Rate My Professor Robert DeVellis

DeVellis's research centers on social psychological aspects of health and illness, interpersonal processes in adjustment to chronic illness such as arthritis, measurement of beliefs, attitudes, and dispositions relevant to health, and cognitive and emotional correlates of health-related behavior. His preeminent contribution is the book Scale Development: Theory and Applications, published by Sage in 1991, with revised editions in 2003, 2012, and 2017. This work has become a foundational resource in psychometrics for health researchers worldwide. Key publications include the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales (Wallston et al., 1978), studies on vicarious acquisition of learned helplessness (1978), social support and health (1983), and recent papers on medication communication, peer support in vasculitis, and pain coping skills for osteoarthritis (2015-2016). Honors include election to Delta Omega in 1992, American Psychological Association Fellowship in 1994, and 2005 awards from the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals: 40th Anniversary Star Award and Distinguished Scholar Award. He served on the APA Division 38 Board of Directors (1999-2002). DeVellis's methodologies have profoundly impacted scale development and validation in health behavior and chronic disease research.