Diane Mello-Goldner

RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS

My teaching and research interests are related to social/personality psychology. My research evolved from traditional basic research to a more applied focus directly related to social justice and inclusive leadership. In the past, my research focused on self-handicapping and how it influences a person’s self-concept. My more recent research focuses on more positive aspects of the self, mainly academic goal attainment and self-efficacy, and how they relate to academic persistence and student success. I have also conducted research on mindfulness, especially its benefits for first-generation college students.

I enjoy interacting with my students in and out of the classroom and mentoring them during their academic and career paths. I teach a variety of psychology courses and have created many courses that have an interdisciplinary nature to them. I hope to bring my Psychology of Harry Potter and Psychology & Detective Fiction courses to the BU campus soon. My favorite courses to teach are the research and statistics courses. In the past, I taught them using a community-based research model, where students worked with community partners and collaboratively developed a project that benefited the partners. I hope to excite my students about conducting research in psychology, especially social psychological research. I always involve my students in the presentation of their research at the annual conference of the New England Psychological Association (NEPA), an organization that I have been a steering committee member (and Past President) of for the past decade.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Mello-Goldner, D. (in review). The detective’s guide to psychology. McFarland and Company Inc.
• Beauzil, S., Gomez, R., Grisham, T., Reynoso, J., Tolbert, D., Vaz Garcia, T., Linso, S., & Mello-Goldner, D. (2021). The benefits of mindfulness on mental health and behavior. Poster presented at the Fall 2021 Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association (virtual conference).
• Dailey, A., Escobar, W., Fernandez, P., Opokuaa, C., & Mello-Goldner, D. (2021). The effects of COVID-19 on mental health and behavior. Poster presented at the Fall 2021 Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association (virtual conference).
• Mello-Goldner, D. (April, 2020). A history of psychology through the detective lens. Popular Culture Association National Conference, Philadelphia, PA. 
• Mello-Goldner, D. (2019). Community-based research as an alternative to traditional research courses as a method of promoting undergraduate publication. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01012
• Mello-Goldner, D. (November, 2018). Dodging a bludger: Sorting out psychology through Harry Potter. Presidential address delivered at the Fall 2018 Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association, Worcester, MA.
• Baker-Siroty, H., & Mello-Goldner, D. (2018). Teaching psychology through young adult literature. Participant Idea Exchange Session presented at the Fall 2018 Annual Meeting of the Northeast Conference for Teachers of Psychology, Worcester, MA.
• Mello-Goldner, D.M., McLaughlin, E., Ramirez, M, Stargard, W., Weber, S, & Yoffe, M. (2016). Assessing core competencies in the general education curriculum at Pine Manor College. Panel discussion at the 2016 NEEAN Fall Forum, College of the Holy Cross.
• Andrade, L., Kopystynsky, N., Pena, C., Sakala, T., & Mello-Goldner, D. (2013). Evaluation of a mentoring program designed for children of domestic violence. Poster presented at the Fall 2013 Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
• Mello-Goldner, D. (2011). Using yoga to increase attention in early morning classes. Poster presented at the Fall 2011 meeting of the New England Psychological Association, CT.
• Mello-Goldner, D. (2010). Monitoring self-efficacy and goal attainment in a community-based research course. Paper presented at the 2010 meeting of the American Psychological Society/Teaching Institute, Boston, MA.
• Mello-Goldner, D. & Jackson, J. (1999). Premenstrual syndromes as a self-handicapping strategy among college women. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 14 (4), 607 – 616.
• Mello-Goldner, D., & Wurf, E. (1997). The self in self-handicapping: Differential effects of public and private internal audiences. Current Psychology, 15 (4), 319 – 331.