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Richard F. West
Professor of Psychology
Email: westrf@jmu.edu
Phone: 540-658-6502
Office: Johnston Hall, room 206
Website: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~westrf/
Education & Professional Qualifications
| Ph.D. | University of Michigan |
|---|---|
| B.A. | University of California at Berkeley |
Biographical Statement
I grew up near Berkeley, California where I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology at UCB.
Teaching Interests & Program Affiliations
| Faculty: | Psychological Sciences Program |
|---|---|
| Courses: | Cognition Judgment and Reasoning Developmental Cognitive Processes in Reading |
Scholarship
My current research focuses primarily on judgment, decision making, and critical thinking. Although humans are generally very good at making decisions, even very bright people are susceptible to "cognitive illusions" and biases that can hinder good judgment and decision making. My research explores a variety of these cognitive illusions and biases, and the psychological processes that underlie our susceptibility to them.
Selected publications:
- West, R. F., & Stanovich, K. E. (2003). Is probability matching smart? Associations between probabilistic choices and cognitive ability. Memory & Cognition, 31, 243-251.
- Stanovich, K.E., & West, R.F. (2002). Individual Differences in Reasoning: Implications for the Rationality Debate? In T. Gilovich, D. W. Griffin, D., Kahneman (Eds.), Heuristics and biases: The psychology of intuitive judgment. New York: Cambridge University. pp. 421-440. Available at Amazon.com
- Stanovich, K. E., & West, R. F. (2000). Stanovich, K.E., & West, R.F. Individual differences in reasoning: Implications for the rationality debate? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23 (5), 645-665. JMU access Cambridge
Professional Service:
- American Psychological Association
- American Psychological Society
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Psi Chi
- Psychonomic Society
- Society for Research in Child Development
- Society for the Scientific Study of Reading
