Janis Beckstrand, PhD
- Associate Professor, Department of Environments for Health
Education
- PhD, University of Texas at Austin
- MS, Texas A&M University
- MS, University of Colorado
- BSN, University of Texas at Austin
Biosketch
Dr. Beckstrand's research interest is in human emotion and its effects on interpersonal behavior, coping and decision making. Her current model for emotion in human interaction is Alzheimer's caregivers. She is currently studying Alzheimer's caregivers using ethological methods to identify specific behaviors in care recipients that trigger feelings of anger in caregivers. The question of specific triggers for anger in humans and how to ameliorate their occurrences and effects has wide ranging and important implications for all aspects of human relationships. She also examines both the effects of caregiver personality traits (genetics) on these processes and the effects of caregiver cognitions (how caregivers' attributions about whether care recipients moderate the effects on caregiver's feelings and responses). She is trained as a research methodologist and holds graduate degrees in statistics in addition to her nursing degrees. As a methodologist, she has a wide range of research interests including biological basis for behavior, behavioral genetics, neuropsychology, clinical nursing studies, statistical methods, health concepts, and nursing interventions. She is known for her publications criticizing the concept of a unique nursing practice theory, and has had several grants to support her research, including five-year support from NIH's National Center of Nursing Research. She has been a member of the Nursing Research Study Section, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, from 1991 to 1995, has been a special reviewer for the NIH Study Section and is a member of the American Academy of Nursing.
For additional information myprofile.cos.com/jbeckstr
