معرفی
Jay Michaels is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida, within the College of Arts and Sciences. He began his academic career at USF in 2016 and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Presbyterian College from 2012 to 2016.
Education:
- PhD in Experimental Psychology, Florida Atlantic University
- MA in Psychology, Florida Atlantic University
- BS in Psychology, University of Central Florida
- BA in History, University of Central Florida
- AA, Brevard Community College (now Eastern Florida State University)
Dr. Michaels' research lies at the intersection of social and cognitive psychology, with a focus on religion, spirituality, and their impact on cognition, health, and societal attitudes. He investigates how religious and spiritual beliefs shape meaning-making processes, psychological wellbeing, and responses to global challenges such as climate change and the pandemic. His work integrates quantitative methods and theoretical frameworks from social cognition and behavioral science.
His recent publications reveal a consistent trend in exploring the psychological mechanisms linking religion and spirituality to mental health, environmental concern, and cognitive processing. The studies employ cross-cultural, survey-based, and experimental designs, often focusing on mediating variables like belongingness, social capital, and cognitive framing. Key fields include social psychology, cognitive science, environmental attitudes, and health psychology.
Dr. Michaels is actively involved in mentoring student researchers and teaches courses in research methods and statistics. He has served in leadership roles such as Institutional Review Board co-chair, reflecting his commitment to ethical research practices.
Outside of academia, he enjoys cooking, meteorology, astronomy, and exploring Florida’s natural environment.
