EARNED
DEGREES
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF EDUCATION,
Cambridge, Ed.D.
in Human
Development, Moral/Cognitive Concentration,
1988.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene, M.S. in Educational
Psychology,
School Psychology
Concentration, 1983.
B.S.
in Psychology, Physiological Concentration, 1981.
EMPLOYMENT
LEWIS‑CLARK STATE COLLEGE,
Lewiston, ID, USA,
83501
Professor
of Psychology.
Teaching introductory, developmental,
educational,
advanced developmental, adult
development, and positive psychology; have
taught historical and contemporary issues,
personality , and human rights &
ethics.
Faculty Senator 1989‑92;
1993‑5; 1999-2001.
Chair of College Curriculum
Committee, 1990‑92.
Director of the Psychology
Department, 1996-1998
LANDEGG INTERNATIONAL
UNIVERSITY, Wienacht, Switzerland
Affiliate
Professor. Taught Principles of Psychological
and Spiritual Development, February 1997 and
December 1997; Life of the Mind, F98; Foundations
of Psychology and Spiritual
Psychology, Summers 1999-2002.
HARVARD GRADUATE
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, Cambridge, MA
Teaching
Fellow, Moral Development, with Lawrence Kohlberg, 1986 &
1987
Teaching Fellow, Psychology of
Adolescent Development, with Carol Gilligan 1987.
Senior Research Assistant to
Profs. Kohlberg & Higgins, Just Community Schools in
the Bronx,
1985‑1988.
Instructor, Moral Judgement
Scoring Workshops, 1986‑1988.
YAKAMA INDIAN
NATION TRIBAL
SCHOOLS, Toppenish, WA
School
Psychologist, Head Start, Junior High School
and High School, 1982‑1985.
HERITAGE COLLEGE,
Toppenish, WA
Lecturer
in Developmental, Educational and Personality
Psychology, 1983‑1985, 1988.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON,
Eugene,
OR
Research
Assistant to the Social Behavior Skills
Project with Prof. Hill Walker, 1982.
Research Assistant to the
Laboratory for Developmental Vision Research, with
Prof. Barbara Gordon, 1980-81
HONORS AND
AWARDS
Elected “Outstanding Academic
Instructor” by the Associated Student Body of
Lewis‑Clark State College thirteen times between
1988-2009.
Given the LCSC “President’s Award for Excellence in
Diversity and Cross-Cultural
Understanding Award,” 2010.
The Area Agency on Aging selected for the
“Outstanding Community Partner” award for
collaborating with my PSYC 415 Positive Psychology
course in a service learning format for
three years (2008-2010).
Selected “2005 Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Idaho
Professor of the Year.”
Selected “Outstanding
Professor” at LCSC by the students of the College
Assistance Migrant Program
(CAMP), 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.
Received TRIO Program’s
“Student Appreciation Award,” 2003-2004 & 2004-2005.
Awarded Sabbatical leave Fall
1998; served as scholar-in-residence at Landegg
International
University, Wienacht, Switzerland
for the semester, 8/98-12/98.
Awarded Sabbatical leave Fall
2006; studied depictions of the Psyche myth at
Museums in Paris (Louvre and D'Orsay).
Burlington Northern Foundation
Faculty Achievement Award for outstanding commitment
to teaching excellence, Lewis‑Clark State College,
1990‑1991.
School
of Professional Studies
award for excellence in teaching, Lewis‑Clark State
College, 1989‑1990.
Teaching Fellowships with
Lawrence Kohlberg, Harvard Graduate School
of Education, 1986 & 1987.
Teaching Fellowship with Carol
Gilligan, Harvard Graduate School
of Education, 1987.
Award for Excellence in Bahá'í
Studies, General Category, at the 1986 Annual
International Meeting of the Association for Bahá'í
Studies,
Vancouver, B.C.
Award for Excellence in service
to Yakama Indian Nation Tribal Head Start,
Toppenish, WA, 1985.
CURRENT
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Diessner, R., Brink, M. Z., &
Rust, T. (2010). Engagement with beauty and
depressive symptoms. Manuscript submitted for
publication.
Diessner, R., & Burke, K.
(2010). Increasing engagement with beauty: Pedagogy
with the Psyche & Eros myth.
Manuscript submitted for publication.
Diessner, R., Smith A., Wilson,
K., Gentry, C.,
Rathbone, K., & Wicklander, M. (2010).
Developmental stages of
understanding
beauty.
Research in progress.
PUBLICATIONS
Journal Articles
Diessner, R., & Burke, K. (in
press). The beauty of the Psyche and Eros myth:
Integrating aesthetics into Introduction to
Psychology.
Journal
of Aesthetic Education.
Diessner, R. (2010, August 9).
Moral beauty, politics, gender, and personality [Web
log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.yourmorals.org/blog/
Dachs, I., & Diessner, R. (in
press). German Version of the Engagement with Beauty
Scale. Psi Chi
Journal of Undergraduate Research.
Davis, L., & Diessner, R.
(2009).
Justice reasoning, open mindedness, and political
affiliation Manuscript in preparation. Submitted
for publication.
Rust, T., Diessner, R., &
Reade, L. (2009).
Strengths only or strengths and relative
weaknesses? A preliminary study.
The
Journal of
Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied,
143, 465-476.
Diessner, R., Davis, L., &
Toney, B. (2009). Empirical relationships between
beauty and justice: Testing Scarry and elaborating
Danto.
Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts,
3,
249-258.
Diessner, R., Parsons, L.,
Solom, R., Frost, N., & Davidson, J. (2008).
Engagement with beauty: Appreciating natural,
artistic and moral beauty.
The
Journal of
Psychology:
Interdisciplinary and Applied, 142,
303-329.
Diessner, R. (2007).
Integrity: Psychological, moral and
spiritual.
Human Development, 28(3), 5-10.
Diessner, R. (in press).
Beauty and Moral Education.
To be published in Chinese in a journal of
the School of Psychology,
Southwest
China
University, Chongqing, PRC.
Diessner, R., & Lewis, G.
(2007). Further
validation of the Gratitude, Resentment and
Appreciation Test (GRAT).
Journal of Social Psychology,
147(4), 445-447.
Diessner, R., Rust, T., Solom,
R., Frost, N., & Parsons, L. (2006).
Beauty and hope: A moral
beauty
intervention.
Journal
of Moral Education, 35 (3), 301-317
Diessner, R. (2004).
Response to Thorkildsen’s review of: Critical Consciousness: a study of
morality in global, historical context.
Journal of Moral Education, 33,
387-388.
Diessner, R., Frost, N., &
Smith, T. (2004).
Describing the Neoclassical Psyche embedded
in Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love.
Social Behavior and Personality, 32,
683-690.
Diessner,
R. (2003).
Sonnet to the seat of study.
World Order, 34(3), 21.
Diessner, R. (2001).
Foundations of educational psychology: Howard
Gardner’s neo-classical psyche.
The
Journal of Genetic Psychology, 162, 495-501.
Diessner, R. (2000). Action
Research.
Converging Realities. A
Journal of Art, Science and Religion
[On-line serial], 1 (1). Available URL:
http://converge.landegg.edu/.
Pratt, M. W., Arnold, M. L.,
Pratt, A. T., & Diessner, R. (1999). Predicting
adolescent moral reasoning from family climate: A
longitudinal study using narrative and observational
techniques.
The Journal of Early Adolescence, 19, 148-175
Diessner, R., Washburn, K., and
Mayton, D. (1998).
Self and others' perceptions of "Crass
materialism".
The
Journal of Social Psychology, 138, 137-8.
Diessner, R. (1997).
The Teacher as Professional: A Normative Position.
Lewiston,
ID: Lewis‑Clark
State College, Division of Education. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 413 304)
Pratt, M., Diessner, R., Pratt,
A., Hunsberger, B., & Pancer, S. M. (1996).
Moral and social reasoning and
perspective‑taking in later life:
A longitudinal study.
Psychology and Aging, 11, 66-73.
Mayton, D. M., Diessner, R., &
Granby, C. D. (1996).
Nonviolence, values, and moral reasoning:
Empirical support for theoretical
relationships.
Peace
and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology,2(3),
245-253.
Diessner, R. (1995).
[Review of the book
The psychology
of spirituality.]
The
Journal of Bahá'í Studies,6(4),
65-66.
Higheagle, G., and Diessner, R.
(1995).
The Needs of
Tribal Men and the Social Service Providers on or
near the Nez Perce Indian Nation.
Lewiston,
ID: Lewis‑Clark
State College, Division of Education.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. SO 025411)
Diessner, R. (1995).
Cognitive‑Developmental psychology and the
Bahá'í Faith: Meaningful connections.
Counseling and Values,
39, 169‑176.
Diessner, R. (1994).
Ethical development during the college years:
Theory and normative
implications
for practice.
Lewiston,
ID: Lewis‑Clark State
College, Division of Education.
(ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 366 258)
Diessner, R. (1994).
The Bahá'í Faith and Peace Psychology: The
potential for science and religion to collaborate.
Peace
Psychology Bulletin, 3(3), 18‑22.
Skoe, E., & Diessner, R.
(1994). Ethic of care, justice, identity and gender:
An extension and replication.
Merrill‑Palmer Quarterly, 40, 272‑289.
Diessner, R. (1994).
Moral reasoning, teacher education and ideological critique.
Lewiston, ID: Lewis‑Clark
State College, Division of Education.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 365 667).
Diessner, R. (1994).
Action research and teaching professors.
Lewiston,
ID: Lewis‑Clark State College,
Division of
Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED 366 257)
Diessner, R., Mayton, D. M., &
Dolen, M.A. (1993).
Values hierarchies and moral reasoning.
Journal
of Social Psychology, 133, 869‑871.
Mayton, D. M., Diessner, R., &
Granby, C. (1993).
Nonviolence and moral reasoning.
Journal of Social
Psychology, 133, 745‑ 746.
Diessner, R. (November, 1993).
Double grouping: New strategies for
collaborative learning.
The Teaching
Professor, 7(9), 1.
Mayton, D. M., Diessner, R., &
Granby, C. (1993).
Nonviolence, values, and moral reasoning:
Empirical support for
theoretical relationships.
Lewiston, ID: Lewis‑Clark
State College,
Division of Education. (ERIC Document
Reproduction
Service No. ED 352 296)
Diessner, R. (May, 1992).
Children, goats, or adults?
The
Teaching Professor, 6(5), 2.
Pratt, M., Diessner, R.,
Hunsberger, B., Pancer, M., & Savoy, K. (1991).
Four pathways in the analysis of adult
development:
Patterns of reasoning about personal moral
and social
dilemmas.
Psychology and
Aging, 6, 666‑675.
Diessner, R. (1991).
Selflessness: Congruences between the
Cognitive‑Developmental Research Program and the
Bahá'í Writings.
Journal
of Bahá'í Studies, 3, 3‑12.
Diessner, R. (1991).
Kohlbergian Narratives: Comment on Vitz.
American Psychologist, 46, 168‑169.
Diessner, R. (1990).
The Mastery in Learning Project at Orchards
Elementary School with the consultancy
of Lewis‑Clark State College. Lewiston,
ID: Lewis‑Clark State
College, Division of Education. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 328 131)
Diessner, R. (1990, November).
Moral education: Pro.
Teaching Today, p. 8.
Diessner, R. (1990, November).
Students and teachers share power and decision
making in unique democracy project.
Teaching Today, p. 5.
Diessner, R. (1990).
Curriculum for a democratic school.
Lewiston, ID: Lewis‑Clark State College, Division of
Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED 320 872)
Diessner, R. & Walker J.L.
(1986).
American Indian students:
A pattern of cognitive abilities.
Journal of
American Indian Education, 25, 39‑43.
McCullough, C.S., Walker, J.L., & Diessner,
R. (1985).
The use of Wechsler scales in the assessment
of Native Americans of the
Columbia
River basin.
Psychology in the Schools, 22, 23‑28.
Diessner, R. (1985).
The criterion‑related validity of the
Academic Ability Scale of the Armed
Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery for a
sample of American Indian students.
Educational and
Psychological Measurement, 45, 98‑99.
Diessner, R., Rousculp, E.E., &
Walker, J.L. (1985). English fluency via computers
at Yakima
Tribal
School.
Journal
of American Indian Education, 25, 17‑24.
Diessner, R. (1984).
Correlation of the Khatena‑Torrance Creative
perception Inventory and the Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale‑Revised.
Creative Child and Adult Quarterly, 9,
28‑32.
Diessner, R. (1983).
The relationship between cognitive abilities
and moral development in intellectually gifted
children.
Gifted/Creative/Talented (G/C/T), May‑June,
15‑17.
BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Diessner, R. (Ed.). (2008).
Classic
edition sources: Human development (3rd
ed.).
Dubuque,
IA: McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R.
(2007).
Psyche and
eros. Bahá’í
studies in a spiritual psychology.
Oxford: George
Ronald Publishers.
Diessner, R., & Richel, T.
(2008).
Instructor’s resource guide.
Classic
edition sources: Human development (3rd
ed.).
Guilford,
CT: McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R. (2004).
Beauty and moral education.
CGIE Committee (Ed.), Proceedings of
CGIE’s 2004 International Forum on Integrated
Education and Educational Reform (Section One,
pp. 27-47).
Claremont: Center for
Global Integrated Education
Diessner, R. (2004).
Mei yu daode jiaoyu
[Chinese translation of “Beauty and Moral
Education”].
CGIE Committee (Ed.), Proceedings of
CGIE’s 2004 International Forum on Integrated
Education and Educational Reform (Section Two,
pp. 22-35).
Claremont: Center for
Global Integrated Education.
Diessner, R., & Tiegs, J.
(Eds.). (2001).
Sources:
Notable selections in human development, (2nd
ed.).
Guilford,
CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R., & Tiegs, J.
(2001).
Instructor's manual for Sources: Notable selections
in human development
(2d
ed.) Teaching and Testing Suggestions. Guilford, CT:
Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R., & Simmons, S.
(Eds.). (2000).
Sources:
Notable selections in educational psychology.
Guilford,
CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R., & Simmons, S.
(2000).
Instructor's manual for Sources: Notable selections
in educational psychology.
Teaching and
Testing Suggestions. Guilford, CT:
Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R. (2000).
Crass Materialism: A crucial value education
issue. A
descriptive study of pre-service teachers' values.
In M. Leicester, C. Modgil, & S. Modgil, (Eds.),
Education, culture and values. Volume II:
Institutional issues: Pupils, schools, and teacher
education (pp. 189-197). London: Falmer Press.
Chapa, J., and Diessner, R. (2000).
Values Education in Bahá'í Schools.
In M. Leicester, C. Modgil, &
S. Modgil, (Eds.),
Education, culture
and values. Volume V:
Spiritual and
Religious Education
(pp. 121-132).
London: Falmer Press.
Diessner, R. (1997).
Sources: Notable
selections in human development.
Guilford, CT:
Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Diessner, R. (1997).
Instructor's
manual for Sources: Notable selections in human
development.
Teaching and Testing Suggestions.
Guilford,
CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Kohlberg, L. & Diessner, R. (1991).
A cognitive developmental approach to Moral
attachment. In
J.L. Gewirtz & W.M. Kurtines (Eds.),
Intersections with
attachment
(pp. 229-246). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
PRESENTATIONS
Diessner, R. (2010, August).
Intimate beauty in
caring relations. Invited presentation to the
conference Joy in the Journey: Promoting Wholeness and
Integrity in the Face of Chronic Illness, Clarkston, WA.
Diessner, R. (2009, November).
Validating virtues
and character strengths in the workplace. Invited
workshop for YWCA employees, Lewiston, ID.
Richel, T., Diessner, R., Merchi,
J., Dachs, I., Addison, & Wilson, K. (2008, March).
International
reliability studies of the Engagement with Beauty Scale
(EBS). Poster session presented at the International
Counseling Psychology Conference, Chicago, IL.
Diessner, R. (2007, November).
Admission
to Ivy League Colleges.
On an invited panel presentation at Lewiston High
School, Lewiston, ID.
Diessner, R. (2007, October).
Engaging with
Beauty: Moral Education.
An invited presentation at the Partnerships in
Education Conference, Lewiston, ID.
Diessner, R., Parsons, L., Solom,
R., Frost, N., & Davidson, J. (2007, May).
Beauty:
Engaging the heart. Invited keynote address at the 1st Annual LCSC
Senior Research Symposium, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID.
Diessner, R., Parsons, L., Solom,
R., Frost, N., & Davidson, J. (2006, March).
Engagement
with beauty: Appreciating natural, artistic, and moral
beauty.
An invited presentation in Prof. Etcoff “Science of
Happiness” class at Harvard
Medical School,
Cambridge, MA.
Diessner, R., Rust, T., Solom, R.,
Frost, N., & Parsons, L. (2006, March).
Beauty and hope: A moral beauty intervention.
An invited presentation in Prof. Etcoff’s
“Science of Happiness” class at Harvard Medical
School, Cambridge, MA.
Diessner, R. (2005, October).
The
Educational Psychology of Economic Class: Poverty and
Wealth.
An invited presentation at the Partnerships in Education
Conference, Lewiston, ID.
Diessner, R. (2005, September).
The Psychology of Art & Beauty.
An invited presentation at the
Arts & History
Center,
Lewis-Clark
State College, Lewiston, ID
Diessner, R. (2005, January).
Gendered Communication.
An invited presentation to the Division of
Education, Dr. Jann Hill, Chair,
Lewis-Clark
State College, Lewiston, ID.
Hayne, B., & Diessner, R. (2004, December).
Transfer of
intergenerational historical trauma among Native
Americans.
An invited presentation to the Division of
Education, Dr. Jann Hill,
Chair, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID.
Diessner, R. (2004, November).
Enhancing the development of your children’s
moral reasoning. An invited presentation to
the Centennial Elementary School PTA, Lewiston, ID.
Diessner, R. (2004, October).
Beauty and moral education.
Invited paper presented at the Center for Global
Integrated Education’s International Forum on
Integrated Education and Educational Reform, Santa Clara, CA.
Diessner, R., & Hayne, B. (2004,
April).
Transfer of intergenerational historical trauma among
Native Americans.
An invited presentation to the Indian Education
Professional Development program, Ms. Lisa Guzman,
director, University of Idaho,
Moscow,
ID.
Diessner, R. (2002, January).
Action research. An
invited presentation to the faculty of the Psychology
Department of Seattle University,
Seattle,
WA.
Diessner, R. (2001, August).
The psyche: A hermeneutic investigation.
A presentation at the annual meeting of the
Association for Bahá'í Studies,
Seattle.
Diessner, R., Mayton, D., Washburn,
K., Burklund, B., Murphy, J. and Peters, D.
(1996, November).
Crass
Materialism: The 'root of all evil'. A descriptive study
of pre-service teachers' levels of materialism. A
presentation at the annual meeting of the Association
for
Moral Education, Ottawa, Ontario.
Diessner, R. (1996, June).
Caring as moral
education:
The work of Nel Noddings and Carol Gilligan.
An invited presentation to the faculty and
administrators of Le Jardin Academy, Kailua, Hawaii.
Diessner, R. (1995, October).
Materialism and moral development: Overcoming the root cause
of racism and nationalism.
An invited
plenary presentation at the annual meeting of the
Association for Bahá'í Studies, San Francisco.
Pratt, M. & Diessner, R. (1994,
November).
Parenting style
and parental scaffolding of adolescent‑parent moral
discussions.
A poster presentation at the annual meeting of
the Association
for Moral Education, Calgary/Banff, Alberta.
Diessner, R. (1994, November).
Differentiating spiritual principles from Kohlbergian
principles: A
Bahá'í interpretation.
A paper presentation at the annual meeting of the
Association for Moral Education, Calgary/Banff,
Alberta.
Diessner, R. (1994, November).
Introducing APA Division 48: Peace Psychology.
A poster presentation at the annual meeting of
the Association for Moral Education, Calgary/Banff,
Alberta.
Cortese, A., & Diessner, R. (1993,
August). A
longitudinal study of moral judgment in Asian
American, African American, and Euro‑american
children.
Presented at the annual meeting of the American
Sociological Association, Miami, Florida.
Larson, E. J., & Diessner, (1992,
October).
Teaching human
rights and applied ethics using a
microcomputer,
a modem, and videotapes.
Presented at the
conference of the International
Society for
Exploring Teaching Alternatives,
San Pedro,
California.
Mayton, D. M., Diessner, R., &
Granby, C. (1992, July).
Nonviolence, values, and moral reasoning: Empirical support for
theoretical relationships.
Presented at the XXV
International Congress of Psychology, Brussels, Belgium.
Diessner, R., Mayton, D. M., &
Dolen, M. (1992, July).
Value
hierarchies and moral reasoning: Empirical support for
theoretical relationships.
Presented at the XXV International Congress of
Psychology, Brussels, Belgium.
Diessner, R. (1991, November).
Teacher education for democratic classrooms.
Presented at the meeting of the Association for
Moral Education,
Athens, GA.
Skoe, E. E., & Diessner, R. (1991,
November).
Identity,
care‑based and justice‑based moral reasoning in women
and men.
Presented at the meeting of the Association for Moral
Education,
Athens,
GA.
Diessner, R. (1990, November).
Selflessness:
Congruences between the
Cognitive‑Developmental Research Program and the
Bahá'í Writings.
Paper presented at the meeting of the Association
for Moral Education, Notre Dame, IN.
Diessner, R., & the Orchards
Faculty (1990, April).
Democracy and
curriculum: A case study in
a semi‑rural
elementary school.
Paper presented at the meeting of the American
Educational
Research Association,
Boston, MA.
Diessner, R. (1989, November).
Ethical development and critical thinking in the college years.
Paper presented at the meeting of the Association
for Moral Education, Los Angeles, CA.
Pratt, M., Diessner, R., Hunsberger,
B., Pancer, M., & Savoy, K. (1989, September).
Four
pathways in the analysis of adult development:
Patterns of reasoning about personal moral and
social dilemmas.
Paper presented at the British Psychological
Association Society Conference, Surrey, England.
Diessner, R. (1987, June).
Differentiating
stages of post‑conventional justice reasoning.
In M.L.
Commons (Chair), Third beyond formal operations
symposium at Harvard:
Positive development during adolescence and
adulthood.
Symposium conducted at Harvard University, Department of
Human Development,
Cambridge
Diessner, R. (1987, January).
The actualization of the redemption of Habermas' four validity claims
and Kohlberg's moral musical chairs:
Argyris' action science.
In M.L. Commons (Chair), From moral action to
judgement and back:
The relationships between action and stage.
Symposium
conducted at Harvard University,
Cambridge.
Kohlberg, L., Ignelzi, M.,
Diessner, R., & Higgins, A. (1986, July).
Just
Community
interventions in two high schools in the
Bronx.
Paper presented at the Institute on School
Climate and Governance, Harvard University,
Cambridge, MA.
Diessner, R. (1986, January).
The Republic and Divine Civilization.
Paper presented at the Meeting of the Association
for Bahá'í Studies, Vancouver, B.C.
MANUSCRIPT
REVIEWER
The Journal of
Positive Psychology, Reviewer, 2009
Journal of Moral
Education,
Reviewer,
2004 - 2009.
American Journal
of Orthopsychiatry,
Reviewer,
2005.
