Dwight A. Hennessy
Associate Professor
(716) 878-5532
Campus Address: Classroom Building A301
hennesda@buffalostate.edu
Dr. Hennessy received his Ph.D. from York University in Personality and Social Psychology and has been a faculty member at Buffalo State College since 2000. He specializes in Social, Environmental, Consumer, and Traffic psychology. Before joining the Department of Psychology at Buffalo State, Dr. Hennessy worked as a market research analyst and consultant. Visit Dr. Hennessy's Web page.
Research Interests: Aggression, Violence, and Vengeance (including female aggression, driver aggression, workplace aggression, spectator aggression), Daily Hassles, Stress & Coping (work stress, driver stress), Traffic Psychology, Scientific Racism, Gender Roles, Consumer Psychology, Adoption Matching.
Courses Taught:
Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101)
Social Behavior (PSY 325)
Psychology of the Consumer (PSY 382)
Psychology of Aggression and Violence (PSY 384)
Environmental Psychology (PSY 370)
Experimental Psychology (PSY 450)
Senior Seminar (PSY 472)
Recent Students Mentored:
Robert Jakubowski: Rob worked with me for three years and graduated in May 2005. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Colorado State University. He has presented several research papers at conferences and has co-authored a chapter with me on attribution biases in drivers, and a journal publication on driver stress spillover.
Sarah Wilson: Sarah completed her honor’s thesis and graduated in May 2005. She obtained her Master’s degree in Social/Forensic Psychology and is currently completing her Ph.D. in counseling psychology at UB. She presented her research at EPA and the Student Research and Creativity day.
Elizabeth Manley: Liz graduated in May 2006 and is completing her Master’s degree in School Psychology at Niagara University. She has presented research at EPA and CMRSC and co-authored a journal publication with me on Fatal Vision Goggles and drunk driving.
Nicole Maiorana: Nicole graduated in May 2006 after working with me for two years. She was a McNair Scholar and completed an honor’s thesis. She was also awarded the President’s Medal as the outstanding senior at Buffalo State College. She has presented research at EPA and CMRSC and co-authored a journal publication with me on Fatal Vision Goggles and drunk driving.
Jessica Hemingway: Jessica graduated in May 2007. She was my teaching assistant in Environmental Psychology and co-authored a book chapter on the effects on media on dangerous driving. She recently completed her Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at Ohio State University, and is applying for a Ph.D. program in Germany.
Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (* notes student author):
Hennessy, D. A., & Schwartz, S. (2009). The influence of instrumental motives and daily hassles on Spectator aggression at little league baseball games. Contemporary Athletics.
Hennessy, D. A. (2008). The impact of commuter stress on workplace aggression. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 2315-2335.
Hennessy, D. A., & Jakubowski, R.* (2007). The impact of visual perspective and anger on the Actor-Observer Bias among automobile drivers. Traffic Injury Prevention, 8, 115-122.
Hennessy, D. A., & Schwartz, S. (2007). Personal predictors of spectator aggression at little league baseball games. Violence & Victims, 22, 205-215.
Hennessy, D. A., Lanni, E.*, & Maiorana, N.* (2006). The impact of Fatal Vision Goggles on intentions to drink and drive. Journal of Drug Education, 36, 59-2.
Hennessy, D. A., & Wiesenthal, D. L. (2005). Driving vengeance and willful violations: Clustering of problem driving attitudes. Journal of App lied Social Psychology, 35, 61-79.
Fengzhi, L.*, Changji, L., Yunfang, L., Chenglie, Z., & Hennessy, D. A. (2004). Reliability and validity of aggressive driving measures in China. Traffic Injury Prevention, 5, 349-355.
Wiesenthal, D. L., Hennessy, D. A., & Totten, B.* (2003). The influence of music on mild driver aggression. Transportation Research Part F, 6, 125-134.
Hennessy, D. A., & Wiesenthal, D. L. (2001). Gender, driver aggression, and driver violence: An applied evaluation. Sex Roles, 44, 661-676.
Wiesenthal, D. L., Hennessy, D. A., & Gibson, P. M.* (2000). The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ): The Development of a scale to measure deviant drivers' attitudes. Violence and Victims, 15, 115-136.
Selected Books and Chapters:
Hennessy, D. A., & Wiesenthal, D. L. (2005). Contemporary issues in road user behavior and traffic safety research. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Hennessy, D. A., Hemingway, J.*, & Howard, S.* (2008). The effects of media portrayals of dangerous driving on young drivers’ performance. In F.N. Gustavvson (Ed.), New Transportation Research Progress (pp. 143-156). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Hennessy, D. A., & Jakubowski, R.* (2008). The impact of stressful commuting on subsequent performance during low versus high frustration tasks. In A.M Columbus (Ed.), Advances in Psychology Research, Vol. 54 (pp. 263-272). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Selected Refereed Conference Presentations:
Hennessy, D. A. (2006). The interrelationship between driving and other life space environments. Paper presented at the 26th International Congress of Applied Psychology. Athens, Greece: July 16-21.
Hennessy, D. A., Lanni, E.*, & Maiorana, N.* (2005). Evaluating the effectiveness of Fatal Vision Goggles on drinking and driving intentions. Paper presented at the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference XV. University of New Brunswick.
Schwartz, S., & Hennessy, D. A. (2005). Personal predictors of spectator aggression at little league baseball game. Poster presented at the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Convention. Chicago: April 12-16.
Sarama, K. L.*, Hennessy, D. A., Intrieri, R. C., & Goodwin, P. E. (2004). An examination of factors that influence roles associated with occupations. Poster presented at the 112th annual convention of the American Psychological Association. Honolulu,: July 28 – August 1.
Latta, T. A.*, Sheffer, S. M., & Hennessy, D. A. (2004). Attitudes toward female same-sex erotic behavior influenced by physical-attractiveness stereotype. Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Society. Chicago: May 27- May 30.
Hennessy, D. A. (2003). From driver stress to workplace aggression. Symposium presented at Annual American Psychological Association Convention. Toronto ON, Canada: August 7 – 10.
Research Support:
CDHS Minigrant 2007-2010. Hennessy, D. A. (PI). Using Temperament Tools to Match Potential Adoptive Parents and Adoptees. This was a grant to examine the possibility that temperament tools could be used to improve matching and adjustment of adoptive parents and adoptees.
Buffalo State College Provost Incentive Grant. Hennessy, D. A. (2002). The Impact of Fatal Vision Goggles on Drinking and Driving Intentions. This was a pilot study to examine the impact of Fatal Vision Goggles when used in standard field sobriety tests and in a traffic simulator on drinking and driving.
Ontario Ministry of Transportation Grant. Wiesenthal, D. L. (PI), & Hennessy, D. A. (I) (2000). Stress, Aggression, and the Driver. This was a study designed to examine the relationship between traffic stressors and aggressive behavior on the roadway.