Marcia Collaer
A. Barton Hepburn Prof of Psychology & Neuroscience
- Office
- McCardell Bicen Hall 273
- Tel
- (802) 443-2020
- collaer@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Spring 2024: Mondays 10:45am - 11:45am; Wednesdays 3:45pm - 4:30pm; Thursdays 3:00pm - 4:15pm
Marcia Collaer is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Program affiliate at Middlebury College. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Bradley University, an M.A. in School Psychology from University of South Carolina, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from University of California, Los Angeles.
One line of research in the lab focuses on gender/sex and individual differences in cognitive abilities, particularly visuospatial skills. Topics of interest include the reasons why and how men and women, or individuals, perform differently on spatial tasks, including factors such as attentional differences, strategies, and social influences, such as stereotypes. A second line of research investigates situational influences on aspects of decision making, judgments, and cognition. In both lines of research, physiological aspects such as cardiovascular reactivity and hormonal correlates are of interest.
Professor Collaer teaches courses relevant to psychology as well as neuroscience, including: Introduction to Psychology, Psychological Statistics, Psychopharmacology, an advanced seminar in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology as well as one examining how psychobiological principles may relate to gender/sex differences, and a first-year seminar focusing on the brain.
Courses Taught
NSCI 0418
Psychobio & Sex Diff: Critique
Course Description
Psychobiology and Sex Differences: Exploration and Critique
Men and women differ reproductively, in hormonal patterns, in average height, and in muscle mass. Biology is accepted as influencing these differences. Do biological contributions stop at the neck? Or might biology also contribute to neural and behavioral development in human as well as nonhuman species? We will examine evidence both for and against relationships between psychobiological factors (such as hormones and chromosomes) and sex/gender differences in behavior and psychological states (such as play behavior, cognition, sexual orientation, stress, addiction, and psychological disorders). Further, we will consider potential perils of such investigations, and additionally, will explore relationships between social/experiential factors and sex/gender differences as these may provide alternative, sometimes stronger, explanations. (PSYC 0105 and PSYC 0201; Open to junior and senior neuroscience and psychology majors only, others by waiver) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
NSCI 0500
Current
Upcoming
Independent Research
Course Description
Independent Research
Students enrolled in NSCI 0500 complete individual research projects involving laboratory or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and approved in advance by a NSCI faculty advisor. This course is not open to seniors; seniors should enroll in NSCI 0700. (Approval required)
Terms Taught
NSCI 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Research
Course Description
Senior Research
This course is for senior NSCI majors who plan to conduct one or more semesters of independent research, or who plan to complete preparatory work toward a senior thesis, such as researching and writing a thesis proposal as well as, if appropriate, collecting data that will form the basis for a senior thesis. Senior NSCI majors who plan to complete a senior thesis should register initially for NSCI 0700. Additional requirements may include participation in weekly meetings with advisors and/or lab groups and attending neuroscience seminars. (Approval required, open to seniors only)
Terms Taught
NSCI 0701
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis
Course Description
Senior Thesis
Senior NSCI majors who have completed one or more terms of NSCI 0700, who have a GPA of 3.3 in their major courses, and who plan to complete a senior thesis should register for NSCI 0701 for the final semester of the senior thesis process. Students enrolled in NSCI 0701 write a thesis, give a public presentation of their research, and present an oral defense of the thesis before a committee of at least two Neuroscience faculty members. Faculty may recommend High honors in Neuroscience after considering the quality of these components of a student’s thesis and the student’s GPA in major courses. Additional requirements may include participation in weekly meetings with advisors and/or lab groups and attending neuroscience seminars. (NSCI 0700, Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0105
Introduction To Psychology
Course Description
Introduction to Psychology
This course will provide a general introduction to the field of psychology. The most central and important theories, concepts, findings, controversies, and applications in the following areas will be considered: biological bases of behavior, learning, perception, thinking, development, personality, psychological disorders, and social behavior. (Open to Juniors and Seniors by waiver only) 3 hrs lect./1 hr. disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0201
Upcoming
Psychological Statistics
Course Description
Psychological Statistics
This course will examine statistical methods used in the behavioral and biological sciences. Students will learn the logic underlying statistical analysis, focusing primarily on inferential techniques. They also will become familiar with the application and interpretation of statistics in psychological empirical research, including the use of computer software for conducting and interpreting statistical analyses. (PSYC 0105; open to psychology and neuroscience majors, others by waiver. Not open to students who have taken MATH 0116 or ECON 0210) 3 hrs. lect./1.5 hr. lab
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0309
Upcoming
Psychopharmacology
Course Description
Psychopharmacology
This course will examine ways in which drugs act on the brain to influence behavior. Students will learn the basics of brain function, will learn basic properties of drug action, and will learn how legal and illegal drugs, including drugs used to treat psychological disorders, alter the brain function and behavior of humans and experimental animals. (PSYC 0226 or PSYC 0301 or BIOL 0370 or NSCI 0252; not open to first-year students; open to psychology and neuroscience majors; others by waiver) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
PSYC 0350
Current
Upcoming
Directed Research
Course Description
Directed Research in Psychology
Directed research provides opportunities for advanced students to become familiar with and participate in ongoing research projects under the direction of a faculty member. The student will first read background literature on the content area to be investigated and experimental methodologies to be used. Procedures involved in conducting psychological research will then be learned through firsthand experience. Potential activities include the design of research and the defining of conceptual variables and the gathering, analyzing, and interpretation of data. Finally, students will learn how to write technical articles in psychology by preparing a paper describing the project, using APA style. (Approval required; not open to first-year students) 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
PSYC 0418
Psychobio & Sex Diff: Critique
Course Description
Psychobiology and Sex Differences: Exploration and Critique
Men and women differ reproductively, in hormonal patterns, in average height, and in muscle mass. Biology is accepted as influencing these differences. Do biological contributions stop at the neck? Or might biology also contribute to neural and behavioral development in human as well as nonhuman species? We will examine evidence both for and against relationships between psychobiological factors (such as hormones and chromosomes) and sex/gender differences in behavior and psychological states (such as play behavior, cognition, sexual orientation, stress, addiction, and psychological disorders). Further, we will consider potential perils of such investigations, and additionally, will explore relationships between social/experiential factors and sex/gender differences as these may provide alternative, sometimes stronger, explanations. (PSYC 0105 and PSYC 0201; Open to junior and senior neuroscience and psychology majors only, others by waiver) 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
PSYC 0500
Current
Upcoming
Advanced Research
Course Description
Advanced Research
A program of research arranged to meet the needs of advanced students majoring in psychology. (Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Research
Course Description
Senior Research
A program of research arranged to meet the needs of advanced senior majors in psychology. (PSYC 0201 and PSYC 0202; Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0701
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis Proposal
Course Description
Senior Thesis Proposal
Students hoping to be considered as candidates for departmental honors must enroll in PSYC 0701 under the sponsorship of a department faculty member. Their semester’s work will culminate in the submission of a formal, written research proposal by the due date as specified by the department. If the proposal is approved, the student will enroll in PSYC 0702 during the winter term and PSYC 0703 during the spring term of their senior year. (Feb graduates should consult with their advisors about the appropriate semester in which to begin a thesis.) (PSYC 0201 and PSYC 0202; Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0702
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis Second Semester
Course Description
Senior Thesis Second Semester
Students whose honors thesis proposal (PSYC 0701) has been approved will collect, analyze, and interpret their data. This is the second semester of the 3-semester senior thesis. (PSYC 0201, PSYC 0202, and PSYC 0701; Approval required)
Terms Taught
PSYC 0703
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis
Course Description
Senior Thesis*
This is the third and final semester of the senior thesis. Students will finish analyzing and interpreting their data. This process culminates in a written thesis to be submitted by the due date as specified by the department, a presentation, and an oral defense. The decision about awarding departmental honors will be made after the student submits the thesis. (PSYC 0201, PSYC 0202, and PSYC 0702; Approval required)
Terms Taught
Publications
Collaer, M.L. & Hines, M. (2020). No evidence for enhancement of spatial ability with elevated prenatal androgen exposure in congenital adrenal hyperplasia: A meta-analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49, 395-411.
Selected Publications (* denotes student collaborator)
*Delattre, B. & Collaer, M.L. (2017) Capoeira: The relationship of an Afro-Brazilian cooperative movement art to state anxiety, state self-efficacy, and prosocial behavior tendencies. Functional Neurology, Rehabilitation, and Ergonomics, 7 (4), 61-65.
Collaer, M.L., Hindmarsh, P.C., Pasterski, V., Fane, B., & Hines, M. (2016). Reduced short term memory in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and its relationship to spatial and quantitative performance. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 64, 164–173.
Richardson, A.E. & Collaer, M.L. (2011). Virtual navigation performance: The relationship to field of view and prior videogaming experience. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 112, 477-498.
Lippa, R.A., Collaer, M.L., Peters, M. (2010). Sex differences in mental rotation and line angle judgments are positively associated with gender equality and economic development across 53 nations. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 990-997
Campbell, S. M. & Collaer, M. L. (2009). Stereotype threat and gender differences in performance on a novel visuospatial task. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33, 437-444.
Collaer, M. L., Brook, C.G.D., Conway, G. S., Hindmarsh, P.C. & Hines, M. (2009). Motor development in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Strength, targeting, and fine motor skill. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34, 249-258.
Collaer, M. L., Reimers, S., & Manning, J. T. (2007). Visuospatial performance on an Internet line judgment task and potential hormonal markers: Sex, sexual orientation and 2D:4D. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36, 177-192.
Maylor, E. A., Reimers, S., Choi, J., Collaer, M. L., Peters, M., & Silverman, I. (2007). Gender and sexual orientation differences in cognition across adulthood: Age is kinder to women than to men regardless of sexual orientation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36, 235-249.
Collaer, M. L. & *Hill, E. M. (2006). Large sex difference in adolescents on a timed line judgment task: Attentional contributors and task relationship to mathematics. Perception, 35, 561-572.
Cherney, I. D., & Collaer, M. L. (2005). Sex differences in line judgment: Relation to mathematics preparation and strategy use. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 100, 615-627.
Halpern, D. F., & Collaer, M. L. (2005). Sex differences in visuospatial abilities: More than meets the eye.In P. Shah & A. Miyake (Eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Visuospatial Thinking Cambridge University Press, pp. 170-212.
Collaer, M.L., *Tory, H.O. & *Valkenburgh, M.C. (2004). Do sex steroid hormones contribute to sexual differentiation of the human brain? In M.J. Legato (Ed.) Principles of Gender Specific Medicine, pp. 71-83. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.
Collaer, M. L., & *Nelson, J. D. (2002). Large visuospatial sex difference in line judgment: Possible role of attentional factors. Brain and Cognition, 49, 1-12.
Collaer, M.L., Geffner, M.E., Kaufman, F.R., Buckingham, B., & Hines, M. (2002). Cognitive and behavioral characteristics of Turner syndrome: Do they support a role for ovarian hormones in female sexual differentiation? Hormones and Behavior, 41, 139-155.
Collaer, M.L. (1998). Early organizational influences and social factors: Need for further evaluation. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 21, 368-369.
Collaer, M.L., & Hines, M.(1995). Human behavioral sex differences: A role for gonadal hormones during development? Psychological Bulletin, 118, 55-107.
*Delattre, B. & Collaer, M.L. Capoeira: The relationship of an Afro-Brazilian cooperative movement art to state anxiety, state self-efficacy, and prosocial behavior tendencies. (July 2017) Presentation at conference: Movement: Brain, Body, Cognition; Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
Selected Publications (* denotes student collaborator)
*Pil, B.C. & Collaer, M.L. Is emotion a moderating factor in stress effects? (June 2017). Presentation at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology meeting, Long Beach, CA.
Collaer, M.L., Hindmarsh, P.C., Pasterski, V., Fane, B., & Hines, M. (2015). Reduced short term memory predicts lowered spatial and quantitative performance in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Presentation at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology meeting, Pacific Grove, CA
*Seybolt, M., *Clarke, H. and Collaer, M.L. Acute stress relaxes moral judgments of behaviors intended to harm. (June 2012) Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Annual Meeting, Madison, WI
*Seybolt, M. and Collaer, M.L. Moral judgments in relation to stress and sex. (November 2011). Society for Neuroscience Meeting, Washington, DC.
*Silverstein, N., Collaer, M.L, and Richardson, A.E. (November 2011). The effects of acute stress on human performance in a virtual reality navigation task. Society for Neuroscience Meeting, Washington, DC.
Collaer, M.L., *Weinstein, S.J., *Chock, M.G., and Richardson, A. (May 2011) Stress influences spatial knowledge and strategies, as well as moral judgments. Presentation at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington DC.
Richardson, A.E. & Collaer, M.L. (March 2010) Learning from wide field of view virtual displays: video game experience correlates. Presentation at the Eastern Psychological Association meeting, Brooklyn, NY.
Lippa, R.A., Collaer, M.L., & Peters, M. (June 2009). Visuospatial sex differences are larger, not smaller, in countries with greater gender equality and economic development. Presentation at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology meeting, East Lansing, MI.
Collaer, M.L., Brook, C., Conway, G., Hindmarsh, P. & Hines, M. (June 2009) Do prenatal androgens make you strong but slow? Presentation at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology meeting, East Lansing, MI.
*Garcia-Putnam, R. & Collaer, M. L. (April 2008). Sex differences in a spatial virtual navigation task. Presentation at the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Undergraduate Research Posters on the Hill Conference, Washington, DC
Collaer, M.L., Brook, C., Conway, G., Hindmarsh, P. & Hines, M. (June 2009) Do prenatal androgens make you strong but slow? Presentation at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology meeting, East Lansing, MI.
Collaer, M.L., Reimers, S., & Manning, J.T. (October 2006). Human visuospatial ability and the neurohormonal hypothesis: Line judgment performance in relation to sex, sexual orientation, and digit ratios. Presentation at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, Atlanta, GA.