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Jeff received his Ph.D. in general psychology from Brigham Young University with a dual emphasis in applied social psychology and theoretical/philosophical psychology. His interest in applied social psychology stems from his experiences growing up in a diverse southern California community where socioeconomic inequality, racism, gangs, and aggression pervaded daily life. At an early age Jeff decided to investigate, understand, and help change these and other troubling aspects of social life that inhibit individual growth and community development. His research emphases in applied social psychology include: 1) helping children promote peaceful relationships among peers and family, and 2) sexual harassment prevention. Jeff's interest in theoretical/philosophical psychology first developed around the dinner table where he, his parents, and his 7 siblings discussed and often argued about a variety of usually mundane and sometimes weighty issues. He recognized immediately that each participant in the conversation held a particular view of the world that influenced their preferences, values, and goals in profoundly meaningful ways. His interest was further stimulated by classes he took and research he conducted at BYU with Richard Williams and Brent Slife who helped Jeff call into question the assumptions of theory and method in mainstream psychology and consider alternative ways of understanding and improving human life that borrow heavily from hermeneutic, existential, and phenomenological philosophies. From these experiences, Jeff has developed several theoretical/philosophical research emphases, including: 1) investigating the impact of hedonism in psychological theorizing and practice, 2) examining the consequences of an evolutionary account of human being, and 3) illustrating the problems and perils of eclectic psychotherapy. Influential Works |
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Jeff Reber, Ph. D.
Wednesday Matters Presentation E-mail: jreber@westga.edu |