ROBERT W. ALLAN, associate professor of psychology, was a member of the faculty for 30 years.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Brigham Young University in 1978 and a Doctor of Philosophy in experimental psychology from New York University in 1984.
Allan joined the faculty as assistant professor in 1991 and was promoted to associate professor in 1995.
He taught courses such as Experimental Psychology, Learning, Perception, Behavior Modification, Behavioral Analysis of Instructional Methods, Quantitative Methods, and Addiction. He incorporated learning-based practices into his courses and employed learning theory to elicit successful performance from students. He received Lafayette’s Superior Teaching Award in 1994 and 1995.
Allan published many articles sharing his research on how behavior is influenced by stimuli in the environment and contingent relationships among those stimuli, behavior, and reward. Through conditioning chambers outfitted with computer touch screens, he used pigeons to study operant-respondent interactions. He presented his research at many conferences. He is the author of Statistical Reasoning in Psychology and Education, a student study guide and workbook.
Allan has been a reviewer for scholarly journals such as Learning and Behavior, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioral Process, and The Behavior Analyst. He served on the boards of the Eastern Psychological Association and Association for Behavior Analysis International. He also organized several conferences and symposia.
He was a member of more than 10 professional societies, including American Psychological Society, of which he was a charter member.
Allan chaired the Department of Psychology’s Cohen Prize Committee and advised the student Psychology Club. He served on and chaired many faculty committees, including the Academic Progress Committee, Student Life Committee, and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.