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Dr. Michael Knepp Psychology Neuroscience
Dr. Michael Knepp Psychology Neuroscience

Dr. Michael Knepp

Professor, Psychology, Neuroscience and Human Development

In our department, the focus is on methodology and getting practical internship and research experience. This approach can give different approaches to thinking and reasoning, which leads to better preparation for the work environment and graduate school.

Education

B.S., Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh
M.S., Developmental and Biological Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Ph.D., Developmental and Biological Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Career

I became interested in physiology and medicine in undergraduate school, which led me to the neuroscience degree. I became interested in teaching over a more research-oriented position while working as the psychology teaching assistant coordinator at Virginia Tech.

Professional Accomplishments

One of my professional accomplishments is chairing a symposium related to the intersection of teaching and research at undergraduate universities. It was at the international conference in Paris, France for our field’s main research organization, Association for Psychological Science. I was also excited to teach for USAC for the first time in Reggio Emilia, Italy and to be awarded a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence grant to bring an international scholar to teach at Mount Union for a semester.

Teaching Style

With my courses, I like to bring in actual research examples into the classroom so students can either read from the source or experience it firsthand. In the neuroscience and health courses, students read topical articles from the field and discuss them in class. I also bring in various processing, construction and language tasks so students can view how everyone processes information differently.

Research and Curricula

I run the Physiological and Neuropsychological Research Laboratory. The lab has three different testing rooms so that students can conduct a range of studies. The physiology room focuses on the peripheral nervous system and often runs studies related to the heart. The neuropsychology room focuses on right and left hemisphere testing studies and central nervous system function. Our computer testing room allows us to compare laboratory and online survey studies. The laboratory has a branch related to online survey studies as well. Our lab has done work with health behaviors, substance abuse, positive and negative emotional affectivity, LGBTQ ally behaviors, academic and university relationships, classroom incivility, impacts of stress on the body and research methods issues.

Favorite Building

It’s Tolerton and Hood Hall, because I do enjoy the view of the Campus Lakes from my office when the fountains are on.

School Size

I find it’s easier here versus the larger schools I have been at to conduct more personalized demonstrations. There are certain types of small projects you can do in these settings to get students some applied field knowledge that you just cannot do at other places.

Preparing Students

Mount Union gives students the skill sets needed not only to pursue a job in their defined major but to open up ways to use what they learned to assist their way through their careers. In our department, the focus is on methodology and getting practical internship and research experience. This approach can give different approaches to thinking and reasoning, which leads to better preparation for the work environment and graduate school.

Textbooks

Knepp, M.M., Riser, D.K., Patriquin, M.A., & Stephens, R.S. (2009). Psychology readings for the introductory student. Pearson Custom Publishing.

 

Peer-Review Publications

Knepp, M. M. (in press). Closeness of relationship to LGBTQ individuals is association with increases in ally identity and behavior. Journal of LGBT Youth. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2020.1761924

Knepp, M. M. (2018). Using questions to improve informed consent form reading behavior in students. Ethics & Behavior, 28 (7), 560-577. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2017.1320665

Knepp, M. M. (2018). Examining group setting impacts on neuropsychological testing using deception and undergraduate research assistants as confederates. Sage Research Methods Cases-Part 2, 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526437266

Knepp, M.M. (2016). Academic entitlement and right-wing authoritarianism are associated with decreased student engagement and increased perceptions of faculty incivility. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 2 (4), 261-272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/stl0000072

Rowland, J. Knepp, M., Stephens, C., Noguchi, R., Towe, S., Immel, C., … Harrison, D. W. (2016). Test-retest reliability of the Ruff Figural Fluency Test. BAOJ Neurology, 2 (3), 021.

Eerland, A., Sherrill, A. M., Magliano, J. P., Zwaan, R. A., Arnal, J. D., Aucoin, P., . . . Prenoveau, J. M. (2016). Registered replication report: Hart & Albarracín (2011). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11, 158–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615605826 (Note: 5th authorship as contributing lab).

Knepp, M. M., Yoza, J. J., & Quandt, E. A. (2015). Higher modified beck depression inventory scores are associated with body, eating and exercise comparisons but decreased exercise amounts. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 120 (3), 945-959. https://doi.org/10.2466/15.29.PMS.120v14x8

Knepp, M. M., Krafka, E. R., & Druzina, E. M. (2015). The impact of trait worry and emotion regulation on heart rate variability. Cogent Psychology, 2 (1), 1038896.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2015.1038896

Knepp, M.M., Krafka, E.R., Boulton, A.N., & Myers, M.P. (2014). Group administration influences design but not written word fluency testing. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain, and Cognition, 19 (5), 615-637. https://doi.org/10.1080/1357650X.2014.892507

Knepp, M.M. (2014). Personality, sex of participant, and face-to-face interaction affect reading of informed consent forms. Psychological Reports: Sociocultural Issues in Psychology, 114, 297-313. https://doi.org/10.2466/17.07.PR0.114k13w1

Knepp, M.M. & Friedman, B.H. (2008). Cardiovascular activity during laboratory tasks in women with high and low worry. Biological Psychology, 79, 287-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2008.07.002

 

Textbook Chapters

Knepp, M.M. (2006).  Sensation and perception. In P.K. Lehman, E. Tison, & J. Finney (Eds.), Readings in psychology. Boston: McGraw Hill.