Rate My Professor Victor Bissonnette

Victor Bissonnette is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychological Science at Berry College, where he has served since 2000, advancing from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in 2006. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and Sociology in 1986 and his Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology in 1992 from the University of Texas at Arlington, with dissertation chairs William Ickes and Ira Bernstein. Initially pursuing photojournalism, Bissonnette shifted to psychology after courses in behavioral sciences. His graduate mentors guided the development of innovative research methodologies and statistical analyses applied in both non-experimental and experimental studies. Post-graduation, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1992 to 1993 under Caryl Rusbult, fostering interests in intimate relationships. Prior to Berry College, he was Assistant Professor at Southeastern Louisiana University from 1993 to 2000.

Bissonnette's research examines basic attitudes and behaviors in intimate relationships, alongside empathy, prosocial behavior, morality, and dark-triad personality traits. He collaborates with students on projects, such as those presented at the Association for Psychological Science conventions, including 'Does Empathy Mediate the Relationship Between the Dark Triad Traits and Altruism?' (2019) and 'Take me as I am: The morality and self-image of the Dark Triad Personality' (2016). His peer-reviewed publications include 'Naturalistic social cognition: Empathic accuracy in mixed-sex dyads' (Ickes et al., 1990, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology), 'Perceptual and response interactions in semantic priming' (Bernstein et al., 1990, Perception and Psychophysics), 'Empathic accuracy among newly married couples' (Kilpatrick et al., 2002, Personal Relationships), 'The relationship among name writing and early literacy skills in kindergarten children' (Haney et al., 2003, Child Study Journal), 'The effects of modeling and topic stimulus on self-referent touching' (Butzen et al., 2005, Perceptual and Motor Skills), and 'Teachers’ perceptions about the use of play to facilitate development and teach prosocial skills' (Haney & Bissonnette, 2011, Creative Education). Bissonnette has contributed chapters to edited volumes, such as on empathic accuracy and marital conflict resolution (1996) and accommodation processes in marriage (1998). He developed Stats Homework, a free statistical software package, along with spreadsheets and tables for teaching introductory statistics and research methods in behavioral sciences, enhancing student learning.