(Sadly, Dr. Michael McKay passed away on December 7, 2007. The following story about Dr. McKay can be found at: http://www.rmc.edu/news/2007-mckay.aspx)
Michael McKay, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Email: mmckay@rmc.edu (Emails to Dr. Mike McKay are being temporarily redirected to Dr. Kelly Lambert, Chair of the R-MC Psychology Department).
Website: http://faculty.rmc.edu/mmckay/index.htm
Education:
Ph.D. (Cognitive and Sensory Processes) University of Florida, 2004
M.A. (General Psychology) University of West Florida, 1993
B.S. (Behavioral Science) University of La Verne, 1987
Areas of Interest:
Broadly my research interests include learning, memory, and language. More specifically I am interested in the psychophysiological and behavioral indices of the cognitive processes associated with language comprehension. Using Randolph-Macon's newly established Laboratory for Studies in Neurocognition, I am using Electroencephalography (EEG - brainwave activity) and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs - time locked brainwave activity) to investigate how individual differences in processing style and strategy impact metaphor and figurative language comprehension. The results of this research could have implications for advertising, marketing, and education.
I enjoy teaching students about the use of psychophysiological measures to exlpore and explain how we process information. I am eager to continue working with students who want to participate in ongoing research, SURF projects, or senior projects.
Last year (2004 - 2005) I taught: General Psychology, the Psychology of Learning, the Psychology of Language and Communication, Human Psychophysiology, and Systems and Contemporary Theories in Psychology.
This past summer (2005) I had the pleasure of working with my SURF student Annika Heinen to extend my dissertation research by using time-locked brainwaves to tease apart processing differences that might arise in the comprehension of novel and conventional metaphors. We are presenting our findings at the 45th annual Society of Psychophysyiological Research in Lisbon, Portugal in September.
This year (2005 - 2006) I will be teaching: General Psychology, Success Strategies for Psychology Majors, the Psychology of Language and Communicaiton, the Psychology of Learning, Neurocognition, the Research and Theoretical Systems (RATS) lab course associated with Neurocognition, and Systems and Contemporary Theories in Psychology.
I look forward to another great year at RMC!
Check out my webpage and class related links.