Scott C. Bates, Ph.D. is a professor who earned a B.S. from Whitman College, an M.S. from Western Washington University and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Colorado State University. I conduct research in three primary areas:

* Environmental Psychology: I am particularly interested in environmental perception and restorative environments. A currently funded NASA project involves the design and assessment of the non-nutritive benefits to having and/or tending plants in isolated environments such as those found in space travel.

* Higher Education Teaching & Learning: Understanding college-level learning, and optimizing college-level teaching, is another of my research interests. I have several studies ongoing, including a funded study of online learning aids for the introductory psychology course. I am also interested in the nature and structure of the introductory psychology course.

* Problem Behavior Prevention: Much of my research background is in survey research related to problem behavior prevention. Recent projects in this area have involved the design and assessment of a personalized, web-based, social-norms intervention among college students, an exploration of social-influences on college-student alcohol use.

I teach primarily in the undergraduate program: General Psychology (PSY 1010), Scientific Thinking & Methods in Psychology (PSY 3500), and Orientation to Psychology as a Major and Career (PSY 2950). I also teach Social Psychology at the graduate level (PSY 3510). I have accumulated an excellent record of teaching accomplishment--including college and national awards for excellence in teaching.

I run an active research lab that includes undergraduate and graduate students. I currently supervise six graduate students. Their projects range from social influences on alcohol involvement, to evaluation os sex-education in high-schools, to an analysis of the processes of worry and rumination, to an assessment of the underlying processes in the perception of school safety.