Sarah J. Barber
Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern California
3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089 Email: barbersa@usc.edu; Phone number: 213-740-6772
Website: http://www-scf.usc.edu/~barbersa/
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2010 – present Postdoctoral Fellow, Cognitive Aging University of Southern California, CA Postdoctoral Advisor: Dr. Mara Mather 2005 – 2010 Ph.D., Cognitive/Experimental Psychology
Stony Brook University, NY
Dissertation: Collaborative memory and part-set cuing impairments: The role of
executive control
Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Suparna Rajaram 2005 – 2007 M.A., Cognitive/Experimental Psychology
Stony Brook University, NY
Thesis: Distinguishing among remembered, familiar, and just known memories: An
experimental analysis
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Suparna Rajaram 2003 – 2005 Lab Manager of the Social Cognition Lab
Duke University, NC
Supervisor: Dr. Tanya Chartrand 1999 – 2003 B.S., Psychology with Highest Honors
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
Thesis: A dissociation between implicit and explicit memory in patients with
temperomandibular disorders
Thesis Advisors: Dr. Mark Hollins and Dr. Neil Mulligan HONORS AND AWARDS
2013 Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program award recipient from the NIH
2010 T32 NIH Postdoctoral Training Award recipient (T32AG000037)
2009 American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award recipient
2009 Award for Excellence in Advanced Research from Stony Brook University’s Department of Psychology (one award given annually)
2009 Award for Excellence in Teaching from Stony Brook University’s Department of Psychology (one award given annually)
2007 Alumni Graduate Summer Research Fellowship recipient from Stony Brook University’s Department of Psychology (two awards given annually)
2003 Graduated with Highest Honors (similar to summa cum laude) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2003 Dashiell-Thurstone Prize from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of Psychology (award for the best honors thesis; one award given annually)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I have a broad interest in human memory, with a specific interest in understanding how social factors influence memory processes across the lifespan. In my graduate research I examined how
collaboration affects encoding and retrieval, the underlying mechanisms of the collaborative inhibition effect, and the social influences on source monitoring. My current post-doctoral research examines socially-shared retrieval-induced forgetting and stereotype threat effects in older adults.
PUBLICATIONS
Reprints & preprints available at http://www-scf.usc.edu/~barbersa/
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (in press). How retellings shape younger and older adults’ memories.
Journal of Cognitive Psychology.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (in press). Stereotype threat in older adults: When and why does it occur, and who is most affected? To appear in P. Verhaeghen & C. Hertzog (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook
of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Everyday Problem Solving during Adulthood.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2013). Stereotype threat can enhance, as well as impair, older adults’ memory. Psychological Science, 24, 2522-2529.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2013). Stereotype threat can reduce older adults’ memory errors.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 66, 1888-1895.
Fazio, L.K., Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., Ornstein, P.A., & Marsh, E.J. (2013). Creating illusions of
knowledge: Learning errors that contradict prior knowledge. Journal of Experimental Psychology:
General, 142, 1-5.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., & Paneerselvam, B. (2012). The collaborative encoding deficit is attenuated with specific warnings. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 24, 929-941.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2012). Forgetting in context: The effects of age, emotion, and social factors on retrieval-induced forgetting. Memory & Cognition, 40, 874-888.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., & Fox, E.B. (2012). Learning and remembering with others: The key role of retrieval in shaping group recall and collective memory. Social Cognition, 30, 121-132.
Barber, S.J., & Rajaram, S. (2011). Exploring the relationship between retrieval disruption from collaboration and recall. Memory, 19, 462-469.
Barber, S.J., & Rajaram, S. (2011). Collaborative memory and part-set cueing impairments: The role of executive depletion in modulating retrieval disruption. Memory, 19, 378-397.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S. & Aron, A. (2010). When two is too many: Collaborative encoding impairs memory. Memory & Cognition, 38, 255-264.
Barber, S.J., Franklin, N., Naka, M., & Yoshimura, H. (2010). Higher social intelligence can impair source memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36, 545-551.
Barber, S.J., Gordon, R., & Franklin, N. (2009). Self-relevance and wishful thinking: Facilitation and distortion in source monitoring. Memory & Cognition, 37, 434-446.
Barber, S.J., & Rajaram, S., & Marsh, E.J. (2008). Fact Learning: How information accuracy, delay, and repeated testing change retention and retrieval experience. Memory, 16, 934-946. Rajaram, S., & Barber, S.J. (2008). Retrieval processes in memory. In H.L. Roediger, III (Ed.),
Cognitive psychology of memory. Vol. 2 of Learning and memory: A comprehensive reference, 4
vols. (pp. 261-283). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW, REVISION, OR IN PREPARATION
Barber, S.J., Harris, C., & Rajaram, S. (2014). Why two heads apart are better than two heads together: Multiple mechanisms underlie the collaborative inhibition effect. Manuscript under revision. Mather, M., Schoeke, A., & Barber, S.J. (2014). Ambiguous faces look more positive to older adults
than to younger adults. Manuscript under revision.
Barber, S.J., Mather, M., & Castrellon, J. (2014). Older adults who rely on external aids show more social contagion but less socially shared retrieval-induced forgetting. Manuscript under revision. Rajaram, S., Barber, S.J., & Verfaellie, M. (2014). Study-phase retrieval is critical for repetition benefits
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (scheduled for April 2014). Stereotype threat can impair, but also improve, older adults’ performance on neuropsychological tests for dementia. Talk accepted for presentation at The Cognitive Aging Conference, 54th annual meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2013). Collaboration eliminates the positivity effect in older adults’ recall. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 54th annual meeting, Toronto, Ontario. Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2013). Stereotype threat can both improve, and impair, older adults’
memory. Poster presented at the Mechanisms of Motivation, Cognition, and Aging Interactions small-group meeting sponsored by the Scientific Research Network on Decision Neuroscience and Aging, Washington, D.C.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2012). Stereotype threat in older adults: The key role of regulatory fit. Talk presented at the Psychonomic Society, 53rd annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2012). How retellings shape memory in younger and older adults. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 53rd annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN. Barber, S.J., Harris, C.B., & Rajaram, S. (2012). Mechanisms underlying collaborative inhibition:
Evidence for retrieval blocking. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 53rd annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Barber, S.J., & Mather, M. (2011). Retrieval-induced forgetting: The effects of age, valence, and social factors. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 52nd annual meeting, Seattle, WA. Fazio, L.K., Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., Ornstein, P.A., & Marsh, E.J. (2011). Creating illusions of
knowledge: Learning errors that contradict prior knowledge. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 52nd annual meeting, Seattle, WA.
Rajaram, S., Barber, S.J., & Fox, E. (2011, August). Examining collaboration at encoding and retrieval. Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Memory, York, England. Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., & Paneerselvam, B. (2010, November). Collaborative encoding deficits are
attenuated with specific warnings. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 51st annual meeting, St. Louis, MO.
Barber, S.J., & Rajaram, S. (2010, May). Collaborative memory impairment: The impact of divergent versus identical organizational schemes. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science, 22nd annual meeting, Boston, MA.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., Aron, A., & Fox, E. (2010, March). When two heads are not better than one: The negative effects of collaboration during learning. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association annual meeting, New York, NY.
Barber, S.J. (2010, February). When two is too many: The negative impact of collaboration on memory. Invited talk at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Barber, S. J., Rajaram, S., & Harris, C. B. (2009, November). Collaboration impairs recall of unshared study information. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 50th annual meeting, Boston, MA.
Naka, M., Ishizaki, C., Yamasaki, Y., Barber, S. J., & Franklin, N. (2009, November). Reflecting upon a victim’s feelings. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society, 50th annual meeting, Boston, MA.
Rajaram, S., Barber, S.J., & Aron, A. (2009, May). Collaboration during encoding impairs memory. Paper presented at the Association for Psychological Science, 21st annual meeting, San
Francisco, CA.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., & Aron, A. (2008, November). Encoding variations and collaborative inhibition in group memory. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society, 49th annual meeting, Chicago, IL.
Barber, S.J., Franklin, N., Naka, M. & Yoshimura, H. (2008, November). Higher social intelligence can impair memory. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society, 49th annual meeting, Chicago, IL.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., & Marsh, E.J. (2007, November). Distinguishing among Remembered, Familiar, and Just Known memories: An experimental analysis. Poster presented at the Psychonomic Society, 48th annual meeting, Long Beach, CA.
Franklin, N., Barber, S.J., Allen, S., & Gordon, R. (2007, November). Social and emotional aspects of source monitoring. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society, 48th annual meeting, Long Beach, CA.
Barber, S.J., Rajaram, S., & Marsh, E.J. (2007, August). Remembering, Knowing, and Just Knowing: Changes over time. Paper presented at the European Society for Cognitive Psychology, 15th annual meeting, Marseille, France.
Barber, S.J., Gordon, R., & Franklin, N. (2007, May). Self-relevance: Facilitation and distortion in source memory. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science, 19th annual meeting Washington, D.C.
INVITED COLLOQUIA
UCLA – Cognitive Forum, Los Angeles, CA (October, 2013)
UCLA – Cognitive Forgetting Focus Group, Los Angeles, CA (October, 2013) MEDIA COVERAGE
2013 Research on how stereotype threat affects older adults’ memory featured in Newsday, The Daily Mail (U.K.,), Yahoo News, The Observer (a publication from the Association for Psychological Science), The Nation’s Health (a publication from the American Public Health Association), HealthBeat (a podcast from the U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services), Headlines and Global News, Medical Daily, Science Daily, Age U.K., The Calgary Herald, and Thirdage.com (amongst others). For an example, see:
http://long-island.newsday.com/search/don-t-buy-in-to-stereotypes-of-aging-1.5752763
2012 Participation as a mentor in the Association for Psychological Science’s Student Caucus (APSSC) mentorship program highlighted in APSSC newsletter.
2010 Research profile featured in Stony Brook University’s Graduate School newsletter. Full text of the article is available at: http://www.grad.sunysb.edu/newsletter/barber.shtml
EXTERNAL FUNDING
2013 Pending Stereotype threat in older adults PI: Dr. Sarah Barber & Dr. Mara Mather R01, National Institute of Aging
2013 $15,926 Age-related changes in the mechanisms underlying stereotype threat (to loan repayment) PI: Dr. Sarah Barber
NIH Loan Repayment Program in Clinical Research 10/2013 – 9/2015
2013 $1300 Scientific Research Network on Decision Neuroscience and Aging, Travel award to attend the Mechanisms of Motivation, Cognition, and Aging Interactions meeting
2009 $1000 American Psychological Association, Dissertation Research Award UNIVERSITY & DEPARTMENTAL FUNDING
2009 $100 Stony Brook University, Psychology Department, Award for Excellence in Advanced Research
2009 $100 Stony Brook University, Psychology Department, Award for Excellence in Teaching
2008 $275 Stony Brook University, Graduate student organization, conference travel funds 2008 $250 Stony Brook University, Psychology Department, conference travel funds 2007 $250 Stony Brook University, Graduate student organization, conference travel funds 2007 $200 Stony Brook University, Psychology Department, conference travel funds
2007 $2000 Stony Brook University, Alumni Graduate Summer Research Fellowship 2007 $200 Stony Brook University, Psychology Department, research participant funds 2006 $200 Stony Brook University, Psychology Department, conference travel funds PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Association for Psychological Science • Psychonomic Society • Women in Cognitive Science
REVIEWING EXPERIENCE (AD HOC REVIEWER)
American Journal of Psychology • Applied Cognitive Psychology • Cognition • Cognitive Processing – International Quarterly of Cognitive Science • Discourse Processes • Emotion • Experimental Aging Research • Frontiers in Cognition • Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition • Journal of Cognitive Psychology • Journal of Experimental Psychology: General • Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition • Memory • Memory & Cognition • NeuroImage • Psychology and Aging • Psychology of Women Quarterly •
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review • Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology • Social Problems
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
2013 The Leverhulme Trust: Research Project Grant external reviewer
2009 Junior Science and Humanities Symposium: Judged merit of high school student research manuscripts for acceptance to the symposium; Served as a judge during the symposium competition
2008 Association for Psychological Science Student Caucus (APSSC): Reviewed student research award (SRA) applications
2007 – 2009 Association for Psychological Science (APS): Graduate mentor (my successful participation in this program was featured in the Nov 2012 APSSC newsletter)
UNIVERSITY & DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE
2009 Panelist at Stony Brook University’s teaching assistant orientation
2009 Panelist at career event co-sponsored by Psi Chi and Minorities in Psychology 2009 Organized and obtained funds to sponsor a colloquium visit from Dr. Jessica Payne 2008 Reviewed merit of undergraduate abstracts for acceptance to undergraduate
research achievement (URECA) symposium
2006 – 2009 Member of the psychology department’s graduate student committee (cognitive area representative)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
* Graduate level course
All courses took place at Stony Brook University unless otherwise noted
Instructor of Record:
• Psychology of adult development (Fall 2013; University of Southern California) • Introduction to psychology (Summer 2008)
Independent Lab Instructor:
Responsibilities included independently preparing and delivering weekly lectures, designing and grading assignments, and ensuring that these activities supplemented the primary lectures. In 75% of these lab sections I was responsible for independently assigning student grades, which appeared on students’ transcripts separately from the grades assigned by the instructor of record for the lecture section.
• Human cognition research lab (Fall 2008)
• Psychology research methods and writing (Fall 2007)
• An introduction to research for women in science and engineering (WISE) (Spring 2006) • Analysis of variance and design (Fall 2006)*
Teaching Assistant:
• Introduction to statistics (Spring 2010) • Cognitive psychology (Spring 2008)
• Introduction to psychology (Spring 2007) • Adolescent development (Spring 2006) • Developmental psychology (Fall 2005) Guest Lecturer:
• Correlation and regression (Spring 2009)*
• Masters Proseminar: Current issues in psychology (Summer 2009)* UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SUPERVISION
2013 – present Advisor to student Lauran Evans
Research project “Stereotype threat and aging” funded by a competitively-obtained Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship awarded to Lauran. 2012-2013 Advisor to independent study student Jaime Castrellon
Research project “Social contagion as a function of age” funded by two competitively-obtained USC grants awarded to Jaime (i.e., a Student Opportunities for Academic Research award and a Summer Undergraduate Research Fund award). A manuscript based upon these results is currently under revision for publication.
2012 Co-advisor to independent study student Julia Li
Research project “Ego depletion across the lifespan” 2008 – 2009 Advisor to honor’s thesis student Ethan Fox
Research project “Collaborative inhibition at encoding and retrieval” presented at Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Creative Activities (URECA)
conference in 2009. A manuscript based upon these results was published in 2012 at Social Cognition.
2007 Advisor to student Pouria Farhoomandi
Research project “Wishful thinking and self relevance” presented at Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) conference in 2007
2007 Advisor to independent study student Claude Castille
Research project “Context and memory” presented at Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) conference in 2007 2003 – present Supervised 2-8 undergraduate research assistants each semester
