Les Downing's VITA

VITA: Leslie L. (Les) Downing (Last revised, Nov. 14, 2005)

See my web page for students, colleagues,
and friends at: Les Downing's Homepage.

Address:
Office: Department of Psychology, SUNY-Oneonta, Oneonta, New York 13820

Phones:
Office: (607) 436-3273
FAX: (607) 436-3753

Personal Data:
Date of Birth:        July 18, 1941
Place of Birth:       Kankakee, Illinois

Children:                Emily S. Downing
                                Andrew Barnes

EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Current Position:
Full Professor (since 1993)

State University of New York - Oneonta
Department of Psychology
Oneonta, New York 13820

Education:
B.S. August, 1965     University of Illinois, Urbana
M.A. June, 1968       Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Ph.D August, 1970    Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

TEACHING:

Southern Illinois University, 1965-1970 (Graduate Student)
Introductory Psychology (Assistant)
Experimental Methods (Assistant)
Social Psychology (Instructor)

University of Georgia, 1970-1976 (Assistant Professor)
Undergraduate Courses
Social Psychology
Research Methods
Independent Research
Graduate Courses:
Social Psychology
Theories of Attitude Change
Group Dynamics
Theories of Social Psychology
Reinforcement Approaches in Social Psychology
Supervision of Independent Research
Supervision of Masters Theses
Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertations

Union College, 1976-1980 (Assistant Professor)
Introductory Psychology
Social Psychology
Organizational Psychology
Advanced Social Psychology Seminars
Supervision of Independent Research
Supervision of Senior Honors Theses
(MBA Prog.) Foundations of Behavioral Science

Hartwick College, 1980-1981 (Adjunct)
Introductory Psychology

State University of New York, Oneonta
1981-present (Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor)
Introductory Psychology
Introduction to Social Psychology
Social Psychology: Interpersonal Processes
Social Psychology: Attitudes and Behavior
Advanced Topics in Social Psychology
Group Dynamics
Learning and Memory
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Cults/Individuals in Groups
Social Psychology: Belief and Commitment in Groups

State University of New York, Binghamton, (Adjunct)
Graduate Course in Social Psychology (About every other semester)

RESEARCH:

Overview of Research Background and Interests.
Research conducted in the areas of decision-making, game theory, conflict and conflict resolution, group dynamics, legal issues, environmental influences on interpersonal behavior, attitudes and attributional processes, ingroup/outgroup bias, belief systems and religious conversion, and assorted other topics in the general area of social psychology, has led to authorship on articles in major refereed psychology journals, as well as to numerous convention papers and invited addresses.

My current work is on Commitment and Conversion processes, for a book, Fragile Realities: Conversion and Commitment in Cults and Other Powerful Groups. Related work includes a presentation at the conference of the Center for Millennial Studies (Fall, 2002) at Boston University, “Social Psychological Theories and the Failure of Prophesy," and an article in press, "A Catastrophe Theory Model of Ideological Conversion and Commitment," to be published (Summer, 2003) in an edited book, "Theories of the Apocalyptic." I am also working on an article, "Extremism: The Social Psychology of Ideological Polarization and Commitment," and will be teaching a course on that topic (Fall, 2003).

MOST RECENT PUBLICATION:

Downing, L. L. (2005).

A Cusp Catastrophe Model of Cult Conversions, in D.O. O'Leary and G.S. McGhee (Eds.) War in Heaven, Heaven on Earth: Theories of the Apocalyptic, London: Equinox. 221-235.

A Preface of the Fragile Realities book is made available for interested individuals. About nine chapters have been written of what will be a 12 chapter book. Many of these are currently being used, through password protected electronic reserve readings, in PSY 264, as a text for the course, Social Psychology: Belief and Commitment in Groups.

I am eager to communicate with other social psychologists who have an interest in CULTS, CONVERSION, and COMMITMENT. Please get in touch:
downinll@oneonta.edu.

Another interest has been in the area of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and has resulted in a major theoretical article published in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment on Criterion Shaped Behavior. This concerns the unforeseen and largely undesirable effects of performance appraisal which is used as a basis for merit pay, promotions, grades, or other important outcomes. In such situations, it is argued, measuring performance badly, which is usually the case, is worse than not measuring it at all. E-mail me for a reprint, or access to an online version.

PUBLICATIONS: (In Refereed Psychology Journals)

Pitz, G. F. & Downing, L. L. (1967). Optimal behavior in a decision making task as a function of instructions and payoffs. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 73, 549-555.

Pitz, G. F., Downing, L. L., & Reinhold, H. (1967). Sequential effects in the revision of subjective probabilities. Canadian Journal of Psychology/ Review of Canadian Psychology, 21, 381-393.

Downing, L. L. (1972). Collective behavior. In T. Rywick (Ed.), Experimentation of Interpersonal Behavior: The Social Psychological Approach. New York: MSS Information Corporation.

Valenti, A., & Downing, L. L. (1974). The effects of jury size on the sensitivity of juries to an evidence manipulation. Proceedings, 83rd Annual Convention, APA, Sept., 1974.

Downing, L. L., Rywick, T., Hastings, W., & Kahn, A. (1975). Competitive behavior in the prisoner's dilemma game: Social motives versus individual outcome maximization. Journal Supplement Abstract Service: Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 5, 234.

Downing, L. L. (1975). The prisoner's dilemma game as a problem solving phenomenon: An outcome maximization interpretation. Simulation and Games, 6, 366-391.

Valenti, A., & Downing, L. L. (1975). Differential effects of jury size on verdicts following deliberation as a function of the apparent guilt of a defendant. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 655-665.

Johnson, R. E., & Downing, L. L. (1976). Attribution of ability as a function of consistency of information across times, entities, and persons: A positivity bias. Psychological Reports, 38, 99-105.

Downing, L. L., & Ritter, E. (1976). Effects of contingencies on cooperative responding in a prisoner's dilemma game with anticipated shock outcomes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2, 51-54.

Paulhus, D. L., Shaffer, D. R., & Downing, L. L. (1977). Effects of making blood donor motives salient upon donor retention: A field experiment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 3, 99-102.

Downing, L. L. (1977). Response to Grofman's critique of "Differential Effects of Jury Size..." Social Action and the Law, 1977.

Clary, G., Tesser, A., & Downing, L. L. (1978). Influence of a salient schema on thought induced cognitive change. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1, 39-43.

Johnson, R. D., & Downing, L. L. (1979). Deindividuation and valence of cues: Effects on prosocial and anti-social behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1532-1538.

Downing, L. L., & Bothwell, K. H. (1979). Open space schools: Anticipation of peer interaction and development of cooperative interdependence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 478-484.

Downing, L. L., & Monaco, N. R. (1986). In-group/out-group bias as a function of differential contact and authoritarian personality. Journal of Social Psychology, 126, 445-452.

Downing, L. L. (1992). Comment on Gilbert's, "How mental systems believe." American Psychologist, 47, 269-270.

Downing, L. L. (1994). Criterion shaped behaviour: Pitfalls of performance appraisal. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 2, 1-21.

Downing, L. L. (2005). A cusp catastrophe model of cult conversions, in D.O. O'Leary and G.S. McGhee (Eds.), War in Heaven, Heaven on Earth: Theories of the Apocalyptic, London: Equinox. 221-235.

PAPERS PRESENTED:

Downing, L. L., & Pitz, G. F. (1966). Optimality of behavior in a decision making task. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Convention, Chicago.

Downing, L. L., Hastings, W., Rywick, T., & Kahn, A. (1968). Profit versus social motives in the prisoner's dilemma game. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Convention, Chicago.

Rywick, T., Downing, L. L., Hastings, W., & Kahn, A. (1969). Probabilistic response contingent feedback in the prisoner's dilemma game. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Convention, Chicago.

Downing, L. L. (1972). The Prisoner's dilemma game: Resolution versus dissolution. Paper presented to the University of Georgia Social Science Forum, February 7, 1972.

Johnson R. E., & Downing, L. L. (1973). Positivity bias in the attribution of ability. Paper presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, New Orleans.

Downing, L. L. (1974). Outcome maximization in a three-person prisoner's dilemma game. Paper presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Hollywood, Florida.

Valenti, A., & Downing, L. L. (1974). The effects of jury size on the sensitivity of juries to an evidence manipulation. Paper presented at the 83rd Annual Convention, APA, New Orleans.

Downing, L. L., & Bothwell, K. H. (1975). Effects of school environments, sex, and race on the development of cooperative behavior. Paper presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta.

Mays, P. V., & Downing, L. L. (1975). The effects of active versus passive responding and reward for cooperation on impression of partner's willingness to cooperate and responding in a three-person prisoner's dilemma game. Paper presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta.

Johnson, R. D., & Downing, L. L. (1975). Deindividuation as a function of cue elicited behavior. Paper presented at the 84th Annual Convention, APA, Chicago.

Downing, L. L. (1979). Cults: Psychological and legal issues of ideological conversion. Paper presented at the New England Social Psychological Association Convention, University of Rhode Island, November 17, 1979.

Downing, L. L., & Monaco, N. R. (1982). Ingroup-outgroup bias as a function of differential contact with ingroups and outgroups and authoritarian personality. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Convention, Baltimore.

Downing, L. L., & Monaco, N. R. (1984). Ingroup-outgroup bias and authoritarian personality: A field experiment. Paper presented at the International Conference on Authoritarianism and Dogmatism, Potsdam, New York, October 13, 1984.

Gilbert, S. J., Downing, L. L., Gould, F. F., & Guzy, L. T. (1986). Mandating seatbelt use: Effects on behavior and attitudes. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Convention, New York.

Downing, L. L. (1986). Conversion to religious cults. Paper presented at the New York Conference on Asian Studies, New Paltz, New York, October, 1986.

Downing, L. L. (1990). Criterion shaped behavior: The slippery slope of evaluation. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Convention, Philadelphia.

Wallace, C., Downing, L. L., Motta, C., & Siegel, L. (1990). Effectiveness of social support groups as a function of social comparison, information exchange, and social relations. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Convention, Philadelphia.

Downing, L. L. (2002). Social psychological theories and the failure of prophesy. Paper presented at the conference of the Center for Millennial Studies, Boston University, September, 2002.

COLLOQUIA AND INVITED LECTURES:

"Resolution versus Dissolution of the Prisoner's Dilemma Game." Symposium of the Measurement Program, University of Georgia, 1972.

"A New Theory of Deindividuation." Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia, 1973.

"An Interpretation of B. F. Skinner's, Beyond Freedom and Dignity," Mell-Lipscomb Living Learning Community, University of Georgia, 1974.

"Cavemen to Superpowers: Resolution versus Dissolulion of the Prisoner's Dilemma Game." Colloquium for the Institute of Administration and Management, Union College, 1977.

"Optimal Responding in a Mixed-Motive Game - Lessons from a Computer Tournament." Colloquium for the Institute of Administration and Management, Union College, 1979.

"Ingroup-Outgroup Bias."Colloquium for the Department of Psychology at Skidmore College, 1979.

"Crazy for God: A Review of the Book by Chris Edwards." Schenectady Public Library, 1979.

"A New Theory of Religious and Ideological Conversion." Colloquium for the Department of Psychology at Bard College, 1980.

"An Experimental Field Study: Ingroup-Outgroup Bias." Colloquium for the Department of Psychology at the Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia, 1981.

"From Cavemen to Superpowers: Dissolution versus Resolution of the Arms Race." Faculty Seminar, State University College at Oneonta, New York, 1982.

"Fragile Realities: The Psychology of Religious and Ideological Conversion." Interdisciplinary Forum for the Study of Religion, State University College at Oneonta, New York, 1983.

"The Arms Race: A Game Theory Analysis of Current Issues." Colloquium for the Department of Psychology at the State University College at Oneonta, New York, 1983.

"Religious Conversion: A Six-Component Model." Colloquium for the State University College at Fredonia, New York, 1983.

"Conversion to Religious Cults: Are You Susceptible?" A talk given to the residents of Ford Hall, State University College at Oneonta, New York, March, 1986.

"Prejudice and Discrimination: A Panel Discussion." Given to the residents of Ford Hall, State University College at Oneonta, New York, October, 1987.

"Criterion Shaped Behavior: Pitfalls of Performance Evaluation." Presented to the Psychology Department Colloquium Series, SUNY Oneonta, 3/21/90.

"Religious Cults: Susceptibility to Conversion." A talk given to the Men's and Women's Associations of the Temple Israel, Binghamton, New York, April 29, 1990.

"Religious Cults: Susceptibility to Conversion - The Role of the School Counselor." A talk presented to the Delaware County Counselors Association Meeting, March 20, 1991.

"Commitment: Religious and Otherwise." Presented to the Religious Studies Committee, SUNY Oneonta, 3/4/92.

"Dissonance Theory and the Failure of Prophesy." Presented to the Religious Studies Committee, SUNY Oneonta, 4/1/92.

"Religious Commitment: Part Three of a Series." Presented to the Religious Studies Committee, SUNY Oneonta, 4/29/92.

"Bias and Free Speech: Rights and Responsibilities." Presented as part of the "Freedom of Speech Symposium," SUNY Oneonta, 10/3/92.

"Conversion and Commitment in Religious Cults." Presented to the Faculty Convivium Series, SUNY Oneonta, Sept. , 1996.

"Fragile Realities: Conversion and Comitment in Cults and Other Powerful Groups." A Public Lecture sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY, 10/7/97.

"Criterion Shaped Behavior: "When Measuring Something Badly is Worse Than Not Measuring It at All." Presented to the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, Institute for Behavior Research, Colloquium, 1/26/98.

"On Being Committed: Theories and Speculations." Presented to the Social Psychology Association of the University of Georgia, Athens Georgia, 2/13/98.

"Cults: The Social Psychology of Susceptibility to Ideological Conversion." Presented to North Georgia State Social Science Colloquium, Dahlonega, Georgia, 2/27/98.

"Cults: The Social Psychology of Susceptibility to Ideological Conversion." Presented to the Social Science Faculty and Students, University of Aalborg, Aaalborg, Denmark, 4/21/98.

"Criterion-Shaped Behavior: Pitfalls of Performance Appraisal." Presented to the Faculty Convivium Series, SUNY Oneonta, Sept. 20, 2001.

"Analysis of Terror: An Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion." Member of the four person panel. SUNY Oneonta, Sept. 26, 2001.

Unpublished Manuscripts:

Gilbert, S., Guzy, L., Downing, L. L., & Gould, F. (1986). Mandating seatbelt use: A field study.

Gilbert, S., & Downing, L. L. (1986). Variables affecting levels of obedience in the Milgram procedure.

Wallace, C., Downing, L. L., Motta, C., & Siegel, L.(1990). Social support group effectiveness as a function of social comparison processes.

Downing, L. L. (1992). Bias and Free Speech: Rights and Responsibilities. (Part of the Freedom of Expression Symposium, SUNY Oneonta, Oct. 3, 1992).

Downing, L. L. (2000). Fragile Realities: Conversion and Commitment in Cults and Other Powerful Groups. (Nine chapters of a book in progress on religious and ideological conversion.)

Grants Received:

"Prisoner's Dilemma Research Program." National Science
Foundation Institutional Grant, 1972-1973.

"Effects of Group Size on Cooperation in an N-Person
Prisoner's Dilemma Game." Faculty Resarch Grant,
Union College, 1977-1978.

"The Social Psychology of Collective Influence." Mellon
Grant, 1977-1978.

AWARD FOR TEACHING:

Panhelenic Council of the State University of New York, College at Oneonta - 1997.

EDITORIAL WORK:

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Editorial consultant, (referee of manuscripts submitted for publication), 1975- .

Simulation and Games, Editorial consultant, (referee of manuscripts submitted for publication), 1976- .

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Editorial consultant, (referee of manuscripts submitted for publication), 1977- .

New York State Health Research Council, Referee of grant proposals, 1977- .

National Science Foundation, Referee of grant proposals, 1979- .

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Editorial Consultant, (referee of manuscripts submitted for publication), 2003- .

COLLEGE SERVICE:

University of Georgia -
Departmental Undergraduate Committee, 1970-1974.
Departmental Committee on Faculty Evaluation, 1973-1974.
Departmental Committee on Minority Recruitment, 1974-1976.
Departmental Committee on Research Participation (Chairperson), 1973-1974.
Preliminary Examination Committee for Social Psychology,
(Chairperson), 1973-1975.
Union College
Academic Computer Advisory Board, 1977-1979.
Admissions Committee, 1977-1978.
Subcommittee on Minority Recruitment, 1977-1978.
Drafting Committee on Admissions Policy, 1978-1979.
Library Committee, 1977-1979.
Ichabod Spencer Lecture Series, (Coordinator), 1977-1980.
Union College Child Care Center, (Co-chairperson), 1979-1980.

State University of New York, College at Oneonta
Curriculum Committee, 1985-1997; 1999-present.
Basic Curriculum and Cultural Diversity Subcommittee, 1992.
Course Review Subcommittee, 1992-93.
Religious Studies Committee, (Adjunct), 1985 - present.
Resident Life Committee, 1989-90.
Freedom of Expression Symposium,
(Participant), Spring 1992, Fall 1992.
Academic Excellence Committee (Chair) 1993 - 1997.
Search Committee: For Dean of Behavioral & Applied Sciences - 1992-93.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

American Psychological Association (Member 1969 - 1996).
Society for Personality and Social Psychology (Member since 1969).
Eastern Psychological Association (Member since 1976).
Sigma Xi (A multidisciplinary society of members in the sciences; Member since 1989).