معرفی
Rupert Klein is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Lakehead University. He has been with Lakehead University since 2006, first as an Assistant Professor (2007-2010) and then as an Associate Professor (2011-present). Prior to this, he held an Assistant Professor position at Kansas State University (2006-2007).
Dr. Klein received his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from McGill University (2001-2006) and his H.B.A. with a minor in Philosophy from Lakehead University. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he worked for a year as a research assistant in a Psychiatric Hospital.
As an experimental psychologist, Dr. Klein focuses on personality theories and methodology, with particular interest in applying these theories to understand risk taking, helping behaviors, and competition. His research spans multiple domains including competitiveness measurement, risk behavior in motorcycle riding, problem gambling, and sexual health behaviors. He has developed psychometric tools such as the Competitiveness Orientation Measure to better understand trait competitiveness.
Dr. Klein's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on how personality traits influence behavior in competitive and risky situations. His work bridges theoretical personality psychology with practical applications in diverse settings from transportation safety to gambling behavior.
His notable scientific contributions include:
- Development of the Competitiveness Orientation Measure as a unified measure of trait competitiveness
- Research on the relationship between perfectionism and competitiveness
- Studies examining risk-taking behaviors in motorcycle riding
- Investigations into the psychological factors underlying problem gambling
- Research on cognitive factors affecting condom use consistency
Professor Klein is actively involved in mentoring students, teaching undergraduate courses in Personality Psychology, Human Sexuality, Advanced Social Psychology, and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. He is currently accepting students for the 4th year Honour's Thesis course and encourages interested students to contact him directly to discuss research opportunities.
He leads research projects that examine the intersection of personality traits with real-world behaviors, providing students with opportunities to engage in experimental psychology research through both course-based experiences (like PSYCH 2917) and independent thesis work (PSYCH 4901).
