Donald J. Polzella

Donald J. Polzella is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Dayton’s College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the intersection of prosocial behaviors, civic engagement, and arts participation. He has extensively studied how participation in arts events correlates with pro-social activities like voting, volunteering, and community involvement. His work employs statistical methodologies such as logistic regression to analyze large-scale datasets from national surveys (e.g., the NEA’s Survey of Public Participation in the Arts).

Key research themes include understanding motivations behind arts attendance, the role of quality of life indicators (e.g., happiness, excitement), and how demographic factors influence arts engagement. He has also explored topics like music audience behavior, cognitive impacts of music, and cross-modal perception (e.g., color and music interactions).

His work is supported by grants such as the National Endowment for the Arts (Grant No. FDR 16-3800-7015). Notable publications include studies on the Mozart effect, prosocial behaviors linked to music attendance, and the psychological dimensions of Marian art. While no specific advising or grant details are provided, his contributions span decades, reflecting a sustained commitment to empirical social science research.