You are here
Psi Beta News
October 2016
Guest Speaker Talks about Violence and Mental Illness
Psi Beta Honor Society and Psychology Club recently hosted guest speaker Dr. Robert Kinscherff, an expert on mental health and violence issues. His topic, “What is the Relationship Between Violence and Mental Illness?” was of interest to faculty, staff and students.
Dr. Kinscherff is a clinical/forensic psychologist and an attorney with his doctorate in clinical psychology from City University of New York and his law degree from Harvard Law School. He has spent over 30 years at the intersections of psychology and law with a focus on violence, childhood adversities and trauma, and mental disorders among children, adolescents and adults. He is currently an administrator and Associate Professor in clinical and forensic psychology at William James College, and Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience for Harvard Law School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
This past June, he was an invited participant at the White House at a summit meeting on community violence. He has published more than 55 chapters and articles, provides forensic evaluations of adults and juveniles who have committed acts of serious violence, and consults and teaches nationally and internationally.
The lecture is available for viewing on YouTube.
Professors present research at association meeting
Valarie Clemente, Ed.D., advisor of Psi Beta and Psychology Club, and Dr. Eric Mania, professor of psychology, presented their research at the New England Psychological Association's annual meeting, on October 15 at Assumption College.
Their study, “Self-Regulate to Graduate: Learning Goal Orientation Mediates the Relationship between Mindset and Academic Self-Regulation,” looked at the challenges community college students face. Many students have academic deficiencies and should take remedial courses, however many students who need these courses do not complete them and have issues with academic performance. Academic self-regulation deals with the extent of how students impact their success, through setting goals, employing study strategies and seeking mentors.
The study included 504 students from two-year institutions around the country. It examined whether learning goal orientation can improve mindset and academic self-regulation and success.
