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Biography

Dr. Olivia Breedin is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Social Psychology from Florida State University, where her research centered on romantic relationships, integrating both social and evolutionary perspectives.

Before pursuing graduate studies, Dr. Breedin worked as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, following her undergraduate studies and research experience at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She also spent several years as a teaching assistant at Denver Academy in Denver, Colorado.

Her experiences in both elementary and undergraduate classrooms inspired her passion for teaching—particularly the teaching of psychology—and continue to guide her approach in creating engaging, accessible, and purposeful learning experiences for students.

Courses

Design and evaluation of psychological research, with emphasis on scientific method, data collection, experimentation, control procedures, validity, reliability, and report–writing skills. This is a challenging and rigorous class in research; required for psychology majors. 

Addresses the question of how an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by his/her social environment; includes topics such as attitude change, conformity, attraction, aggression, and small-group behavior. 

An examination of theories and research that address the underlying bases of personality and the causes of individual differences. Emphasis is on the normal personality, but the causes of abnormal personality development are also considered.