Derek D Reed

KU Jayhawk
  • Professor
  • Director of Graduate Studies for Department of Applied Behavioral Science

Contact Info

Office Phone:
785-864-0504
Department Phone:
785-864-4840
Fax:
785-864-5202
Dole Human Development Center, room #4048

Biography —

Dr. Derek Reed is Professor of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas where he directs the Applied Behavioral Economics Laboratory and serves as an affiliate Scientist for the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctoral Level, and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the State of Kansas. Derek received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Illinois State University and his Masters and PhD in School Psychology from Syracuse University. He has served as Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, The Psychological Record, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and guest Associate Editor for The Behavior Analyst, and Journal of Behavioral Education. Derek has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and book chapters, coauthored three edited books, was the 2016 recipient of the American Psychological Association Division 25 B. F. Skinner Foundation New Applied Researcher Award, and 2019 recipient of a Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Early Career Impact Award (for ABAI) . He is presently working on a new textbook titled “Introduction to Behavior Analysis” with his coauthors Greg Madden and Florence DiGennaro Reed. Derek is currently an Executive Board Member for Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior (SQAB), and previously served as the Executive Director of SQAB and the Coordinator of the ABAI Science Board. His research addresses issues of societal concern through behavioral science and economic theory.

Education —

Illinois Valley Community College, 2002, Oglesby, IL
Honors in Psychology, Illinois State University, 2004, Normal, IL
School Psychology, Syracuse University, 2006, Syracuse, NY
School Psychology, Syracuse University, 2008, Syracuse, NY

Research —

My line of research, "applied behavioral economics," examines the behavioral processes underlying irrational and complex decision making. Using a use-inspired approach to basic research, my studies seek to bridge the science and practice of behavioral decision making to promote sustainable health outcomes. Borrowing from the emerging sciences of behavioral and neuroeconomics, I translate principles of economics, behavioral science, and psychology to quantitatively model, predict, understand, and ultimately intervene on poor decision making. Areas of translational focus include understanding and improving decision making associated with (a) complex choices involving delayed or probabilistic outcomes, (b) environmental sustainability, and (c) skin cancer risk reduction.

Research interests:

  • behavioral economics
  • bridge research
  • choice
  • citation analyses
  • discounting
  • environmental decision making
  • matching law
  • operant choice and decision making
  • sustainability
  • scientific translation
  • technology transfer

Teaching —

My philosophy and approach to teaching is to assure conditions for student learning, assess their effectiveness, and use data to guide improvement. This is firmly grounded in the "scientist-educator" model (see Bernstein et al., 2009) that uses information about learner outcomes as part of formative and summative evaluation of my success as an educator. When deficiencies in student learning are noted, I work actively to diagnose the ineffective components of my teaching approach and turn to the literature on empirically-supported teaching methods to address identified weaknesses. My teaching aims to enhance more generalized knowledge (e.g., critical thinking about why behavioral problems occur and how better outcomes can be achieved), as well as more specialized knowledge and skills such as methods of assessment and analysis of factors that contribute to performance.

Teaching interests:

  • behavioral economics
  • behavioral psychology
  • decision making
  • experimental analysis of behavior
  • history of behavior analysis
  • learning theory
  • operant methods
  • operant psychology
  • quantitative analysis of behavior
  • research methods and design
  • single-case experimental design
  • sustainability
  • translational research

Selected Publications —

Amlung, M., Reed, D. D., Morris, V., Aston, E. R., Metrik, J., & MacKillop, J. (2019). Price elasticity of illegal vs legal cannabis: A Behavioral economic substitutability analysis [Journal Articles]. Addiction, 114(1), 112–118. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14437
Higgins, S. T., Bergeria, C. L., Davis, D. R., Streck, J. M., Villanti, A. C., Hughes, J. R., Sigmon, S. C., Tidey, J. W., Heil, S. H., Gaalema, D. E., Stitzer, M. L., Priest, J. S., Skelly, J. S., Reed, D. D., Bunn, J. Y., Tromblee, M. A., Arger, C. A., & Miller, M. E. (2018). Response to reduced nicotine content cigarettes among smokers differing in tobacco dependence severity [Journal Articles]. Preventive Medicine, 117, 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.04.010
Kaplan, B. A., Foster, R. N. S., Reed, D. D., Amlung, M., Murphy, J. G., & MacKillop, J. (2018). Understanding alcohol motivation using the Alcohol Purchase Task: A methodological systematic review [Journal Articles]. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 191, 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.06.029
Higgins, S. T., Heil, S. H., Sigmon, S. C., Tidey, J. W., Gaalema, D. E., Hughes, J. R., Stitzer, M. L., Durand, H., Bunn, J. Y., Priest, J. S., Arger, C. A., Miller, M. E., Bergeria, C. L., Davis, D. R., Streck, J. M., Reed, D. D., Skelly, J. M., & Tursi, L. (2017). Addiction potential of reduced nicotine content cigarettes in populations with psychiatric disorders and other vulnerabilities to tobacco addiction [Journal Articles]. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(10), 1056–1064. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2355
Becirevic, A., Reed, D. D., & Amlung, M. (2017). An initial investigation of the effects of tanning-related cues on demand and craving for indoor tanning [Journal Articles]. The Psychological Record, 39, 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-017-0246-z
Becirevic, A., Reed, D. D., Amlung, M., Murphy, J. G., Stapleton, J. L., & Hillhouse, J. J. (2017). An initial study of behavioral addiction symptom severity and demand for indoor tanning [Journal Articles]. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 25(5), 346–352. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000146
Higgins, S. T., Reed, D. D., Redner, R., Skelly, J. M., Zvorsky, I. A., & Kurti, A. N. (2017). Simulating demand for cigarettes among pregnant women: A low-risk method for studying vulnerable populations [Journal Articles]. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 107(1), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.232
Critchfield, T. S., & Reed, D. D. (2017). The fuzzy concept of applied behavior analysis research [Journal Articles]. The Behavior Analyst, 40(1), 123–159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-017-0093-x
Morris, V., Amlung, M., Kaplan, B. A., Reed, D. D., Perker, T., & MacKillop, J. (2017). Using crowdsourcing to examine behavioral economic measures of alcohol value and proportionate alcohol reinforcement [Journal Articles]. Experiment and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 25(4), 314–321. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000130
Bruce, J. M., Bruce, A. S., Catley, D., Lynch, S., Goggin, K., Reed, D. D., ..., & Jarmolowicz, D. P. (2016). Being kind to your future self: Probability discounting of health decision-making [Journal Articles]. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50, 297–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9754-8
Kaplan, B. A., Reed, D. D., & Jarmolowicz, D. P. (2016). Effects of episodic future thinking on discounting: Personalized age-progressed pictures improve risky long-term health decisions [Journal Articles]. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49(1), 148–169. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.277
Jarmolowicz, D. P., Reed, D. D., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Bickel, W. K. (2016). The behavioral and neuroeconomics of reinforcer pathologies: Implications for managerial and health decision making [Journal Articles]. Managerial and Decision Economics, 37, 274–293.
Reed, D. D., Kaplan, B. A., Becirevic, A., Roma, P. G., & Hursh, S. R. (2016). Toward quantifying the abuse liability of ultraviolet tanning: A behavioral economic approach to tanning addiction  [Journal Articles]. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 106, 93–106. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.216
DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Reed, D. D. (Eds.). (2015). Autism service delivery: Bridging the gap between science and practice [Books]. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2656-5
Reed, D. D. (2015). Ultra-violet indoor tanning addiction: A reinforcer pathologies interpretation [Journal Articles]. Addictive Behaviors, 41, 247–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.10.026
Reed, D. D., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Luiselli, J. K. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of crisis intervention for individuals with developmental disabilities [Books]. Springer.
Luiselli, J. K., & Reed, D. D. (Eds.). (2011). Behavioral sport psychology: Evidence-based approaches to performance enhancement [Books]. Springer.

Awards & Honors —

Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences 2019 Early Career Impact Award -- Association for Behavior Analysis International
2019
K. Barbara Schowen Undergraduate Research Mentor Award
KU Center for Undergraduate Research
2018
B. F. Skinner New Researcher Award for Applied Research
Division 25 of the American Psychological Association
2016
Outstanding Mentor Award
Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)
2014
Faculty Leadership Award
KU Center for Sustainability
2013

Grants & Other Funded Activity —

University of Vermont Center on Tobacco Regulatory Science. University of Vermont and US Dept of Health & Human Svcs. $70439.00. Submitted 7/3/2017 (9/1/2018 - 8/31/2023). Federal. Status: Funded
Connecting Travelers to Reduce Energy Use in Transportation. United States Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy. $1576345.00. Submitted 4/10/2015 (10/1/2015 - 3/31/2018). Federal. Status: Funded
Tobacco-Free KU. Kansas Health Foundation. $25000.00. (1/1/2014 - 12/31/2018). State of Kansas. Status: Funded