Dr. Eugene M. Fodor

Professor
Psychology Department
169 Science Center
PO Box 5825
Potsdam, NY 13699-5825 Phone: 315-268-2298

Fax: 315-268-7118
E-mail: fodorem@clarkson.edu

Education
Ph.D., Cornell University, 1966

Courses Taught
Introduction to Psychology, Human Motivation, Group Dynamics, Abnormal Psychology.

Research Interests
During the past year, I conducted an experiment exploring the relation between measured need for power and peoples' reactions to a situation that arouses power stress, that is, a situation that increases the need to exercise power yet at the same time thwarts its expression. The situation presented to research participants was a role-played audience reaction to an extemporaneously delivered speech. The prediction was that the experimental condition in which audience reaction to the speech was negative would evoke a significantly greater stress response in persons scoring high in power motivation than in those scoring low. A principal outcome measure was electromyographic response from the corrugator brow (frown) muscle. Numerous studies have shown this measure to constitute a valid measure of response to stress.

A number of students participated as research assistants in the conduct of the research, thereby receiving Directed Research credit toward their Clarkson degree. They served as experimenters, learned to use the electromyograph machine, helped design audience role scripts, and role played audience reaction to the extemporaneous speeches. Different students served in different capacities.

Publications (last 5 years):
Fodor, E.M., (2008) The Power Motive. In M.R. Leary & R.H. Hoyle (Eds.), The handbook of individual differences and social behavior. New York: Guilford Press.

Fodor, E.M. (in press). Power motivation. In O.C. Schultheiss & J.C. Brunstein (Eds.), Implicit motives. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Fodor, E.M., Wick, D.P., Hartsen, K.M. & Preve, R.M. (in press) Right wing authoritarianism in relation to proposed judicial action, electromyographic response, and effective attitudes toward a schizophrenic mother. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

Fodor, E.M. (2006). Right-wing authoritarianism and managerial assessment of a schizophrenic candidate. Journal of Applied Psychology, 36, 953-978.

Fodor, E.M., Wick, D.P., and Hartsen, K.M. (2006). The power motive and affective response to assertiveness. Journal or Research in Personality.40, 598-610.

Fodor, E.M., & Laird, B.A. (2004). Therapeutic intervention, bipolar inclination, and literary creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 16, 149-161.

Presentations (last 5 years):
Fodor, E.M. (August, 2005). Right-wing authoritarianism and managerial assessment of a schizophrenic candidate. Presentation at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

Fodor, E.M., & Laird, B.A. (August, 2003). Therapeutic intervention, bipolar inclination, and literary creativity. Presentation at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Toronto.

Thimm, D. & Fodor, E. The Power Motive and interpersonal considerations. Annual Symposium of Undergraduate Research Experiences, Clarkson University, April 2007.