Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology
Overview
We investigate the health, safety, and wellbeing of people by observing and surveying their behaviors and attitudes. Using an epidemiological approach, we seek determinant variables important to understanding how people become ill, in danger, injured, at risk, diseased, and die. Our understanding of determinants becomes the basis for seeking a process or product to improve, increase, and enhance the health, safety and well-being of people.
In general, our field lab implements a naturalistic observation method focused on college student behaviors related to different health habits and patterns, such as hand hygiene, coughing/sneezing etiquette, and oral object habits (e.g., biting nails, chewing pens/pencils, & sharing drinks with others). Our approach is informed by multiple areas of psychological theory and practice.
For instance, we investigated hand washing from an environmental psychology approach of Robert Sommer, and a social-learning approach of Albert Bandura, to better understand sex differences in hand washing frequencies. We discovered that men's and women's hand washing rates are not so different, when you factor in the physical and temporal requirements of their respective restroom environments (see Berry, Mitteer, & Fournier, 2015).
Teaching/Mentoring
Research conducted in this Field/Lab supports both courses taught and mentoring by Dr. Berry. Psychology 409 is taught by Dr. Berry, and a review of this course is linked below:
Psyc409: Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology + Lab
Dr. Berry mentors undergraduate students in his APLABS (Applied Psychology Labs). See link below for more information:
Current Research projects
Face Touching as Unintentional Self Inoculative Habits of Social Mimicry
Respiratory Hygiene and Repertoires of Risk & Health of University Student
Tracking Common Objects Used by Students as Possible Fomites: Mundane Contact Transmissions
Hand Hygiene and Pathogen Control as Function of Behavior-Design Interactions (BDI)
Unpacking Driver Speed(ing) Dynamic as a Function of Many Structures, Designs, and Social Inputs
