Rate My Professor James Diller

Dr. James Diller is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychological Science at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he joined the faculty in 2008. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from McDaniel College, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Behavior Analysis from West Virginia University. As a behavior analyst, Dr. Diller developed the concentration in behavior analysis within the Psychology major and coordinates its course sequence, enabling students to sit for national certification. He co-directs the Behavioral Laboratory of Emotion and Psychophysiology and teaches courses including Behavior Analysis and Research Methods, employing strategies such as frequent assessment, immediate feedback, choral responding, and response cards to enhance student engagement and success.

Dr. Diller's research specializations encompass maladaptive choice, radical behaviorism, and the training of behavior analysts. He mentors undergraduate students in research, yielding multiple co-authored publications and conference presentations. Key publications include "Prison as punishment: a behavior-analytic evaluation of incarceration" (Apel & Diller, 2016, The Behavior Analyst), "Evaluating the work of applied animal behaviorists as applied behavior analysis" (Gray & Diller, 2017, Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice), "Visual analysis of data in a multi-element design" (Diller, Barry, & Gelino, 2016, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis), "Intersectional Feminism and Behavior Analysis" (DeFelice & Diller, 2019, Behavior Analysis in Practice), "Radical behaviorism and Buddhism: Complementarities and conflicts" (Diller & Lattal, 2008, The Behavior Analyst), "Temporal discounting and heart rate reactivity to stress" (Diller, Patros, & Prentice, 2011, Behavioural Processes), and "Biogenetic Endorsements of Depression: The Enduring Influence of Chemical Imbalance Theory" (Ward & Diller, 2026). In 2016, Dr. Diller received the System-Wide Teaching Award for 2015-16 from the Board of Regents for Higher Education, recognizing his excellence across the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. His contributions have strengthened the behavior analysis program, promoting student research and professional development.