CURRICULUM VITAE
Last Updated: May 2023
University of Alabama · Department of Psychology
pronouns: he/him/his
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, TUSCALOOSA
DISSERTATION: The perks of being a flip-flopper: Examining evaluations of politicians who change their position due to scientific evidence
Ph.D. Experimental Psychology
Minor: Advanced Statistical Methodology
ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY
THESIS: DOES AFFECTIVE POLARIZATION INFLUENCE JOB APPLICANT'S PERCEIVED HIREABILITY?
MENTORS: DR. CHERYL STENMARK AND
DR. KYLE VAN ITTERSUM
M. S. Industrial and Organizational Psychology
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
B.A. in Psychology; Minor in Education
Cum Laude
SCHOLARLY WORK
HOW DO RESEARCHERS IN PSYCHOLOGY PERCEIVE THE FIELD? A
QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF CRITIQUES AND DEFENSES.
Abstract:
As awareness of the replication crisis in psychology has become increasingly widespread, several meta-scientific investigations have focused on the research practices and attitudes of researchers in psychology. Here, we aimed to add to this body of work by exploring academic psychologists’ perceptions of the state of the field using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. As part of a larger project, psychological researchers (N = 548) used 3-point scales to rate their perceptions of: 1) the rate of false positive findings in psychology and 2) the quality of research practices in psychology. They then wrote about the reasons for their ratings. Using a qualitative approach, we assessed the prevalence of criticisms and defenses of the field, as well as subtypes of each. Overall, these data shed light on the extent, and nature, of concerns about false positives and research practices within the psychological community.
Citation:
Miranda, J. F., Whitt, C. M., McDiarmid, A. M., Stephens, E., Purdue, D., Hall, C. & Tullett, A. M. (2022). How do researchers in psychology perceive the field? A qualitative exploration of critiques and defenses. Collabra: Psychology.
CHAPTER 4: HISTORY OF
REPLICATION FAILURES IN PSYCHOLOGY
This authoritative volume presents a detailed analysis of the replication crisis and the use of questionable research practices (QRPs) in psychology, as well as recommended practices for combatting these problems. Ultimately, the book aims to provide a comprehensive, current, and accessible account of the adverse effects of QRPs.
Citation:
Miranda, J. F.*, Whitt, C. M. * & Tullett, A. (2022). History of replication failures in psychology. In S. Lilienfeld, A. Masudo, & W. O’Donohue (Eds.), Questionable research practices in clinical psychology. Springer.
*Co-Leading Authors, Equal Contribution.
A GLOBAL EXPERIMENT ON MOTIVATING SOCIAL DISTANCING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Abstract:
Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all.
Citation:
Legate, N., Nguyen, T. T., Weinstein, N., Moller, A. C., Legault, L., Adamkov, M. … Miranda, J. F, & Barkoukis, V. (2022). A Global experiment on motivating social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
A COMMUNITY-SOURCED GLOSSARY OF OPEN SCHOLARSHIP TERMS
Abstract:
Open scholarship has transformed research and introduced a host of new terms in the lexicon of researchers. The ‘Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Teaching’ (FORRT) community presents a crowdsourced glossary of open scholarship terms to facilitate education and effective communication between experts and newcomers.
Citation:
Parsons, S., Azvedo, F., Elsherif, M. M., Guay, S., Shahim, O. N., Govaart, G. H., … Miranda, J., F., & Aczel, B. (2022). A community-sourced glossary of open scholarship terms. Nature Human Behaviour, 6, 312-318. DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01269-4
IN COVID-19 HEALTH MESSAGING, LOSS FRAMING INCREASES ANXIETY WITH LITTLE-TO-NO- CONCOMITANT BENEFITS: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FROM 87 COUNTRIES.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g., “If you do not practice these steps, you can endanger yourself and others”) or potential gains (e.g., “If you practice these steps, you can protect yourself and others”)? Collecting data in 48 languages from 15,929 participants in 84 countries, we experimentally tested the effects of message framing...
Citation:
Dorison, C., Lerner, J., Heller, B. H., Rothman, A., Kawachi, I. I., Wang, K., … Miranda, J. F., & Sievers, E. (In Press). In Covid-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with little-to-no- concomitant benefits: Experimental evidence from 87 countries. Affective Science.
A MULTI-COUNTRY TEST OF BRIEF REAPPRAISAL
INTERVENTIONS ON EMOTIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive)
Citation:
Wang, K., Goldenberg, A., Dorison, C. A., Miller, J. K., Uusberg, A., Lerner, J. S., … Miranda, J., F., & Moshontz, H. (2021). A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Human Behaviour, 5, 1089-1110.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, HACKATHONS, AND INVITED TALKS
Panelist, “The Journey Past the Ph.D. - After You’ve Accepted a Position”, University of Alabama. (2023, April). Invited by the Psychology Graduate Student Association.
Panelist, “How to Prepare for the Academic Job Market: Getting the Interview”, University of Alabama. (2023, March). Invited by Dr. Andrea Glenn.
Miranda, J. F., Whitt, C. M., McDiarmid, A. M., Stephens, E., Purdue, D., & Tullett, A. M.
(2022, February). How do psychologists perceive the field? The prevalence of critiques and defenses. SPSP, San Francisco, CA.
Whitt, C. M., Miranda, J. F., & Tullett, A. (2022, February). The effects of teaching about
the replication crisis on undergraduates’ epistemic dependence. SPSP, San
Francisco, CA.
Miranda, J. F., & Whitt, C. M. (2021, December). Trust me, maybe?: Consequences of
teaching about meta-research in the classroom. AIMOS, Virtual Conference.
Miranda, J. F. (2021, February). Intellectual humility: Pilot testing educational videos.
SPSP, Virtual Conference.
Hack, T., & Miranda, J. F. (2020, February). The atheist experience: Overt and covert
prejudice. SPSP, New Orleans, LA.
Miranda, J. F., Kreitler, C. M., & Stenmark, C. K. (2019, April). The relationship between
machiavellianism & resiliency. SWPA, Albuquerque, NM.
Miranda, J. F., & Brewer, S. (2019, April). Reliability assessment of a rat model for
Placebo analgesia, part II. SWPA, Albuquerque, NM.
Miranda, J. F., Kreitler, C. M., & Stenmark, C. K. (2018, April). Multidimensional
perfectionism and stress correlates. SWPA, Houston, TX.
“A World of Color: Theories of the Rainbow”, Sensation and Perception - Jr. Level Course,
University of Alabama. (2022, February). On behalf of Dr. Alexander McDiarmid.
“Is there a crisis? Or crises? A History of the Open Science Movement”, Research Methods – Jr. Level Course, University of Alabama. (2022, August).
FINANCIAL AWARDS
SIPS Grant-In-Aid to Reduce Barriers to Improving Psychological Science, Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS), 2023, $1,500.
Awarded to build connections with the global scientific community, particularly the global
South. Includes funding Psychological Science Members to develop workshops and events
and promote outreach to researchers internationally who have been traditionally
marginalized within the psychological field.
Dissertation Research Award, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 2022, $500. Awarded to fund dissertation work.
Conference Travel Award, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 2021, $850
Awarded to present meta-science research.
3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Scholarship, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 2021, $250.
Placed 4th in the campus-wide, final round of a graduate student competition representing the Department of Psychology.
Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) Fellowship Recipient, 3 Years, 2020 – 2023, $20,000 Annual Stipend
The fellowship is given to minority Ph.D. students who seek careers as faculty, recognizing that only 3 percent of academic faculty are Hispanic. The program provides professional development support and covers expenses associated with attending the annual Conference for Faculty Diversity Institute on Teaching and Mentoring.
Graduate Student Research Fellowship Grant, Angelo State University, 2018 - 2019,
$1,300
E. Nanheim Memorial Scholarship, Angelo State University, 2018- 2019, $1,000
Summer Carr Graduate Scholarship, Angelo State University, 2018, $500
Carr Graduate Fellowship Scholarship, Angelo State University, 2017-2018, $2,500
MENTORSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Host, Corrupting the Youth Teaching of Psychology Podcast with Jacob Miranda and Cassie Whitt, 2022, January – Present
Along with my co-host, Cassie Whitt, we release bi-weekly episodes focused on pedagogy.
Topics to date have included: advice for first-time instructors, alternative grading systems (i.e., Ungrading), misaligned incentive systems, LGBT teachers, and the rising mental health crisis in higher education.
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President, Psychology Graduate Student Association (PGSA), University of Alabama, 2022 – 2023
Schedule and run all PGSA officer meetings.
Attend all department faculty meetings (both Experimental and Clinical), serving on the Department Chair’s Executive and Advisory Committees.
Serve as a representative for the student body and liaison between department faculty and all psychology graduate students.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committees at UA, Tuscaloosa, 2020 – 2023
Due to recent racial tensions rising (i.e., the murder of George Floyd), the graduate students within the department independently created a series of both short-term and long-term DEI committees enacting grassroots change.
Faculty and Graduate Student Diversity Training Committee - Chair
Townhall Committee – Chair and Moderator
Public Declarations of Allyship Committee - Member
Created cultural heritage month Psychology-themed posters for:
Italian-American/Latin-American History (September 15th to October 15th)
Native American History (November).
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Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT) Volunteer, 2020 – Present
FORRT is an organization that provides teaching and pedagogical resources for those who want to incorporate open and reproducible science into their teaching philosophy.
Lead in the ‘Outreach’ social media committee as well as the internal ‘Cohesion’ team that enables smooth communication across the grass roots organization so that all are members’ actions are aligned with achieving organizational goals.
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National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) – Train the Trainer, (2021, December)
The University of Alabama’s Department of Diversity Equity and Inclusion worked in collaboration with the NCBI to host a multi-day training offered to graduate students, faculty, and deans of the university.
Those who have been trained are now certified to go to organizations that request DEI workshops and provide standardized education on these issues.
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Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project (APAEP) Newsletter Contributor, (2021, May)
The Warbler, an educational newsletter from the APAEP, was created during the COVID-19 global pandemic for people who are incarcerated.
Contributions were for Issue #59, which was written and edited a submission covering the topic of psychology (i.e., specifically, memory encoding) catered to a prison population (e., g., length, and clarity).
Content included covering the concept of memory encoding, its’ history, practical tips derived from the literature, poetry, and words of encouragement.
PDF linked here.
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Panelist (2020, October). Sage Publishing. Supercharging your quantitative online teaching.
Covid-19 has profoundly changed the way instructors teach and mentor students. The goals of this session were to address this challenge, discuss how open and reproducible research training can support academics when teaching online, and encourage discussion through an ‘open and reproducible research lens’.
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Heritage Month Newsletter, (2020, September) Celebrating Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month.
As a Mexican American, I contributed to Hispanic Heritage Month and wrote a reflective piece of what my culture means to me, researched prominent Hispanic and LatinX Scholars in Psychology, as well as share local resources, such as Hispanic Scholarship Funding, for students.
PDF linked here.
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Social Psychology Graduate Student Representative, UA, 2020 – 2021
Attend Psychology Graduate Student Association (PGSA)’s meetings and sponsored events.
Attend Experimental Faculty meetings when requested.
Organize bi-semester check-ins with students in the social concentration.
Host a welcome socialization event for incoming psychology graduate students.
Spearheading the Diversity Training sub-committee on the graduate student level.
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Mentor, Tide Together Program, UA, 2020 – 2021
Mentor and guide first-generation graduate students outside of one’s own department on navigating academic life and culture, troubleshooting obstacles and fears, and transitioning into a graduate student mindset.
Spoke as a panelist on the topic of pursuing fellowships, writing, being a minority member in academia, and opportunities that exist both internal and external to the University of Alabama.
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Mentee, Tide Together Program, UA, 2019 – 2020
Attended several workshops tailored for graduate student professional development. Workshops included topics such as Fellowship and Grant writing, networking, writing, editing, interviewing skills, and how to present research.
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Graduate Research Assistant, Stenmark Lab, ASU, 2017 - 2019
Mentored and/or trained undergraduate and graduate students in Angelo State University. This includes walking through the entire scientific process: how to conduct a literature review, study design, data collection, data analysis, and write up.
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City of San Angelo, Leadership Training Collaboration, 2018
Spearheaded a leadership program with the small business association of San Angelo City. This included working with local businesses, assessing their needs for leadership qualities in their employees, and formally creating a leadership workshop to respond to those needs. Sample topics covered in the workshop include transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and knowledge about team dynamics.
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Previous Leadership Roles
Angelo State University
President of the Graduate Student Psychological Association (GSPA).
Vice-President of ASU’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Chapter.
Ambassador for ASU’s Psychology Graduate Programs
Member of ASU’s Industrial/Organizational Recruitment Committee
AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PAUL S. SIEGEL AND STEVE PRENTICE-DUNN TEACHING AWARD
April 7th 2023
Award presented by the University of Alabama Psychology Department Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Ansley Gilpin and Chair Dr. Tompson Davis for Most Outstanding Teaching by a Doctoral Student.