Position:
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, Oregon 97361
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.
M.S. University of Wyoming, Experimental Psychology, 2007.
Concentration: Developmental Psychology
Thesis: Values and Mortality Salience: The Moderating Effects of Value Orientation on Cultural Worldview Defense
Advisor: David Estes, Ph.D.
B.A. University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, 2005.
Major: Psychology.
Thesis: The Inhibitory Deficit Hypothesis and the Age-Related Effects of Interference on Proper Name and Occupational Learning.
Advisor: Lori E. James, Ph.D.
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.
Publications and Research Projects
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
McMahan, E. A., & Dehart Renken, M. (in press). Eudaimonic conceptions of well-being, meaning in life, and self-reported well-being: Initial test of a mediational model. Personality and Individual Differences.
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2011b). Age-related differences in lay conceptions of well-being and experienced well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1007/s10902-001-9251-0.
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2011a). Measuring lay conceptions of well-being: The beliefs about well-being scale. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 267-287.
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2010). Hedonic versus eudaimonic conceptions of well-being: Evidence of differential associations with experienced well-being. Social Indicators Research. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-010-9698-0.
PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS AND PEER-REVIEWED PRESENTATIONS
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.
Penningroth, S., Bartsch, K, & McMahan, E. A. (2010, July). Everyday prospective memory in younger and older elementary-school children: A diary study of parents' reports. Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Prospective Memory (ICPM), Vancouver, BC, July 29, 2010.
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2010, April). Balance and imbalance in conceptions of well-being: Implications for experienced well-being. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA), Denver, CO, April 16, 2010.
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2009, May). Individual conceptions of well-being: A new measure. Poster
presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), San Francisco, CA, May 24, 2009.
Estes, D., & McMahan, E. A. (2009, May). Conceptions of human nature: Dimensions and correlates. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), San Francisco, CA, May 22, 2009.
James, L.E., Tauber, S.K., McMahan, E. A., & Fogler, K.A. (2008, April). Proper name
learning in aging: No evidence for interference. Poster presented at the Cognitive Aging
Conference, Atlanta, GA, April 13, 2008.
McMahan, E. A. & Estes, D. (2008, April). Values and mortality salience: The moderating effects of value orientation on cultural worldview defense III. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA), Boise, ID, April 12, 2008.
McMahan, E. A. & Estes, D. (2007, May). Values and mortality salience: The moderating effects of value orientation on cultural worldview defense II. Poster session presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Washington, DC, May 26, 2007.
Estes, D., Uttal, D., & McMahan, E. A. (2006, May). College students’ beliefs about psychological research. Poster session presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), New York, NY, May 25, 2006.
McMahan, E. A. (2006, March). Values and mortality salience: The moderating effects of value orientation on cultural worldview defense. Poster session presented at the University of Wyoming’s Graduate Student Symposium, Laramie, WY, March 3, 2006.
McMahan, E. A., & James, L. E. (2005, May). The inhibitory deficit hypothesis and the age-related effects of inhibition on proper name and occupational learning. Poster session presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Los Angeles, CA, May 18, 2005.
McMahan, E. A., & James, L. E. (2005, April). Age, interference, and proper name learning. Poster session presented at the Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum, Colorado Springs, CO, April 30, 2005.
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
Conceptions of Human Nature: Dimensions and Correlates
PI: David Estes
Reactions to Loss and Well-Being: A Longitudinal Analysis
PIs: Eric Cooley, Tamina Toray, and Lauren Roscoe
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 6-30-11. PI: McMahan, E. A.
AD HOC JOURNAL REVIEWER
Journal of Happiness Studies
Membership in
Professional Organizations
Association for Psychological Science (Professional Member)
Oregon Academy of Science (Professional Member)
Western Psychological Association (Professional Member)
Teaching Experience
Assistant Professor, Western Oregon University
General Psychology 1
General Psychology 2
Adulthood and Aging
Behavior Modification
Infancy and Childhood
Adolescent Development
Instructor, University of Wyoming
Adolescent Development
Child Development
Experimental Psychology
Mentoring
SUDENTS MENTORED/RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
2011 Chanel Meyers, Western Oregon University
2011 Chris Easton, Western Oregon University
2011 Katie Mackor, Western Oregon University
2011 Kevin Dixon, Western Oregon University
2011 Lindsey King, Western Oregon University
2008 Jeremy Guzman, University of Wyoming
2007 Rocio Zubia, University of Wyoming
Honors and Awards
2010 Faculty Development Award, Western Oregon University
2009 Lillian Portenier Dissertation Research Scholarship, University of Wyoming
2009 Robert and Huldah Bruce Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholarship, University of Wyoming
2009 Graduate School Travel Award, University of Wyoming
2008 Robert and Huldah Bruce Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholarship, University of Wyoming
2008 Student Service Award, University of Wyoming
2008 Graduate School Travel Award, University of Wyoming
2007 Graduate School Travel Award, University of Wyoming
2005 High Distinction in Psychology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Developmental and Academic Service
Western Oregon University
2010-current Faculty Representative for WOU Psychology Student Association
2010-current Development of Psychology Section, PURE Undergraduate Research Journal
2010 Course Proposal and Development (Positive Psychology)
University of Wyoming
2008-09 Graduate Student Faculty Representative (Faculty Elected)
2008 Graduate Research Mentor – McNair Scholars Program (Faculty Elected)
2008 Department of Psychology Visiting Weekend Coordinator (Faculty Elected)
2007 Graduate Research Mentor – Summer Research Apprenticeship Program (SRAP)
2006-07 Department Assessment Assistant (Faculty Elected)
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