Stephen Short

Associate Professor of Psychology

Education

Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology, University of Kansas

B.S. in Psychology, Christopher Newport University

Research Interests

My expertise includes psychometrics and scale development, as well as in structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, and longitudinal data analysis. I seek to develop, evaluate, and promote best practices in research methods and statistics, and apply these in collaborations with colleagues. Student researchers and I examine predictors of attitudes toward science, and we test new methods that may increase acceptance of climate change and engagement in pro-environmental behaviors.

Courses Taught

  • PSYC 103: Introduction to Psychological Science
  • PSYC 250: Psychological Statistics and Research Methods
  • PSYC 370: Tests and Measurements
  • PSYC 390: Advanced Psychological Statistics
  • FYSE 132: First Year Seminar: Evolution for Everyone!; Solvable: Scientific Solutions for the Past, Present, and Future

Selected Publications

Undergraduate student coauthors are marked with an asterisk.

Kolak, A. M., Panasko, O. D.*, & Short, S. D. (2025). Mental health in emerging adulthood: The contributions of parent-child relationships and perceived mattering. Family Relationships, 74, 1930-1945.

Reid, C. A. & Short, S. D. (2024). Cautionary comments on the Clifton Strengths Assessment in higher education. Consulting Psychology Journal, 76, 313-330.

Robertson, S. M. C., Short, S. D., McSween, D.*, Medlen, S.*, & Schneider, K*. (2022). Randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of expressive writing in reducing symptoms of anxiety: Wait-List control design. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 41, 54-78.

Reid, C. A., Green, J. D., Short, S. D., Willis, K. D., Moloney, J. M., Collison, E. A., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Gramling, S. (2021). The past as a resource for the bereaved: Nostalgia predicts declines in distress. Cognition and Emotion, 35, 256-268.

Short, S. D., Lastrapes, K.A.*, Natale, N. E.*, & McBrady, E. E*. (2019). Rational engagement buffers the effect of conservatism on one’s reported relevance of the theory of evolution. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 56, 1384-1405.

Schoemann, A. M., Boulton, A. J., & Short, S. D. (2017). Determining power and sample size for simple and complex mediation models. Social Psychology and Personality Science, 8, 379-386.

Sakaluk, J. K., & Short, S. D. (2017). A methodological review of exploratory factor analysis in sexuality research: Used practices, best practices, and data analysis resources. Journal of Sex Research, 54, 1-9.

Ross, T. P., Ross, L T., Short, S. D., & Cataldo, S.* (2015). The multidimensional health locus of control scale: Psychometric properties and form equivalence. Psychological Reports, 116, 889-913.

Short, S. D., & Hawley, P. H. (2015). The effects of evolution education: Examining attitudes toward and knowledge of evolution in college courses. Evolutionary Psychology, 13, 67-88.

Short, S. D., & Hawley, P. H. (2012). Evolution Attitudes and Literacy Survey (EALS): Development and validation of a short form. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 5, 419-428.