Last updated: August 2013
243 Cherry St.
Morgantown, WV, 26505
517-897-4160
boosterh@mix.wvu.edu
Benjamin J. Oosterhoff
EDUCATION
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Ph.D. Life-Span Developmental Psychology
Advisor: Dr. Aaron Metzger
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
M.S. Life-Span Developmental Psychology
Advisor: Dr. Aaron Metzger
B.A. Psychology and Criminal Justice
Expected 2015
Expected 2013
2011
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Citizenship and civic development, civic attitude formation and change across the life -span, socialization of civic
attitudes, including parental, peer, and school influences, effects of organized activity involvement and religious
involvement on delinquency, positive youth development
Research Publications
Ferris, K. A., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger, A. (submitted). Organized Activity Involvement among Rural Youth: Gender
Differences in Associations between Activity Type and Developmental Outcomes . Manuscript revised and resubmitted for
publication.
Metzger, A., Oosterhoff, B., Palmer, C. A., & Ferris, K. A. (Accepted). Dimensions of citizenship: Associations among
adolescents’ beliefs, political attitudes, and civic judgments. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Teaching Publications
Shook, N. J., & Oosterhoff, B. (2013). Course guide for social psychology. Littleton, MA: Tapestry Press, Ltd.
PRESENTATIONS
Oosterhoff, B., Ferris, K., & Metzger, A. (March, 2014). Developing Belief Systems and Political Attitude Profiles in
Adolescence . Paper to be presented in B. Oosterhoff (Chair), Who Makes a Difference? Adolescent Beliefs about
Civic Agents . Symposium presented at Society for Research on Adolescence, Austin, TX.
Oosterhoff, B., Yale-Babskie, E., Ferris, K., & Metzger, A. (March, 2014) . The Influence of parental civic messages
on adolescent prioritization of civic activities. Paper to be presented Society for Research on Adolescence, Austin,
TX.
Metzger, A., Syversten, A., Wray-Lake, L., & Oosterhoff, B. (March, 2014). A Q-analysis of youth understanding of
associations between character strengths and civic involvement. Paper to be presented Society for Research on
Adolescence, Austin, TX.
Ferris, K., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger, A., (March, 2014). Associations between adolescents’ organized activity
involvement, engagement in problematic eating patterns and beliefs about food. Paper to be presented Society for
Research on Adolescence, Austin, TX.
Ferris, K., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger, A. (March, 2014). Patterns of organized activity involvement in different types
of rural communities. Paper to be presented Society for Research on Adolescence, Austin, TX.
Metzger, A., Syvertsen, A., Wray-Lake, L., & Oosterhoff, B. (June, 2013). Children and adolescents’ application of
character strengths to environmental and conservation activities. Pap er presented in G. Myers (Chair), Positive
Environment, Sustainability, and Conservatio n. Symposium presented at the World Congress on Positive Psychology, Los
Angeles, CA
Oosterhoff, B., Palmer, C. A., & Metzger, A. (2013, May). Age differences in associations between core beliefs, social political attitudes, and adolescents' civic judgments . Poster presented at the American Psychological Association
biannual meeting, Washington D.C.
Metzger, A., Oosterhoff, B., & Ferris, K. (2013, April). Because you need to have your voice heard? American
Adolescents’ Justifications for Different Forms of Civic Involvement. In W. Wang Exploring Social-Cognitive Processes
concerning Youth Civic Engagement: Multiple Approaches in Multiple Contexts . Symposium conducted at the 2013
Biannual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA.
Ferris, K., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger, A. (2012, April). Organized activity involvement and problem behavior among
rural youth: The importance of activity type and context . Poster presented at Research Horizons Day, Morgantown,
West Virginia
Ferris, K., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger, A. (2012, March). Organized activity involvement and problem behavior among
rural youth: The importance of activity type and context . Poster presented at the Society for Research in Adolescence,
Vancouver, Canada.
Oosterhoff, B. (2011). Understanding the effects of an incarcerated father on adolescent boys’ identity: An evaluation
of the Gardner Program . Paper presented at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, Ithaca, New York .
Oosterhoff, B. (2010). Understanding the effects of an incarcerated father on adolescent boys’ identity: An evaluation
of the Gardner Program . Paper presented at the National McNair Research Conference, Delavan, Wisconsin .
Oosterhoff, B. (2010). Understanding the effects of an incarcerated father on adolescent boys’ identity: An evaluation
of the Gardner Program . Paper presented at the Michigan State University McNair Symposium, East Lansing, Michigan.
Oosterhoff, B. (2010). Understanding the effects of an incarcerated father on adolescent boys’ identity: An evaluation
of the Gardner Program . Poster presented at the Michigan State University McNair Symposium, East Lansing, Michigan.
GRANTS/AWARDS RECEIVED
Michigan State University Ronald E. McNair Spirit Award
West Virginia University HERF Award
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Program Honorable Mention
2010
$2,000
2011
2013
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Instructor/Lecturer – Social Psychology
Instructor – Social Psychology ONLINE
Undergraduate Research Advisor – Adolescent Development lab
McNair Scholars Program Graduate Teaching Assistant
Courses designed, not yet taught:
Adulthood and Aging
Fall 2011- Spring 2013
Summer 2012/2013
Fall 2011- Present
Summer 2013
INVITED SPEAKER
Psychology 411: Applying to Graduate School
September, 2012
Psychology 202: Research Methods in Psychology
September, 2012 / March, 2013 /
May, 2013
Morgantown High School: Psychology Research Methods
September 2012 / 2013
“Beyond Taylor Swift and Twilight: How to get teenagers to contribute to society”. Presented at the Science on Tap
Science Idol. April 2013.
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Psycology Department, West Viringia University
Co-founder of Student’s Statistics Group
2013 - Present
Behavioral Genetic Lab, Michigan State University
Research Assistant under the supervision of Dr. S. Alexandra Burt
2009-2011
McNair Scholars Program, Michigan State University
McNair Scholar under the supervision of Dr. William Davidson Jr.
2009-2010
Adolescent Development Project, Michigan State University
2009-2010
Research Assistant under supervision of Sean Hankins
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Society for Research in Adolescence

Society for Research on Child Development

Toastmasters

Psi Chi National Psychology Honors Society

Alpha Sigma Phi National Criminal Justice Honors Society
RELEVANT GRADUATE COURSEWORK

Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Methodological Issues in Developmental
Psychology

Adulthood and Aging

Research Design and Data Analysis

Seminar in Teaching Psychology

Professional Issues in Developmental
Psychology

Contemporary Issues in Psychology

Multivariate Statistics

Child Development

Infant Development

Non-Parametrics Analysis

Grantsmanship and Grantwriting

Survival Analysis

Moral Development

Mixed Models Analysis

Data Management using SAS
PROJECTED GRADUATE COURSEWORK

Advanced Multivariate Statistics

Meta-Analysis

Social Psychology
Supervised Research Projects
Howell, T., Oosterhiff, B., & Metzger, A. (2013). The effects of parenting dimensions and religious behavior in
adolescent substance use. Poster presented at the University of Maryland national McNair conference, College
Park, Maryland.
Lamariana, D., Oosterhoff, B., & Metzger A. (2013). Associations between adolescents’ political identification and
core beliefs. Poster presented at Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. Morgantown, West
Virginia.