Psychology Division

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Dr. Ethan McMahan Assistant Professor of Psychology

Office: Todd 321
Phone: (503) 838-8634
Fax: (503)838-8618
E-mail address: mcmahane@wou.edu

Lab: Positive Psychology Lab

Academic Preparation

Ph.D. University of Wyoming, Experimental Psychology, 2010.
Concentration: Developmental Psychology
Dissertation: Age-Related Differences in Lay Conceptions of Well-being and “the Good Life”

Advisor: David Estes, Ph.D.

Courses Taught

General Psychology

Introduction to Research Methods

Quantitative Methods

Research Methods in Psychology

Developmental Psychology

Positive Psychology

Infancy and Childhood

Adolescent Development

Adulthood and Aging

Research Interests

My primary line of research examines individual conceptions of well-being and their impact on positive psychological functioning during adulthood and late adulthood. More generally, I am interested in examining relationships among fundamental knowledge structures and belief systems, hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being, and meaning in life throughout the lifespan.  

Selected Publications

McMahan, E. A., Dixon, K. J., & King, L. M. (in press). Evidence of associations between lay conceptions of well-being, conception-congruent behavior, and experienced well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies.

McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2012). Age-related differences in lay conceptions of well-being and experienced well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13, 79-101. DOI: 10.1007/s10902-001-9251-0.

McMahan, E. A., & Dehart Renken, M. (2011). Eudaimonic conceptions of well-being, meaning in life, and self-reported well-being: Initial test of a mediational model. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 589-594.

McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D.. (2011). Hedonic versus eudaimonic conceptions of well-being:  Evidence of differential associations with experienced well-being. Social Indicators Research, 103, 93-108.

McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D.. (2011). Measuring lay conceptions of well-being: The beliefs about well-being scale. Journal of Happiness Studies 12, 267-287.

Grants Funded

Conceptions of Well-Being and Experienced Well-Being in South Korea and the United States: Scale Validation and Cross-Cultural Comparisons. Seoul National University, Center for Happiness Studies. Amount of Award: $15,000. Dates of Award: 7-1-11 to 6-30-12. PI: McMahan, E.A.

Presentations and Published Abstracts (last two years)

McMahan, E.A., Meyers, C. K., Mackor, K. M., King, L. K., & Easton, C. (2012, May) Lay conceptions of well-being and experienced well-being in South Korea and the United States. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Chicago, IL, May 26, 2012.

Roscoe, L. J., & McMahan, E. A. (2012, April). Outcomes of Introduction to the Psychology Major: Careers and Opportunities course. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), San Francisco, CA April 29, 2012.

King, L. M., Mackor, K. M., Meyers, C. K., Easton, C., & McMahan, E. A. (2012, April). Individual conceptions of well-being and perceptions of the quality and goodness of others' lives. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), San Francisco, CA, April 29, 2012.

McMahan, E. A. (2012, April). Financial assistance during graduate training. Presented at the Annual convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), San Francisco, CA, April 28. 2012.

McMahan, E. A. (2012, April). Lay conceptions of well-being in South Korea and the United States: An exploration of cross-cultural differences and similarities.  Presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), San Francisco, CA, April 28, 2012.

King, L. M., Easton, C., Mackor, K. M., Meyers, C. K., & McMahan, E. A. (2012 February). The role of happiness, meaning and religiosity in judgments of the quality and moral goodness of others' lives. Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Sciences, 71, 51-52.

Dixon, K. J., King, L. M., & McMahan, E.A. (2011, May). Conceptions of well-being, behavior and experienced well-being: A meditational model. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC, May 26, 2011.

Cooley, E., Toray, T. Roscoe, L., McMahan, E.A., Willhite, K., Verba, D., Buckingham, D., Carlson, K., Moustafa., N., & Tidwell, A. (2011, April). The reactions to loss scale: Finding resilience in college bereavement. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), Los Angeles, CA, April 30, 2011.

McMahan, E.A., & Estes, D. (2011) April). Age-related differences in lay conceptions of well-being and the good life.  Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), Los Angeles, CA, April 29, 2011.

King, L. M., Dixon, K. J., & McMahan, E. A. (2011 February). The mediating role of behavior in hedonic and eudaimonic conceptions of well-being and actual well-being.  Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Sciences, 70, 58.

Research in Progress

Conceptions of Well-Being and Experienced Well-Being in South Korea and the United States: Scale Validation and Cross-Cultural Comparisons.
PI: Ethan A. McMahan

The Relationship between Conceptions of Well-being and Daily Hedonic and Eudaimonic Behavior
PI: Ethan A. McMahan

Conceptions of Well-being and Perceptions of the Goodness and Quality of Others’ Lives
PI: Ethan A. McMahan

Further Validation of the Beliefs about Well-Being Scale
PI: Ethan A. McMahan

Contact

Psychology Division (503) 838-8344 | or e-mail: kunzel@wou.edu