Patrick Cooper B.S., B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Patrick Cooper

Professional profile

Patrick Cooper is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. His research involves disentangling children's social environments, specifically examining the causes and effects of childhood aggression and victimization. He also assesses the impact of mindfulness on high school students. He serves on the executive board of ASSET Education, a mindfulness program aimed to mitigate anxiety and build resilience in high school students in their academic curriculum.

Cooper serves as the chair of Lynn University’s Institutional Review Board, whose duty is to ensure the safety and human subjects in research conducted here at Lynn. He is also the faculty co-advisor of Lynn University’s chapter of Psi Chi—the International Honor Society for Psychology.

Education

  • B.S., Pennsylvania State University
  • B.S., Pennsylvania State University
  • M.A., Florida Atlantic University
  • Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University

Teaching philosophy

Patrick Cooper fully understands the importance of a university education and believes that his abilities and teaching techniques are extremely valuable in preparing college students to be productive members of society. To Cooper, students who choose to continue their education are primed and motivated to learn. These students will be the future leaders of our communities and he believes he is a valuable asset in helping them reach their potential.

Cooper's overarching goal in any course is to have students respect the history and scientific value of the discipline and he has several philosophies that help him achieve this goal. First, Cooper provides conceptual frameworks for each course and course topic to help students understand the value of what they are learning. Second, he encourages scientific thinking as much as possible. Third, he fosters student engagement in hopes that students link in-classroom lectures and real world applications.

Teaching specialties

  • Research Methods in the Social Sciences
  • Statistics for the Social Sciences
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • Human Behavior

Areas of scholarship

  • Personality characteristics and academic achievement in university students
  • The effects of mindfulness on high school student motivation and engagement
  • The effects of group drumming therapy on mood and social interest in inpatient substance abuse clinics
  • Gender identity, self-concept, and adjustment in middle school children
  • Aggression and victimization in middle childhood peer relationships

Awards and honors

2017-2018 Outstanding Teacher of the Year
2018-2019 Student Organization of the Year - Psi Chi