Lipscomb University
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J. Dale Alden, III, Ph.D., HSPP
Assistant Professor of Psychology
 

dale and pepperdine

 

Contact Information
Email: dale.alden@lipscomb.edu 

Phone: (615) 966-5823 

Office: Ward 163

 

Education

Specialization: Neuropsychology/Geropsychiatry-
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine 1993
Ph.D.: Clinical Psychology/Neuropsychology-Virginia Polytechnic Institute1992
M.S.: Counseling/Pre-Clinical Psychology-Abilene Christian University 1987
B.S.: Psychology-Freed- Hardeman University 1985
 

 Teaching

 

I have always enjoyed my opportunities to teach while a graduate student, and have been a Bible school teacher in several congregations over the years.  After doing some adjunct work at Hollins College in Virginia and here at DLU, and due to the encouragement of my mentor, professor and friend Bob Sturgeon, I decided that I would try to make a career of it.  Thanks to the generous tolerance of the administration here, I continue in private practice as a clinical neuropsychologist, and that experience allows me to make much of what I am teaching more "real" to my students.  

I endeavor to have my students understand simple logic and critical thinking, and apply these principles to the study and evaluation of topics within the science of Psychology.  The first two to three classes of any of the didactic courses that I teach are spent teaching simple logical analysis and critical thinking skills.  After these skills are intact, the remaining classes are dedicated to learning the information already garnered within the science itself.  I try to use the most up to date textbooks available for each subject, and provide more recent information as it becomes available.  I encourage students to carefully use various computer information systems as well as more traditional methods to find new information.  

I feel that Psychology as a science studied and practiced by Christians in direct service to mankind should not be handled in a strictly speculative or simply prospective manner.  It behooves Christians to handle information that has such a significant impact on others' lives as equally carefully and reasonably as we are expected to handle the Word of God.  Finally, it is no surprise to me that as Psychology is becoming more scientific, it is "catching up" with what we know of human nature, belief and behavior through scripture. 

I am married, have two children in the Lipscomb Campus School, and would be considered a typical family man.  My family attends the Southern Hills congregation where I am a deacon.  My hobbies include custom gunsmithing, precision shooting, archery, wing, large and small game hunting, and fishing (part-time only).  I am a ham radio operator, a computer geek, and unapologetically and proudly Scottish (Clann Farquharson).   

Classes Taught

Behavior Modification

Abnormal Psychology

Introduction to Clinical Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Biological Psychology

Neuroscience

Theories of Personality, Behavior, and Learning

Psychological Tests and Measurement

  Intro to Psychopathology and Adapative Behavior (graduate course)

 

Association Memberships

American Psychological Association (Div. 12: Clinical, Div. 40: Neuropsychology)

Tennessee Psychological Association

Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society

National Academy of Neuropsychology

 

Research

My current research interests include measurement of lateralized cortical activation using the Stroop paradigm, neuropsychological evaluation of depression and dementia in the elderly, medical treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and other causes of dementia, aging of the human cerebral cortex, environmental and contextual treatment of psychopathology and neurospsychological factors of pain experience and medical prevention of de-afferentation pain.  I have been Study Coordinator and Co-Investigator on several experimental medical compounds and procedures including the use of labazemide, tacrine, sertraline and fluoxetine in elderly patients, and have worked with pharmaceutical companies on the development of new compounds for treatment of depression and dementia (Hoffman-LaRoche, Parke-Davis, Pfizer, Hoechst-Roussel, Du Pont Merck)

 

Alden, J. D., Crews, W. D. & Harrison, D.W. (1991).  Cerebral asymmetry in dementia: Effect of context on hemi-attention.  Perceptual and Motor Skills, 72, 802.

 

Alden, J. D., Austin , C. N. & Sturgeon, R. S. (1989).  A correlation between the Geriatric Depression Scale Long and Short Forms.  Journal of Gerontology, 44(4), 124-125.

 

Harrison, D. W., Lanter, J. J., Alden, J. D. & Zicafoose, B. F. (1990).  Sensory modification of nonpropositional speech: Excessive emotional vocalization disorder with dementia.  Neuropsychology, 4, 215-221.

 

Hagopian, L. P., Harrison, D. W. & Alden, J. D. (1989).  Reading disabilities with and without attentional deficits:  A comparison of laterality and hemi-inattention.  The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

 

Harrison, D. W. & Alden, J. D. (1989).  Concurrent verbal interference of right and left proximal and distal upper extremity tapping.  The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

 

Alden, J. D. & Harrison, D. W. (1993).  An initial investigation of bright light and depression:  A Neuropsychological perspective.  Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society.

 

Billings , L. S., Harrison , D. W. & Alden, J. D. (1993).  Age differences among women in the functional asymmetry for bias in facial affect perception.  Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society.