Research Scientists
Joshua Weller
 |
is a Research Scientist interested in how affective and cognitive processes contribute to our ability to make advantageous decisions across the lifespan. To address this, he has utilized a wide range of populations, including children and pre-teens, older adults, and brain-lesion patients. In his work with children, Dr. Weller has investigated the development of children’s risky decision making abilities, both in terms of the stability of risk preferences and the development of adaptive decision strategies. Dr. Weller has also researched the neural correlates of decision making, with an emphasis on how structures important for emotion influence our ability to make advantageous choices. Additionally, he is interested in how individual differences in affective traits influence risky decision making, not only when taking risks to achieve gains, but also to avoid losses. The ultimate aim of his research program is to integrate neurological and behavioral research in order to better understand the developmental trajectory of competent decision making throughout the lifespan. |
Dr. Weller at Idaho State University
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
Selected Publications
Weller, J. A., Dieckmann, N. F., Tusler, M., Mertz, C. K., Burns, W. J., & Peters, E. (2012). Development and testing of an abbreviated numeracy scale: A Rasch analysis approach. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 26, 198–212. doi: 10.1002/bdm.1751
Weller, J. A., & Fisher, P. (2012). Decision-making deficits among maltreated children. Child Maltreatment. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/1077559512467846
Weller, J. A., Shackleford, C., Dieckmann, N. F., & Slovic, P. (2012). Possession attachment predicts cell phone use while driving. Health Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0029265.
Weller, J. A., Levin, I. P., & Denburg, N. (2011). Trajectory of advantageous decision making for risky gains and losses from ages 5 to 85. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 24, 331–344.
Weller, J. A., Levin, I. P., Rose, J. P., & Bossard, E. (2011). Assessment of decision making competence in preadolescence. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/bdm.744
Weller, J. A., & Tikir, A. (2011). Predicting domain-specific risk taking with the HEXACO personality structure. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 24, 180–201.
Denburg, N. L., Weller, J. A., Yamada, T. H., Shivapour, D. M., Kaup, A. R., LaLoggia, A., . . . Bechara, A. (2009). Poor decision making among older adults is related to elevated levels of neuroticism. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 37, 164–172. doi: 10.1007/s12160-009-9094-7
Weller, J. A., Levin, I. P., & Bechara, A. (2009). Do individual differences in Iowa Gambling Task performance predict adaptive decision making for risky gains and losses? Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32, 141–150.
Weller, J. A., Shackleford, C., Dieckmann, N. F., & Slovic, P. (2012). Possession attachment predicts cell phone use while driving. Health Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0029265
Weller, J. A., Levin, I. P., Shiv, B., & Bechara, A. (2009). The effects of insula damage on decision-making for risky gains and losses. Social Neuroscience, 4, 347–358.
Xue, G., Lu, Z., Levin, I. P., Weller, J. A., Li, X., & Bechara, A. (2009). Functional dissociations of risk and reward planning in the prefrontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 19, 1019–1027.
Weller, J. A., Levin, I. P., Shiv, B., & Bechara, A. (2007). Neural correlates of adaptive decision making for risky gains and losses. Psychological Science, 18, 958–964.