Published May 01, 2015
Dr. Jack A. Palmer, professor of psychology at the University of Louisiana at Monroe,
presented his research as part of an invited symposium at the 107th annual meeting
of the Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology held in New Orleans in April.
The invited symposium was held in honor of Dr. Roger K. Thomas, Professor Emeritus
in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. Thomas, a biopsychologist
who began teaching at UGA in 1967, served as department head for many years, and continues
publishing research there today.
Palmer met Thomas at UGA while pursuing his Ph.D. Thomas served as Palmer’s major
advisor, and together they conducted research on concept formation in animals and
children.
Palmer said, “It was very enjoyable to honor Roger Thomas at the conference. His distinguished
research and high level of teaching inspired me in my career, and many others feel
the same way.”
Palmer noted Thomas’s long career in research which includes: studying the neural
correlates of learning and memory; exploring brain and behavior models for concept
formation in animals; and researching the history of animal psychology and behavioral
neuroscience.
Palmer’s current research on altruism at ULM also involves concept formation, but
within an evolutionary context for humans.
At the symposium, Palmer presented “The Dominant Role of Kinship in Human Altruistic
Behavior”— a recent study at ULM that measured the relationship between four types
of altruism based on the benefactor-beneficiary model utilizing a measure of altruism
developed by Palmer. The study also compared results from an objective (behavioral)
measure of altruism to self-reports.
The Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology was founded in 1904 with the purpose
to promote philosophy and psychology by facilitating the exchange of ideas, encouraging
investigation, and fostering the educational function of philosophy and psychology.
Palmer received a B.S. in zoology from Clemson University, and received both an M.S.
and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Georgia. Palmer has taught at ULM since
1989.
