Associate Professor, Psychology

shelfer@adrian.edu

Degrees

Pennsylvania State University, B.S.
Ohio University, M.S.
Ohio University , Ph.D.

Specialties

the placebo effect
pain
exercise adherence
cardiovascular reactivity to stress

Biography

Courses Frequently Taught

Biopsychology
Health Psychology
Research Methods for Psychology Majors

Selected Research

Allen, A. J., McCubbin, J. A., Loveless, J. P., Helfer, S. G. (in press). Effects of estrogen and opioid blockade on blood pressure reactivity to stress in postmenopausal women, Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Greers, A. L., Rose, J. P., Fowler, S. L., Rasinski, H., Brown, J. A., Helfer, S. G. (in press). Why does choice enhance treatment effectiveness? Using placebo treatments to demonstrate the role of personal control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Helfer, S. G., Greers, A. L., Kamody, R. C. (2013). Monitoring, but not blunting, affects placebo analgesia. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Francisco, CA.

Helfer, S. G., Kamody, R. C., Johnson, K., Cieslak, C., Fowler, S. L., Greers, A. L. (2012). Affective expectations increase positive mood, exercise intentions and exercise duration. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, New Orleans, LA.

Kamody, R. C., Woltja, E., Bujega, A. D., Jackson, S., Helfer, S. G. (2011). The placebo effect and the relationship between blood pressure and pain sensitivity. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 16, 175-179.