heather-butler

hbutler@csudh.edu

EDUCATION:

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Applied Psychology, Psychology and Law, Cognitive Psychology, Social-Cognition

I have number of research interests that are loosely grounded in human cognition (critical thinking, advanced learning technologies, cognitive bias in the legal system).  One line of research explores cognitive bias in forensic identification (e.g., fingerprinting), as well as juror perceptions of the forensics and how they are shaped by popular media.  Another line of research explores the real-world consequences of thinking critically and the psychometric properties of a critical thinking assessments.  I have also been working on a grant to create a “serious” game that teaches critical thinking and career planning.


ResearchGate
Website


REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS:

Butler, H. A., & Hunsaker, M. C. (2023, in press). A Case for Life Design: An Innovative Seminar to Foster Transfer Student Success Through Career Exploration, Agency, and Readiness.  In H. Maietta and P. Gardner (Eds.) Ensuring Success for Transfer Students: The Importance of Career and Professional Development. National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, Colombia, South Carolina.

Butler, H. A., & Halpern, D. F. (2020). Critical Thinking Impacts Our Everyday Lives. In R. Sternberg and D. Halpern (Eds.) Critical Thinking in Psychology (2nd Edition).  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108684354

Halpern, D. F., & Butler, H. A. (2018). Is Critical Thinking a Better Model of Intelligence?  In Robert J. Sternberg (Ed.) The Nature of Human Intelligence.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 

Halpern, D. F., & Butler, H. A. (2018).  Teaching Critical Thinking as if Our Future Depends on It, Because it Does.  In. K. Rawson and J. Dunlosky (Eds.) Cambridge Handbook on Cognition and Education. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Butler, H. A. (2017, October 3).  Do you know someone who is very intelligent, but does really stupid things?  Scientific American.  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-smart-people-do-foolish-things/

Butler, H. A., Pentoney, C., & Bong, M. (2017).  Predicting real-world outcomes: Critical thinking is a better predictor of life decisions than intelligence.  Thinking Skills and Creativity, 24, 38-46.

Media Coverage:

• https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/07/21/why-some-smart-people-make-foolish-decisions/
• http://workplaceinsight.net/critical-thinking-ability-better-predictor-life-decisions-intelligence/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-misinformation/201707/is-critical-thinking-the-new-mindfulness

Halpern, D. F., & Butler, H. A. (2017, September 1) Teachers understand critical thinking? That’s fake news. Times Education Supplement. https://www.tes.com/magazine/archived/teachers-understand-critical-thinking-thats-fake-news

Butler, H. A., Dwyer, C. P., Hogan, M. J., Franco, A., Rivas, S. F., Saiz, C., & Almeida, L. F. (2012). Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment and real-world outcomes: Cross-national applications.  Thinking Skills and Creativity, 7, 112-121. doi: 10.1016/j.tsc.2012.04.001

Butler, H. A., Costanzo, M., & Halpern, D. F. (submitted). Debiasing juror perceptions of forensic identification evidence: The effects of expert testimony and perspective-taking Pentoney, C., Halpern, D. F., & Butler, H. A. (2015).  Development of advanced learning technologies. In R. A. Scott and S. M. Kosslyn (Eds.) Emerging trends in the social and behavioral sciences. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons

Halpern, D. F. & Butler, H. A. (2013).  Assessment in higher education: Admission and outcomes.  In K.F. Geisinger, B. Bracken, J. F. Carlson, Hansen, J.I., Kuncel, N., Reise, S., & Rodriguez, M. C. Handbook of testing and assessment in psychology (Vol. 3; 319-336).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Butler, H. A. (2012). Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment predicts real-world outcomes of critical thinking. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26, 721-729

Butler, H. A., *orsyth, C., Halpern, D. F., Graesser, A.C., & Millis, K. (2011).   Secret agents, alien spies, and a quest to save the world: Engaging students in scientific reasoning and critical thinking through Operation ARIES!.  In R. L. Miller, R. F. Rycek, E. Amsel, B. Kowalski, B. Beins, K. Keith, & B. Peden (Eds.). Volume 1: Programs, Techniques and Opportunities.Syracuse, N.Y.: Society for the Teaching of Psychology

Forsyth, C. M., Graesser, A. C., Pavlik, P., Cai, Z., Butler, H., Halpern, D. F., & Millis, K. (2013).  Operation ARIES: Methods, mystery, and mixed models: Discourse features predict affect and motivation in a serious game. Journal of Educational Data Mining, 5(1), 147-189.

TEACHING:
PSY 101: General Studies Psychology
PSY 110: Critical Thinking
PSY 306: Design Your Life
PSY 330: Intermediate Statistics
PSY 371: Forensic and Legal Psychology
PSY 411/412: Advanced Research Methods in Social Psychology
PSY 490: Senior Seminar in Psychology
PSY 497: Peer Advising
PSY 498: Directed Research
UNV 101: Truth, Lies, and Criminal Profiling: Misperceptions of Forensic Psychology in Popular Media