Hey everyone, Christopher here. Welcome to the blog. Hope you enjoy. I want to note that on some of my works I might be listed as "Cristobal" because it's my Hispanic birth name. I just go by "Chris" or "Christopher" since that's what everyone has always referred to me as. I look forward to hearing responses and generating some good discussion!
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-Chris
WELCOME,
Christopher Cruz is a graduate student at The University of Southern Mississippi where he researches memory in the Cognition & Memory Lab. Additionally, he works as a TA teaching and tutoring undergraduate statistics and research methods. Christopher is also a Clinical Assistant at Hattiesburg’s Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services where he works hands on with therapists and medical doctors to provide services for individuals struggling with addiction.
Christopher is an alumnus of Chamberlain Hunt Academy, a now defunct Christian based military school located in Port Gibson, MS. After leaving Chamberlain Hunt his junior year of high-school, he returned to Hattiesburg and graduated at Presbyterian Christian High-School (class of 2011). Immediately after graduating high-school, Christopher enrolled at The University of Southern Mississippi majoring in Psychology.
WANT TO CONNECT?
Email me at: Christopher.cruz@usm.edu
As an undergraduate at USM Christopher became involved in a number of research and practice opportunities including: working in the Social Cognition and Behavior Lab, tutoring statistics to undergraduates at the university’s statistics tutoring center, working with the School Psychology department to implement behavioral interventions with high-school students, working with the Child and Family Studies department on social media research, and working with the Philosophy department on projects involving philosophy of science. Christopher took additional courses in Neuroscience, Statistics, and Management at Boston University. While in Boston, Christopher also served as a research assistant at Boston College in the Lynch School of Education.
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Christopher continued his education at USM after graduating with his B.S. in Psychology. He is now working towards his Master’s Degree leading to a PhD in Experimental Psychology (expected defending of dissertation 2021). His specific research interest focus on what factors influence our memory. Christopher seeks to find answers to questions about how emotion influences memory and how attitudes/beliefs about memory might influence memory performance. Christopher is a firm believer in a dual approach to reasoning where a healthy balance of science and philosophy are needed to arrive at clear understanding of the world. Christopher is a strong believer in scientific skepticism and uses this skepticism wherever possible when practicing psychology-whether in the field or in the laboratory.
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Christopher has presented work at the Mississippi National Academy of Sciences, South-Eastern Conference for Family Relations, and at USM’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. He has presented on various topics including philosophy of science, alcohol, discrimination, stress, and social media and sexual behaviors.
Christopher S. Cruz B.S.
Selected Works:
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Patihis, L., Cruz, C., & McNally, R. J. (in press). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). In V. Zeigler-Hill & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. New York, NY: Springer.
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Kimberly, C., Williams, A., Drawdy, D., & Cruz, C. (2017). Brief Report: Young Adult Women, Sexting, and Risky Sexual Behaviors. The Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice.
Stepanova, E. V.,Drobes, D. J., Echevarria, D. J., Collier,A. D., & Cruz, C. S. (January, 2016). Discrimination, Stress and Reactivity to Alcohol Cues. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA
First place in Ethnicity/Race category at the 2015 Undergraduate Symposium on Research and Creative Activity. University of Southern Mississippi. Presented to Cristobal (Chris) Cruz
Project: *Cruz C., *Russo, K., *Kirkland, N., & Stepanova, E. V. (2015). The Effects of Discrimination on Alcohol Craving and Stress. (*indicates student coauthor)
First place in Ethnicity/Race category at the 2016
Undergraduate Symposium on Research and Creative Activity. University of Southern Mississippi. Presented to Maya Rex Project:
*Rex M., *Cruz, C., *Gaddy, G., *Jackson, K. N., *Lolley,K., *Miller, C.,*Polk, J., *Robinson J., & Stepanova, E. V. (2016). Racial Bias in Elementary School Children: Effects of Skin Color and Facial Features. (*indicates student coauthor)