Mark Whatley

Mark Whatley is a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychological Science at Valdosta State University. With a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Kentucky (1998), he has established himself as a researcher with diverse interests spanning social, cultural, and gender psychology.

Dr. Whatley's educational background includes a doctoral degree in Social Psychology from the University of Kentucky, completed in 1998. His academic journey has led him to focus on understanding human behavior through multiple lenses including cultural differences, gender dynamics, and social cognition.

Dr. Whatley's research portfolio demonstrates a strong commitment to understanding how cultural contexts shape human psychology. His primary research interests include cross-cultural differences in shyness, the intersection of culture and gender in influencing procrastination tendencies, attributions of responsibility for crime victims, and issues related to sexual harassment. He has also investigated how culture-related personalities influence social comparison processes and the role of publicity in reciprocity-based compliance. His work spans both theoretical explorations of social psychological phenomena and practical applications addressing contemporary social issues.

Analysis of Dr. Whatley's publication record reveals consistent engagement with scale development and measurement in social psychology. His recent work has addressed timely topics including attitudes toward face masks during the pandemic (2022), academic entitlement (2019), and attitudes toward pornography (2019). Earlier work focused on homosexual adoption attitudes (2016), test anxiety (2016), violence prevention (2018), and religious beliefs related to mental illness (2018). These publications demonstrate his commitment to developing valid measurement tools while addressing socially relevant issues across multiple domains of social psychology.

Dr. Whatley serves as an SPN Mentor, providing career advice to underrepresented college students. His teaching portfolio includes courses in Educational Social Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Fundamentals of Psychology, Psychology of Gender, Psychology of Sex, Social Psychology (both undergraduate and graduate levels), and Tests and Measurements. While specific grant information isn't provided in the available materials, his extensive publication record suggests active research engagement throughout his academic career.

As an educator and researcher, Dr. Whatley contributes to both the academic community through his scholarship and the broader public through his teaching and mentorship activities. His work bridges theoretical social psychology with practical applications addressing contemporary social issues.