Areas of Expertise
- Social psychology, attribution theory, social influence, applied social psychology – law, health, cognitive biases, research methodology
Education
- B.S. in psychology, State University of New York at New Paltz (1971)
- M.A. in personality/social psychology, State University of New York at New Paltz (1973)
- Ph.D. in experimental social psychology, Dartmouth College (1978)
What's My Why?
I'm mostly interested in how social psychology can help people understand themselves and others more thoroughly by recognizing how behavior is often influenced by factors that are not immediately apparent to us.
Professional Experience
I am currently professor emeritus in Salve's psychology department. I began teaching at Salve in 1978 after finishing a post-doc at the University of Connecticut's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health in Farmington, Connecticut, where the medical and dental schools are located. I've enjoyed my 46 years at Salve and in particular the research I did with undergraduates that often generated papers and posters that students and I presented at regional and national conferences.
Media Coverage
The Providence Journal
Selected Publications
Frankel, A., and Snyder, M.L. (1978). Poor performance following unsolvable problems: Learned helplessness or egotism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 1415-1423.
Beck, K.H., and Frankel, A. (1981). A conceptualization of threat communications and preventive health behavior. Social Psychology Quarterly, 44, 204-217.
Snyder, M.L., and Frankel, A. (1976). Observer Bias: A stringent test of behavior engulfing the field. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 857-864.
Frankel, A., and Morris, W.N. (1976). Testifying in one’s own defense: The ingratiator’s dilemma. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 475- 480.
Frankel, A. and Curtis, D. (2008). What’s in a purse? Maybe a woman’s reputation. Sex Roles, 59, 615-622.