Tom Critchfield
Professor
Office
DEG Degarmo Hall 431
Office Hours
varies by semester
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Selected Research
Biography
I studied English Literature and Educational Psychology before earning a PhD in Experimental Psychology. I have since worked at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Auburn University, and ISU.
Current Courses
PSY 231.006 Research Methods In Psychology
PSY 231.007 Research Methods In Psychology
PSY 231.008 Research Methods In Psychology
PSY 231.009 Research Methods In Psychology
PSY 231.010 Research Methods In Psychology
PSY 391.011 Scholarship Of Teaching & Learning Apprenticeship
PSY 392.001 Senior Seminar
PSY 392.002 Senior Seminar
PSY 290.011 Special Projects: Research Apprenticeship
PSY 291.011 Special Projects:Undergraduate Teaching
Teaching Interests & Areas
I usually teach courses related to Learning and Research Methods.
Research Interests & Areas
General topics in behavior analysis and learning.
Post-Doc Human Behavioral Pharmacology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Ph D Psychology
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV
James Johnson Award for Outstanding Faculty
Psi Chi
2023
Fellow
Association for Behavior Analysis International
2013
Outstanding College Researcher
ISU College of Arts & Sciences
2011
Don Hake Award for Distinguished Contributions to translational research
American Psychological Association - Division 25
2010
Fellow
American Psychological Association
2009
Distinguished Teacher
Illinois State University Chapter of Psi Chi
2007
Distinguished Teacher
Illinois State University Chapter of Psi Chi
2003
Distinguished Teacher
Illinois State University Chapter of Psi Chi
2000
Special Citation for Dedication to and Support of Student Researchers
Alabama Psychological Association
1999
Outstanding Faculty Mentor
Auburn University Graduate Student Association
1998
Outstanding Faculty Mentor
Auburn University Graduate Student Association
1997
Outstanding Teacher
Auburn University Panehellenic Council
1997
Outstanding Faculty
Auburn University Chapter of Psi Chi
1996
Outstanding faculty
Auburn University Chapter of Psi Chi
1994
Outstanding Faculty
Auburn University Chapter of Psi Chi
1992
Grants and Contracts
Developing a Psychology of Learning Teaching Laboratory
Thomas Critchfield.
CTLT. November 2015 - May 2016
Book, Chapter
Punishment
Thomas Critchfield.
(2016), Sage Encyclopedia of Psychology
Origins of clinical innovations: Why practice needs science and how science reaches practic
Thomas Critchfield, Karla Doepke.
(2015), 1-23, Bridging the gap between science and autism service delivery, Springer
Finding faculty who fit at a large mid-level public university: General and institution-specific consideration
Thomas Critchfield, Jordan J S.
(2014), 170-176, Preparing the new psychology professoriate: Helping graduate students become competent teachers (2nd. ed.), Society for the Teaching of Psychology
Journal Article
An emotional appeal for the development of empirical research on narrative
Thomas S Critchfield.
(2018)
Efficiency is everything: Promoting efficient practice by harnessing derived stimulus relations
Thomas S Critchfield.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11, 206-210, (2018)
Emotional overtones of behavior analysis terms in English and five other languages
Thomas Critchfield, Karla J Doepke.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, (2018)
The Dead Man Test: A preliminary experimental analysis
Thomas Critchfield, Elva Z.H. Shue.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, (2018)
What Sidman did: Historical and contemporary significance of research on derived stimulus relations
Thomas Critchfield, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Michael Dougher.
Perspectives on Behavior Science, (2018)
Does hearing about cancer influence stimulus control? An exploratory study of verbal modulation of stimulus generalization
Thomas Critchfield, Derek D. Reed.
(2016), doi: 0.1007/s40616-016-0055-5
In Skinner's early footsteps: Analyzing verbal behavior in large public corpora
Thomas Critchfield, Amel Becirevic, Derek D. Reed.
(2016), 10.1007/s40732-016-0197-9
Modeling the detection of early-evolving melanoma symptoms: Role of cancer information and delay discounting
Thomas Critchfield, Niki L. Howard.
(2016), 10.1007/s40732-016-0190-3
On the social acceptability of behavior analysis terms: Crowdsourced comparisons of lay and technical language
Amel Becirevic, Thomas Critchfield, Derek D Reed.
(2016), 10.1007/s40614-016-0067-4
Passable generalization gradients in about two minutes
Thomas Critchfield.
(2016)
Requiem for the Dead Man Test?
Thomas Critchfield.
(2016), 10.1007/s40614-016-0082-5
A matching law analysis of risk tolerance and gain-loss framing in football play selection
Thomas Critchfield, Stilling S T.
Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 15, 112-121, (2015), doi.org/10.1037/bar0000011
Generality of behavior theory: A multifaceted “engineering test.”
Thomas Critchfield, Karla Doepke.
PsycCRITIQUES, 60 (49), Article 6, (2015), doi.org/10.1037/a0039949
Historically low bill production in the United States Congress: Snapshot of a reinforcement-contingency system in transition
Thomas Critchfield, Reed D D, Jarmolowicz D P.
The Psychological Record, 15, 161-176, (2015)
In dreams begin responsibility: Why and how to measure the quality of graduate training in Applied Behavior Analysis
Thomas Critchfield.
8, 122-133, (2015), 10.1007/s40617-015-0090-z
Modeling the effects of melanoma education on detection of subtle symptoms: A gradient shift analysis
J R Miller, D D Reed, Thomas Critchfield.
The Psychological Record, 65, 323-335, (2015)
PBIS may not count as classical Applied Behavior Analysis: So what?
Thomas Critchfield.
8, 99-100, (2015)
What counts as high-quality practitioner training in Applied Behavior Analysis?
Thomas Critchfield.
8, 3-6, (2015)
Critchfield, T.S., & Jordan, J.S. (2014). Prospective cognition in education and enculturation
Thomas Critchfield, Jordan J S.
Cognitive Psychology and Education, 13, 139-146, (2014)
Explanatory flexibility of the matching law: Complex situational bias effects in football play selection
Thomas Critchfield, Stilling S T.
The Psychological Record, 64, 371-380, (2014)
Isolation from the mainstream: Recipe for an impoverished science
Thomas Critchfield, Valeri Farmer-Dougan.
15, 6-13, (2014)
Online equivalence-based instruction about statistical inference using written explanation instead of match-to-sample training.
Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 47 (3), 606-11, (2014), 10.1002/jaba.150
Prospective instructional design: Establishing conditions for emergent learning
Thomas Critchfield, Twyman J T.
13, 201-217, (2014)
Skeptic’s Corner – Punishment: Destructive force or valuable social “adhesive”?
Thomas Critchfield.
7, 36-44, (2014)
Ten rules for discussing behavior analysis
Thomas Critchfield.
7, 141-142, (2014)
A "happy hour" effect in translational stimulus relations research
Thomas Critchfield, D M Fienup.
29, 2-7, (2013)
Interesting times: practice, science, and professional associations in behavior analysis.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 34 (2), 297-310, (2011)
To a young basic scientist, about to embark on a program of translational research.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Behavior Analyst, 34 (2), 137-48, (2011)
Translational contributions of the experimental analysis of behavior.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 34 (1), 3-17, (2011)
Transportability of equivalence-based programmed instruction: efficacy and efficiency in a college classroom.
D M Fienup, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 44 (3), 435-50, (2011), 10.1901/jaba.2011.44-435
Crucial issues in the applied analysis of verbal behavior: reflections on crucial conversations: tools for talking when the stakes are high.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 26 (1), 133-45, (2010)
Efficiently establishing concepts of inferential statistics and hypothesis decision making through contextually controlled equivalence classes.
D M Fienup, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 43 (3), 437-62, (2010), 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-437
Teaching brain-behavior relations economically with stimulus equivalence technology.
D M Fienup, D P Covey, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 43 (1), 19-33, (2010), 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-19
The matching relation and situation-specific bias modulation in professional football play selection.
S T Stilling, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 93 (3), 435-54, (2010), 10.1901/jeab.2010.93-435
Translational research in behavior analysis: historical traditions and imperative for the future.
F C Mace, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 93 (3), 293-312, (2010), 10.1901/jeab.2010.93-293
Using stimulus equivalence technology to teach statistical inference in a group setting.
Thomas Critchfield, D M Fienup.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 43 (4), 763-8, (2010), 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-763
Generality of the matching law as a descriptor of shot selection in basketball.
L A Alferink, Thomas Critchfield, J L Hitt, W J Higgins.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 42 (3), 595-608, (2009), 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-595
What are we doing when we translate from quantitative models?
Thomas Critchfield, D D Reed.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 32 (2), 339-62, (2009)
Concurrent schedules of positive and negative reinforcement: differential-impact and differential-outcomes hypotheses.
M A Magoon, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 90 (1), 1-22, (2008)
Self-Editing: On the Relation Between behavioral and Psycholinguistic Approaches.
L Kimberly Epting, Thomas Critchfield.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 29 (2), 211-34, (2006)
The generalized matching law in elite sport competition: football play calling as operant choice.
D D Reed, Thomas Critchfield, B K Martens.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 39 (3), 281-97, (2006)
Noncontingent reinforcement, alternative reinforcement, and the matching law: a laboratory demonstration.
C L Ecott, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 37 (3), 249-65, (2004), 10.1901/jaba.2004.37-249
A half century of scalloping in the work habits of the United States Congress.
Thomas Critchfield, R Haley, B Sabo, J Colbert, G Macropoulis.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 36 (4), 465-86, (2003), 10.1901/jaba.2003.36-465
Punishment in human choice: direct or competitive suppression?
Thomas Critchfield, E M Paletz, K R MacAleese, M C Newland.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 80 (1), 1-27, (2003), 10.1901/jeab.2003.80-1
Social antecedents of children's eyewtness testimony a single-subject experimental analysis.
K J Doepke, A L Henderson, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 36 (4), 459-63, (2003), 10.1901/jaba.2003.36-459
Temporal discounting predicts individual competitive success in a human analogue of group foraging.
Thomas Critchfield, T Atteberry.
Behavioural processes, 64 (3), 315-331, (2003)
Evaluating the function of applied behavior analysis a bibliometric analysis.
Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 35 (4), 423-6, (2002), 10.1901/jaba.2002.35-423
Neither dark age nor renaissance: Research and authorship trends in the experimental analysis of human behavior (1980-1999).
S Dymond, Thomas Critchfield.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 24 (2), 241-53, (2001)
Temporal discounting: basic research and the analysis of socially important behavior.
Thomas Critchfield, S H Kollins.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 34 (1), 101-22, (2001), 10.1901/jaba.2001.34-101
Sources cited most frequently in the experimental analysis of human behavior.
Thomas Critchfield, W Buskist, B Saville, J Crockett, T Sherburne, K Keel.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 23 (2), 255-66, (2000)
Staffing the empirical analysis of verbal behavior.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 17, 175-7, (2000)
The good, the bad, and the aggregate.
Thomas Critchfield, M C Newland, S H Kollins.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 23 (1), 107-15, (2000)
Whither the muse: What influences empirical research on verbal behavior?
Thomas Critchfield, W F Buskist, B Saville.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 17, 179-90, (2000)
Further evaluation of reinforcer magnitude effects in noncontingent schedules.
C L Ecott, B A Foate, B Taylor, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 32 (4), 529-32, (1999), 10.1901/jaba.1999.32-529
Quantitative integration of single-subject studies: Methods and misinterpretations.
S H Kollins, M C Newland, Thomas Critchfield.
The Behavior analyst / MABA, 22 (2), 149-57, (1999)
Classification of vowels and consonants by individuals with moderate mental retardation: development of arbitrary relations via match-to-sample training with compound stimuli.
S D Lane, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 31 (1), 21-41, (1998), 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-21
Generalization of cross-modal stimulus equivalence classes: operant processes as components in human category formation.
S D Lane, J K Clow, A Innis, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 70 (3), 267-79, (1998), 10.1901/jeab.1998.70-267
The trouble with babies and the value of bathwater: Complexities in the use of verbal reports as data.
Thomas Critchfield, L K Epting.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 15, 65-74, (1998)
Human sensitivity to reinforcement in operant choice: How much do consequences matter?
S H Kollins, M C Newland, Thomas Critchfield.
Psychonomic bulletin & review, 4 (2), 208-20, (1997), 10.3758/BF03209395
Differential latency and selective nondisclosure in verbal self-reports.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 13, 49-63, (1996)
Verbal self-reports of emergent relations in a stimulus equivalence procedure.
S D Lane, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 65 (2), 355-74, (1996), 10.1901/jeab.1996.65-355
Discriminative stimulus effects of diazepam and buspirone in normal volunteers.
C R Rush, Thomas Critchfield, J R Troisi, R R Griffiths.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 63 (3), 277-94, (1995), 10.1901/jeab.1995.63-277
Bias in self-evaluation: Signal probability effects.
Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 62 (2), 235-50, (1994)
Caffeine reinforcement demonstrated in a majority of moderate caffeine users.
S M Evans, Thomas Critchfield, R R Griffiths.
Behavioural pharmacology, 5 (3), 231-238, (1994)
Acquisition of a spatially defined operant with delayed reinforcement.
Thomas Critchfield, K A Lattal.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 59 (2), 373-87, (1993), 10.1901/jeab.1993.59-373
Behavioral pharmacology and verbal behavior: Diazepam effects on verbal self-reports.
Thomas Critchfield.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 11, 43-54, (1993)
Buspirone and lorazepam abuse liability in humans: behavioral effects, subjective effects and choice.
J R Troisi, 2nd, Thomas Critchfield, R R Griffiths.
Behavioural pharmacology, 4 (3), 217-230, (1993)
Signal-detection properties of verbal self-reports.
Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 60 (3), 495-514, (1993), 10.1901/jeab.1993.60-495
Verbal self-reports about matching to sample: effects of the number of elements in a compound sample stimulus.
Thomas Critchfield, M Perone.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 59 (1), 193-214, (1993), 10.1901/jeab.1993.59-193
Abuse liability assessment of anxiolytics/hypnotics: rationale and laboratory lore.
S M Evans, Thomas Critchfield, R R Griffiths.
British journal of addiction, 86 (12), 1625-32, (1991)
Stimulus control of Pavlovian facilitation.
B K Parker, S L Serdikoff, B J Kaminski, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 55 (3), 275-86, (1991)
Behavioral and subjective effects of buspirone and lorazepam in sedative abusers: supra-therapeutic doses.
Thomas Critchfield, R Griffiths.
NIDA research monograph, 105, 318, (1990)
Verbal self-reports of delayed matching to sample by humans.
Thomas Critchfield, M Perone.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 53 (3), 321-44, (1990)
Response-reinforcer dependency location in interval schedules of reinforcement.
K A Lattal, T J Freeman, Thomas Critchfield.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 51 (1), 101-17, (1989)
Are positive and negative reinforcement "different"? Insights from a free-operant differential outcomes effect
Michael A. Magoon, Thomas Critchfield, Dustin Merrill, M. Christopher Newland, William Joel Schneider.
Normative emotional responses to behavior analysis jargon: How not to use words to win friends and influence people
Thomas Critchfield, Karla J. D, L. Kimberly Epting, Amel Becirevic, Derek D. Reed, Daniel M. Fienup, Jamie L. Kremsreiter, Cheryl L. Ecott.
The Dead Man Test: A preliminary experimental analysis
Thomas Critchfield, Elva Z.H. Shue.
Presentations
Translational behavioral health psychology: Modeling the detection of melanoma symptom evolution
Thomas Critchfield.
Minneapolis, MN, October, 2012
Translational research at Illinois State University
Thomas Critchfield.
OnlineApril, 2012
Translational behavioral health psychology: Modeling the detection of melanoma symptom evolution.
Thomas Critchfield.
Austin, TX, March, 2012