Dr. Bennett’s research interests fall into three main categories. The first involves factors related to patient use of complementary and alternative therapies. She has worked with her colleague, Dr. Cecile Lengacher of the University of South Florida, to develop and test the Complementary Therapy Rating Scale. Current research involves investigation of factors related to use of complementary and alternative therapies and perceptions of effectiveness in persons with breast cancer. The second area of research is based on Psychoneuroimmunology theory and investigates the effect of various therapies on stress and immune function. Her work thus far has examined the effects of laughter, massage therapy, relaxation therapy and music therapy. The third area of research is student outcome evaluation. Previous projects include comparing student outcomes from three different anatomy and physiology classes with mean national data from the NLN anatomy and physiology exam, and comparing distance student outcomes with on campus student outcomes in a nursing research class.
CAM and Immune Function Research
Immune Responses to Guided Imagery During Breast Cancer Treatment, Biological Research For Nursing (2008)
Relief of Symptoms, Side Effects, and Psychological Distress Through Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Women With Breast Cancer, Oncology Nursing Forum (2006)
The Effect of Mirthful Laughter on Stress and Natural Killer Cell Activity (with Janice M. Zeller, Lisa Rosenberg, and Judith McCann), Nursing Faculty Publications (2003)
The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity., Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (2001)
Research Methodology
Design and Testing of the Use of a Complementary and Alternative Therapies Survey in Women With Breast Cancer, Oncology Nursing Forum (2003)
The Process of Clinical Trials: A Model for Successful Clinical Trial Participation (with Cecile A. Lengacher, Lois L. Gonzalez, Rosemary Giuliano, Charles E. Cox, and Douglas S. Reintgen), Nursing Faculty Publications (2001)
Review of Humor Research
Humor and Laughter May Influence Health: [Part] III. Laughter and Health Outcomes (with Cecile Lengacher), Nursing Faculty Publications (2007)
This is part three of a four-part series reviewing the evidence on how humor influences...
Humor and Laughter May Influence Health [Part] IV. Humor and Immune Function (with Cecile Lengacher), Nursing Faculty Publications (2007)
This is the final article in a four part series reviewing the influence of humor...
Humor and Laughter May Influence Health. [Part] I. History and Background (with Cecile A. Lengacher), Nursing Faculty Publications (2006)
Articles in both the lay and professional literature have extolled the virtues of humor, many...
Humor and Laughter May Influence Health: [Part] II. Complementary Therapies and Humor in a Clinical Population (with Cecile Lengacher), Nursing Faculty Publications (2006)
Our results support a connection between sense of humor and self-reported physical health, however, it...