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Sample Writings * Education * Publications * Refereed Presentations
Research Experience * Teaching Experience * Supervision Experience
Clinical Experience * Community Service * Personal Web Page
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Refereed Presentations
Harris, K. A. (2005, April). Spirituality across the lifespan: A review and evaluation of Fowler’s (1981) faith development theory. Paper presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2005 Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A., Gray, E. M., Staller, T. L., Everett, M. J., Hilger, K. R., & Goodwin, A. J. (2005, April). The Aitheros project: Developing a research institute for the scientific study of spirituality and the quest for meaning. Poster presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2005 Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A., Moore, K. E., Wagner, A. K., Cacialli, M. A., & Crocker, R. (2005a, April). The intentional worlds of Pagans in the United States. Poster presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2005 Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A., Moore, K. E., Wagner, A. K., Cacialli, M. A., & Crocker, R. (2005b, April). Psychotherapy with Pagans: Religiously-sensitive therapy with followers of “the old religion.” Symposium presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2005 Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Gray, E. M., & Harris, K. A. (2005, March). The Aitheros project: Religious and spiritual constructs in psychology. Poster presented at the Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Staller, T. L., & Harris, K. A. (2005, March). The Aitheros project II: Developing a research bibliography. Poster presented at the Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Everett, M. J., & Harris, K. A. (2005, March). The Aitheros project III: Developing a research institute. Poster presented at the Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A. (2005, March). Unity in DiverCity 2005: Roots and heritage. Poster presented at the Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Moore, K. E., & Harris, K. A. (2005, March). The Intentional worlds of Pagans in the United States: Religiously-sensitive therapy with followers of “the old religion.” Poster presented at the Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A. (2004, April). Psychology and religion: More alike than either will admit? Paper presented at Great Lakes 2004 Regional Conference in Counseling Psychology, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A., Wilson, P. W., & Jackson, Z. V. (2004, April). Beginning body dialog: An introduction to the physical acting techniques of TO in family counseling. Workshop presented at the Tenth Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference, Omaha, NE.
Abstract coming soon.
Wilson, P. W., Harris, K. A., Ordońez, M. A., & Jackson, Z. V. (2004, April). Images and rainbows: Drama therapy techniques for counselors. Workshop presented at Great Lakes 2004 Regional Conference in Counseling Psychology, Muncie, IN.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A. (2004, March). Games and the sacred: Defining religious and spiritual constructs in psychology – A literature review. Paper presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2004 Mid-Winter Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A., Gray, E., Hilger, K., Hooley, J., Bowie, R., Schellenberg, L., Werner, M., & Koliba, D. (2004, March). Games and the sacred, part II: Defining religious and spiritual constructs in psychology – Developing a research bibliography. Poster presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2004 Mid-Winter Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Harris, K. A., Randolph, B. E., & Gordon, T. D. (2004, March). What do clients want?: Assessing client spiritual needs in counseling – A literature review. Poster presented at the meeting of Division 36 of the American Psychological Association, Psychology of Religion, 2004 Mid-Winter Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Columbia, MD.
Abstract coming soon.
Wilson, P. W., Harris, K. A., Jackson, Z. V., Ordonez, M. A., & Brown, T. (May 2002). Theatre, therapy, and social responsibility: An interdisciplinary critique of Project Rainbow. Panel presentation at the Ninth Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
Theatre and psychology have much in common. While a number of articles and independent efforts have been undertaken to create a mutually beneficial relationship between theatre and psychology, few of these efforts have resulted in actual collaborations between the two professions. Currently, though, there is an ongoing collaboration between the fields of theatre activism and counseling psychology – a dialog among professions. This dialogue is called Project Rainbow, and its purpose is to introduce the field of counseling psychology to new and exciting theatrical techniques that can be used as interventions in counseling, to add therapeutic concepts to the field of theatre activism, and to promote social responsibility and multicultural awareness in both fields. This dialog began with a workshop at Ball State University, in which a theatre activist from Miami University of Ohio introduced a small group of Ball State counselors to the techniques of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. The five professionals chiefly involved in this dialog then formed a panel to critique Theatre of the Oppressed – five critiques from five different perspectives. Their five critiques are presented here. Paul W. Wilson II critiqued the dialog from a theatre activist perspective. Kevin A. Harris approached the collaboration from a spirituality perspective. Z. Vance Jackson reviewed the effort from a social psychology perspective. M. Alicia Ordonez appraised the enterprise from a psychological systems perspective. And Terry Brown discussed the endeavor from a developmental/ psychoeducational perspective.
Harris, K. A. & Purrone, K. (April 2002). Definitions and discomfort: Towards an integration of spirituality in multicultural counseling. Poster session at the 2003 Great Lakes Conference on Counseling Psychology, Kalamazoo, MI.
Spirituality is a multidimensional construct. We present eight elements that the literature often talks about as having to do with spirituality: (1) an internal emphasis, (2) a belief system, (3) a relationship, (4) an ultimate concern, (5) meaningfulness, (6) self-enhancement, (7) self-transcendence, and (8) a monistic perspective. We propose a “definition” of spirituality based on these eight elements – a definition which recognizes all of these multiple dimensions and will hopefully serve as a guiding heuristic reflective of the spirituality literature, rather than a limiting construct which includes some elements of spirituality at the exclusion of others. We address the issue of counselor discomfort and intrapersonal conflict in discussing spiritual issues with clients, and we present an example of a spiritual assessment tool. Finally, we briefly propose how this conception of spirituality can be integrated into multicultural counseling practice.
Harris, K. A. (March 2002). Spirituality and religiousness: Defining concepts in psychotherapy. Poster session at the 2003 Mid-Winter Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality, Timonium, MD.
Spirituality and religiousness are important concepts to include in modern psychotherapy. Frequently, though, these are not well-defined in the research literature; though most researchers agree that there is a difference between spirituality and religiousness, different writers define these terms in a variety of different ways. In an effort to clarify these often ambiguous terms, two studies were undertaken as a preliminary descriptive examination of the existing psychotherapy research literature on the definitions of spirituality and religiousness. The goal of these two studies was to explore how different researchers used these terms, and, through basic concept mapping, to present a descriptive definition of each construct based on how it is typically used in the literature.
Harris, K. A. (April 2000). What Mozart effect?: The Mozart effect and spatial-temporal I.Q. Paper presented at the annual Indiana University Women’s Studies Student Conference, Kokomo, IN.
The “Mozart Effect” describes an increase in performance on a test of spatial ability when that test is preceded by the presentation of a short piece by Mozart. However, there is great disagreement about whether or not this effect truly exists. Rauscher and Shaw (1998) suggest that both spatial imagery and temporal sequencing are necessary for the effect to occur; in the studies that do not find the “Mozart Effect,” one or both of these elements is missing. Prior research has shown the “Mozart Effect” to facilitate performance on the abstract-visual reasoning subtest and the Paper Folding and Cutting task of the 4th edition of the Stanford-Binet IQ Test, as well as on a spatial-temporal task modeled after the Stanford-Binet Paper Folding and Cutting task. This facilitation also occurred with a maze task employed by Wilson and Brown (1997). The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the “Mozart Effect” could be extended to another maze task. A total of 32 undergraduate students were given a paper-and-pencil maze task, half after listening to five minutes of a Mozart sonata and half after experiencing a comparable control condition of silence. The results indicated that listening to Mozart did not facilitate performance on the present maze task. However, they did indicate the unexpected finding that men perform better on this maze task than women did, regardless of which condition they were in.
Harris, K. A. & Sykes, W. E. (April 2000). The Mozart effect and preference. Paper presented at the 19th annual Mid-America Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference, Evansville, IN.
The “Mozart Effect” describes an increase in performance on a test of spatial ability when that test is preceded by presentation of a short piece by Mozart. Some researchers have proposed that when the “Mozart Effect” is found, it is actually a manifestation of preference for Mozart. This study tested the theory that musical preference, rather than anything unique to Mozart’s music, influences performance on a spatial-temporal task. Participants’ preference for a Mozart sonata versus 1980’s Heavy Metal was assessed, and then participants’ performance on a spatial-temporal Paper Folding and Cutting task was measured after exposure to seven minutes of Mozart, Heavy Metal, or silence. This was done to test the hypothesis that those who are exposed to the musical condition they prefer will do significantly better on the Paper Folding and Cutting task than those whose musical exposure does not match their musical preference.
Harris, K. A. & Sykes, W. E. (October 1999). Professional predispositions: Assessing multiple intelligences theory in undergraduates. Poster session presented at the annual Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Gardner’s (1983) Theory of Multiple Intelligences maintains that people possess 8 intelligences. The Multiple Intelligences Development Assessment Scales (MIDAS) has emerged as the principle instrument for measuring these intelligences. Shearer (1996b, 1997) has shown that a correspondence exists between people’s strongest intelligences and their selected career fields, but little research has shown if this can be found among college students. Examining 172 undergraduates, this study represents a rigorous empirical test of the MIDAS – and Gardner’s theory. The data show modest correspondence between certain intellectual strengths and career destination among college students, suggesting that these intellectual strengths are beginning to emerge among this population.
Harris, K.
A. (March
1999). Gender
differences in religious beliefs among college students. Paper presented at the annual Indiana University Women’s Studies
Conference, Kokomo, IN.
Recent research indicates that women in the general population are more religious than men. This study was developed to determine if this trend holds specifically for college students. The study tested the hypothesis that women at a satellite campus of a large Midwestern university display higher levels of religiosity than the men there. Forty-seven college students were given a survey asking them questions about their religious beliefs. Respondents were asked to rate their own religiosity and spirituality, to describe their level of religious conviction, and to state whether or not they believe in God, an afterlife, traditional religious paranormal phenomena such as angels and ghosts, the power of prayer, and the meaningfulness of life. The results of the survey showed that college women do appear to manifest more religiosity than college men, both overall and on specific measures of religiosity. This could be due to a predisposed tendency for women to be more religious or perhaps instead to the traditional lack of women's roles in the workplace giving them more time to devote to religiosity.
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Sample Writings * Education * Publications * Refereed Presentations
Research Experience * Teaching Experience * Supervision Experience
Clinical Experience * Community Service * Personal Web Page
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