Research in the Department of Psychology

Find out more about the Department of Psychology's research activities and specializations.

Two people in an office setting. One person is standing behind a monitor and the other person is seated at a computer, hand is connected to a monitoring device, and wearing headphones inside a partition

A Top Research University

The University of Mississippi is designated as a R-1 Highest Research Activity University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. We are in an elite group of 2.5% of universities nationwide for world class research faculty, spending on research, and production of graduate students.

Here are just a few of the topics our professors and students are researching:

Social and cognitive development across the lifespan, with an emphasis on infancy and early childhood. We are interested in how children come to control their thoughts and behavior and what supports this development.
Emotion, specifically facial and verbal expression of emotion and the influence of personality and situational factors on self-regulation of emotion.
Psychological and social factors that contribute to poor health behaviors among adults with chronic health conditions – particularly individuals with type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and persistent respiratory conditions (i.e., asthma and COPD).
Treatment of anxiety disorders across the lifespan, focusing on cognitive, emotional, and physiological processes that underlie a variety of anxiety disorders.

Clinical Psychology

Our Clinical Program is a scientist-practitioner model program that emphasizes an empirical approach to clinical practice. Clinical training is generally conducted with a social learning or cognitive behavioral approach.

Examining Rare Disorders

Dr. Laura Dixon is studying misophonia—a rare disorder that causes extreme sensitivity to noises like chewing and slurping—with aid from a grant funded by the Misophonia Research Fund. Her research on misophonia and other disorders focuses on understanding the processes contributing to symptoms and causing impairment. In the future, Dixon hopes to test intervention components for misophonia and continue to collect data on the understudied disorder.

Understanding Anxiety

Dr. Sarah Bilsky is the director of the PANDAA lab at the University of Mississippi. The primary aim of the PANDAA lab is to improve our understanding of the development and maintenance of anxiety and related problems. Although this goal encompasses a broad range of foci, our research is currently primarily focused on projects examining the development and maintenance of anxiety and substance use vulnerabilities among parents and adolescents. Recent work includes looking at transdiagnostic factors such as anxiety sensitivity, parenting stress, and sleep difficulties and how they are related to affective symptoms and substance use among adolescents and parents. Dr. Bilsky is currently the Principal Investigator for a CDC funded project aimed at reducing adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use.

Zeina Ramadan, Doctoral Student

Zeina Ramadan is completing a practicum at Communicare, a Mississippi Department of Health Agency in Northern Mississippi. As a student therapist, she provides mental health care to those from vulnerable populations. Specifically, Ramadan works with individuals who are dependent on Medicaid or unable to pay for mental health services. She has a passion for helping others, and the R. Kelley Thueson Graduate Fellowship affords her the opportunity to impact the lives of those who otherwise might not have access to crucial mental healthcare.

The R. Kelley Thueson Graduate Fellowship

female student standing in front of poster presentation

Undergraduate Research on Disordered Eating Behaviors

"My project, which received 2nd place by the MS Academy of Sciences, examined the relationship between gender, social support, and disordered eating behaviors among bariatric patients. Using a moderation analysis, we explored whether social support serves as a protective factor and if its impact varies by gender. Our findings challenge prior assumptions, demonstrating that social support did not significantly predict disordered eating behaviors in this population. This research underscores the need for longitudinal studies and a more detailed examination of specific types of social support to better understand its role over time among bariatric patients."

Anna Papillion
(B.A. in Psychology with a Sign Language minor)

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program Fellowship

Gabrielle Armstrong is a recipient of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program Fellowship, a distinguished initiative dedicated to enhancing the representation of minority scholars pursuing careers as academic faculty across colleges and universities. Her research centers on understanding the mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of internalizing psychopathology and substance use within various psychosocial and contextual frameworks among historically excluded groups. Currently, she is leading a project examining the co-occurrence of PTSD and alcohol use disorder and its association with aggressive behaviors, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt history among Black and Hispanic adolescents. This work addresses critical research gaps, and its findings have the potential to inform culturally sensitive intervention strategies for vulnerable populations.

Gabrielle Armstrong

Graduate Student

Clinical Psychology Faculty

Kristin Austin

Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Psychologic Services Center

Sarah Bilsky

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology

Lee Cohen

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of Psychology

Laura Dixon

Associate Professor of Psychology

Carey Dowling

Instructional Professor of Psychology

Laura Drislane

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Laura Johnson

Professor of Psychology

Aaron Lee

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology

Vanessa Oliphant

Assistant Professor of Psychology and African American Studies

Taylor Rodriguez

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Stefan Schulenberg

Professor of Psychology, Director of Interdisciplinary Minor in Disaster Sciences and Director of the Clinical- Disaster Research Center

Todd Smitherman

Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training

John Young

Professor of Psychology

Experimental Psychology

The University of Mississippi Graduate Program in Experimental Psychology provides the rigorous and supportive scientific training that prepares graduates for outstanding careers in a broad spectrum of established and emerging fields. From academic careers in teaching and research, to careers in health sciences, research/medical administration, drug development and beyond, graduates of the program are experts in applying the scientific method to psychology problems.

The Psychology of Gossip

Dr. Andrew Hales recently published research on the psychology of gossip, to better understand why and when people may actually desire to be the topic of other people’s gossip. The research shows that, overall, most people prefer not to be gossiped about. However, on average, people who are higher in the trait of narcissism prefer to receive this attention, even when it is explicitly negative. This research helps us understand how different people handle the conflict between two fundamental human motives that sometimes clash: we want to be liked, and we want to be noticed.

Read Report

Stephanie Miller and the CUB Lab

The CUB Lab is part of an interdisciplinary collaboration with the School of Education (Early Childhood Education, Health and Physical Education) and Nutrition & Hospitality Management working to deliver and understand the benefits of a supplemental standards-based curriculum grounded in mindfulness focused on family and community engagement, gardening and nutrition, social-emotional learning, and physical activity. The CUB lab team works to demonstrate positive contributions of this supplemental curriculum to executive function and social-emotional development during preschool. More information about the Growing Healthy Minds Bodies and Communities curriculum and the research related to this program can be found at their website.

Zoe Fischer, Doctoral Student

“My lab focuses on memory research, and we are currently working on a project that examines how presenting educational content in different formats can impact students' knowledge retention. We are exploring whether presenting information as a narrative, rather than through a traditional lecture style, enhances students' ability to remember what they have learned. Through this project, we aim to generate meaningful insights that can help educators optimize their teaching methods for better student learning and engagement.”

Storytelling Enhances Memory Retention

"In the study Storytelling: A Natural Mnemonic, I explored whether storytelling enhances memory retention compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. My research lies at the intersection of cognitive psychology and education, and I aim to investigate further how different instructional strategies can optimize learning outcomes. This work challenges common assumptions about storytelling as an inherently superior teaching method by demonstrating that its effects on memory retention may be context-dependent. This research can inform the development of more effective instructional approaches tailored to diverse learning needs. My goal is to contribute to creating teaching strategies that engage students and enhance their ability to retain and apply knowledge."

Hailey Stephens
(B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice)

Community Engaged Fellow

Dr. Anna Kate Edgemon has been selected as a 2025–2026 Community Engaged Fellow by the University of Mississippi’s Center for Community Engagement. This competitive fellowship recognizes faculty members who demonstrate a strong commitment to community-engaged scholarship, research, teaching, and service. Her fellowship project, Community Engagement to Improve Conditions for Underserved Youth, focuses on developing restorative justice practices within Lafayette County. Her work aims to provide community-based justice, accountability, and improved outcomes for justice-involved youth. As a Fellow, Dr. Edgemon will participate in a year-long program designed to support and enhance her community-engaged research through collaboration with campus and community partners. This project will support the university’s public service mission and contribute to systemic improvements for youth across Mississippi.