Eric Peterson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
- Ph.D. 2004, Harvard University, Developmental Psychology
MY AREAS OF INTEREST
My primary research interests reflect a few basic questions that are relevant to both typical and atypical development: How do cognitive and emotional processes interact within an individual to contribute to one’s personality and social behavior? What developmental factors give rise to this outcome? Can we begin to explore underlying brain mechanisms? I have undertaken a range of research projects that cohere around these questions. In graduate school, I worked in a developmental laboratory dedicated to the study of individual differences in the biological basis of temperament. Later, I joined a brain-imaging laboratory that explored neural mechanisms associated with autism and schizophrenia. My current research at the University of Northern Colorado, examines the degree to which basic cognitive processes influence personality development and an individual’s ability to understand others’ mental states.
Specifically, I have been exploring the relationship between preattentive threat processing and social-cognitive ability. In this paradigm, pairs of face stimuli are presented, one after the other: The first face, depicting either an angry or neutral expression, is presented very quickly (i.e., below the threshold of conscious awareness); the second face is presented supraliminally (i.e., above the threshold of awareness). Participants make reaction-time judgments to the supraliminal face. Preattentive threat processing is thought to involve the amygdala, a brain region of interest both to autism research and the study of typical social cognitive development. Several students and I are collaborating to explore whether individual differences in preattentive threat processing relate to one’s skill at understanding others’ mental states, a critical component of social cognition. To ask this question, we are using a number of personality instruments designed to identify subclinical aspects of the autism phenotype within the typical population. One of the instruments, the Eyes Task, involves gleaning mental state information by examining pairs of eyes. Although this instrument has been used to measure theory of mind ability with both typical and atypical populations, many basic questions about it have yet to be answered. My colleagues and I are beginning a comprehensive analysis of this instrument aimed at further validation and understanding.
In addition to the work described above, I have begun a number of other projects in collaboration with students and faculty at the University of Northern Colorado. I am working with Dr. Paul Klaczynski on a project aimed at elucidating cognitive and emotional mechanisms that may contribute to obesity stigmatization. I am working with two graduate students to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status and stereotype threat.
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I work hard to teach content-rich courses that are engaging to students. I hope to convey a passion both for psychological science and for the overall pursuit of education. My courses are structured to maximize opportunities for students’ active participation within the class. I always incorporate group discussion and, whenever possible, writing assignments to help students develop skills that are critical for sharing knowledge. I believe an approach that combines a commitment to current, content-rich material and to broader educational goals will serve students well in whatever future plans they choose.
COURSES TAUGHT: Cognition, The Psychology of Autism, Human Growth and Development, Child Development, Graduate seminars in developmental psychology.
MY LATEST PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
- Peterson, E., Jost, S., Brown, S., Mitton, L., Montoya, J., Peake, M., Adams, C., Dickerson, A.. (2009). Preattentive threat processing and subclinical autism symptomatology in college students. Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, CO. April, 2009.
- Peterson, E., Schimdt, G., Tregellas, J.R., Winterrowd, E., Kopelioff, L., Hepburn, S., Reite, M., Rojas., D.C. (2006). A voxel-based morphometry study of gray matter in parents of children with autism. NeuroReport, 17 (12), 1289 – 1292.
- Rojas, D.C., Peterson, E., Winterrowd, E., Reite, M., Rogers, S.J., Tregellas, J. (2006). Regional gray matter volumetric changes in autism associated with social and repetitive behaviors symptoms. BMC Psychiatry, 6 (56).