitive mediation, power, and resultant psychometric implications .
B. A., S.U.N.Y. at Oswego, Oswego, NY (Spring, 1973 to Fall, 1975) Majority of psychology courses: learning theory, as well as humanism, existentialism and phenomenology. Secondary interests courses: social change, and collective behavior. Independent Study Topics: " Integrative approaches to educational philosophies and psychological learning theories ."
A. A., Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY (Fall, 1971 to Fall, 1973

Professional Experience

Post M.S.
- 9/99 to current. Professor, Psychology Department, University of Louisiana at Monroe (formerly Northeast Louisiana University), Monroe, LA.
- 9/94 to 8/99. Associate Professor, Psychology Department, Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe, LA.
- 1/90 to 8/94. Assistant Professor, Psychology Department, Northeast Louisiana, University, Monroe, LA.
- 8/87 to 12/89. Assistant Professor, Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, AR.
- •8/84 to 12/86. Instructor (full-time, non-tenure track), Central State University (currently The University of Central Oklahoma), Edmond, OK.
- 8/82 to 7/84. Graduate Assistant (Instructor and Research Assistant, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK.
- 3/80 to 8/82. Market Research Analyst, Hilti, Inc. Tulsa, OK.
- 10/78 to 3/80. Sales Training Specialist, Hilti, Inc. Stamford, CT.
Post B.A.
- Teaching assistant at Archway School for emotional disturbed children.
- Psychiatric assistant at Highpoint Psychiatric Hospital.
- Depth interviewer for Psychological Motivation, Inc.
- Distribution manager for (local) Pennysaver, Inc.

Faculty and Administrative Load

Typical Fall Semester
- Statistics
- Social Psychology
- Research Methods
- History of Psychology
- Directed Study/Independent Study/Thesis
Typical Spring Semester
- Social Cognition
- History of Psychology
- Research Methods
- Directed Study/Independent Study/Thesis
Typical Summer Semester(s)
- History of Psychology
- Research Methods
- Statistics

Other Collegiate Assignments

Co-Director of the General Experimental M.S. program option; Member of President's Steering Committee and Task Force chair; Member of APC; Member of UCC

Current Professional and Academic Association Memberships

Southwestern Psychological Association*

Current Professional Activities

Scholarship

Publications (Recent and/or most important)
- Cordell, D., and McGahan, J. Mutual gaze duration as a function of length of conversation in male-female dyads . Psychological Reports , 94 , 109-114.
- Futch, G., Wilkerson, K., McGahan, J., McCown, W., and Williamson, J. D. (2002 ). Judgments about length, weight, and width covariation as a function of intelligence and depth of processing in elementary school children: A preliminary study . Psychological Reports , 90 , 1109-1114.
- Pryor, P., McGahan, J., McDougal, B., Haire, S., and Marashi, H. (2001 ). The influence of need for cognition on judgments about height, weight, and body fat covariation . Psychological Reports/Perceptual and Motor Skills , 87 , 1147-1157.
- Pryor, P., McGahan, J., Hutto, C., and Williamson, D. (2000 ). The effects of visual sexual stimulation on judgments on the perceived relationship of freedom and responsibility: A preliminary study. Journal of Psychology : Interdisciplinary and Applied , 134(6 ), 645-658.
- Yates, M., McGahan, J., and Williamson, D. (2000 ). Intuitive covariation assessment of the illusory correlation. Journal of General Psychology: Experimental, Physiological, and Comparative , 127 ( 4 ), 397-411.
- McGahan, J., McDougal, B., Williamson, D. and Pryor, P. (2000 ). The effects of contingency structure for intuitive covariation judgments about height, weight, and body fat. Journal of Psychology : Interdisciplinary and Applied . 134 ( 3 ), 325-336.
Conference Presentation (notworthy, but not including papers expanded for publication)
- McGahan, J., Scharff, L., and Dougherty, T. (2003). Creative interpretations of service to university, community, and beyond . Symposium presented at the Annual Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, New Orleans, LA.
- McGahan, J., Hutto, C., Williamson, J., and students (2001). Eye contact, attraction, and parallels between seduction and threat: A symposium . Annual Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.
- Truelove, L., McGahan, J., Hutto, C., and Williamson, D. (2000 ). Dominance and visual interaction between college classmates. Paper presented at the Annual Southeastern Psychological Association Conference, New Orleans, LA.

Other Scholarly Activities

Manuscripts Under Review
- Nevalla, D. McGahan, J., Stevens, R., and Low, J . The role of embedded environmental cues in incubation.
- Nevala, D., Gray, N., McGahan, J., and Smith, T . The effects of visual sexual stimulation on male and female judgments about the perceived relationship between freedom and responsibility.
- Blancher, A., McGahan, J., and Burnett, J. Parallels of threat, seduction, and romantic attraction: An investigation of facial expressions using computer-based composite faces..
- Cordell, D., McGahan, J., Goodwyn, M., and Hutto, C. The effect of unconditional positive regard on intimacy as evidenced by mutual gaze and self-disclosure.
Manuscripts In Progress (or Being Revised)
- McGahan, J., Hutto, C., Williamson, J., and Thompson, S. The effects of familiarity and cooperation vs. competition on visual interaction with mixed gender dyads. (Being revised)
- McGahan, J., Cordell, D. Belinge, H., Hutto, C., and Williamson, J. The effects of familiarity, and task orientation towards competition or cooperation for same gender dyads on visual interaction .
Research In Progress
- Wilkerson, K., Gray, N., and McGahan, J., Stevens, R., and Williamson, J. D. Judgments about freedom and responsibility covariation based on cognitive versus affective response formats.
- Copeland-Findley, L., McGahan, J., and Williamson, J. A further exploratory psychometric investigation of common judgments about morality, sin, and ethics using systematically varying versions of Kohlbergs's Heinz Dilemma .
Service-Based Grant Proposals In Progress
- McGahan, J., Saunders, J., and Stevens, R. The origins series: Poverty Point, and other historically significant sites in the Louisiana Delta . Grant proposal to the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. (Being revised)
- McGahan, J., Wilkerson, K., Meridith, M., and others. Measured doses of uncertainty resulting from controlled mixtures of ambiguity and probability in an attempt to mitigate cognitive decline.
- McGahan, J., McGee, A. and others. A center for the interdisciplinary study of lower Mississippi Valley culture.
Obtained Grants
- McGahan, J., Hutto, C., Goodwyn, M., and Williamson, J. D. (1999). Covariation in gaze and conversation as a function of familiarity, gender, and processing objectives. ($1,000 from Northeast Louisiana University)
- McGahan, J., Smith, H., Hutto, C., Williamson, J. D., and Goodwyn, M. (1998 ) . The effects of familiarity, gender, and processing objectives on visual and vocal interaction . ($6,400 from Northeast Louisiana University)
Notable Service Projects (University and Community)
- Founded the Chautauqua Nexus at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (11/2000) in an attempt to (further) elevate the University of Louisiana at Monroe as a regional center for cultural and intellectual exchange, and to facilitate growth of Monroe and West Monroe towards a regional cultural mecca.
- Worked with fifth and sixth grade students, once a week for two years, on intuitive statistical reasoning and stereotype validation.
- In conjunction with Mayor Abe Pierce, worked with students from two local high schools, once per week for one year, on aggression and pro-social behavior in an attempt to address emerging violence in schools.
- Provide numerous television and news-paper interviews/articles for various topics (i.e., beyond 20-30 contributions).
- Other (e.g., series of lectures to Ouachita Council for the Aged on the effects of wisdom on social attitudes , series of lectures on behavior modification to the Louisiana Center for the Blind, series of lectures on causal reasoning for LSU-Conway, continuing education lectures on social judgment for lawyers in Monroe and Magnolia, etc)
Special Honors
- Nominated for Outstanding Professor (2003-2004). University of Louisiana at Monroe, College of Education and Human Development.
- Finalist for Outstanding Professor (2002-2003 ). University of Louisiana at Monroe, College of Education and Human Development.
- Professor of the Year (2002-2003). Mortar Board , University of Louisiana at Monroe .
- Professor of the Year (2002-2003). Student Government Association, University of Louisiana at Monroe.
- Outstanding Professor, 1997-1998 , Northeast Louisiana University, College of Education.
- Outstanding Researcher, 1993-1994, Northeast Louisiana University, College of Education.