Mary Catherine DeSoto

Professor, Department of Psychology

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0505

 

Phone: (319)273-7475                       Email: cathy.desoto@uni.edu
    Fax: 319-273-6188                            Web: http://www.uni.edu/desoto

 

 

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

 

 

1989

B.A., Summa Cum Laude,

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Major: Psychology
1998

 M.A., University of Missouri-Columbia

 Major: Experimental Psychology

Thesis: The event-related optical signal and motor cortex activation
2001

     Ph.D. University of Missouri-Columbia

     Dissertation: The influence of estrogen on borderline personality

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

 

DeSoto, M.C. (2016) Suppression of women's cortisol variance: Depression doesn't mediate the sex difference. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 63, 383-4.  full text

 

Hitlan, R.T., Zarate, M.A., Kelly, K. & DeSoto, M.C. (2015). Linguistic ostracism causes prejudice: Support for a serial mediation effect.  Journal of Social Psychology. [epub ahead of print]. PMID: 29577024

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan, R.T. (2015) Can duel hormones ever duel? Neuroendocrine interactions during social  exclusion. North American Journal of Psychology, 17, 555-574.  full text

DeSoto, M.C. & Salinas, M. (2015)  Neuroticism and cortisol: The importance of checking for sex differences. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 62, 174 - 179.full text

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan, R.T. (2013). Professional opinion on the question of changes in autism incidence. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 3 (2A), 61-67. full text.

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan R.T. (2013). Vaccine Safety Study as an Interesting Case of "Over-Matching", Recent Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorders - Volume I, Prof. Michael Fitzgerald (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-1021-7, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/53876. Available full text.

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan R.T. (2012). Fish Consumption Advisories and the Surprising Relationship to Prevalence Rate of Developmental Disability as Reported by Public Schools. Journal of Environmental Protection, 3 (11). 1579-1589. Abstract with full text available

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan R.T. (2012). Synthetic folic acid supplementation during pregnancy may increase the risk of developing autism. Journal of Pediatric Biochemistry, 2 (4). abstract   Full text

 

DeSoto, M.C., Hitlan, R.T. Deol, R.S. & McAdams, D. (2010). Testosterone fluctuations in young men: The difference between interacting in like and not-like others. Evolutionary Psychology, 8(2), 173-188. full text

 

DeSoto, M.C.& Hitlan, R.T. (2010). Sorting out the spinning of autism: heavy metals and the question of incidence. Acta Neurobiologica Experimentalis, 70 (2). 165-76.  abstract with full text available

 

DeSoto, M.C. (2009). Ockham's Razor and Autism: The case for developmental neurotoxins contributing to a disease of neurodevelopment. Neurotoxicology, 30 (3). 331-337.   abstract

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan, R.T. (2008). Concerning blood levels of mercury and autism: A need to clarify. Journal of Child Neurology, 23 (4). 463-465. abstract

 

DeSoto, M.C. (2008). A reply to Soden: Your data shows autistic children have higher levels of heavy metals. Clinical Toxicology. 46 (10). 1098.  abstract

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan, R.T. (2007). Blood levels of mercury are related to diagnosis of autism: A reanalysis of an important data set. Journal of Child Neurology, 22 (11), 1308-1311. abstract

 

DeSoto, M.C. (2007). Borderline Personality Disorder, gender and serotonin: Does estrogen play a role? In Martina Czerbskas (Ed.) Psychoneuroendocrinology Research Frontiers. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.: Hauppauge, NY. abstract

 

DeSoto. M.C., Bumgardner, J., Close, A., & Geary D.C. (2007) Investigating the role of hormones in Theory of Mind. North American Journal of Psychology, 9 (3).

 

DeSoto, M. C. (2006). Hormones and behavior. In the Encyclopedia of Social Psychology: Sage Publishers. 

 

Sheldon, M., Cooper, M. L., Geary, D., DeSoto, M.C. & Hoard, M. K. (2006). Fertility Cycle Patterns in Motives for Sexual Behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 32 (12), 1659-1673.  abstract

 

Hitlan, R.T. & DeSoto, M.C. (2006). The pros and cons of growing up in the electronic age. Review of imagination and play in the electronic age by Jerome Singer and Dorothy G. Singer. PsycCritiques.

 

Hitlan, R.T., Cliffton, R.J., & DeSoto, M.C. (2006). Perceived exclusion in the workplace: The moderating effects of gender on workplace attitudes and psychological health. North American Journal of Psychology. 8, 217-236. abstract

 

DeSoto, M.C. (2005). Biological Basis of sex differences can be taught (or at least acknowledged) in women’s studies courses. In M. Stalp & J. Childers (Eds.) Teaching Sociological Concepts and the Sociology of Gender (2nd Ed) (pp. 194-197). American Sociological Association Teaching Resource Center: Washington, D.C. 

 

DeSoto, M.C. & Hitlan, R.T. (2005). Transgender, transsexual or intersexual: A plight by any name would tell as tragic. Review of The Riddle of Gender by Deborah Rudacille. PsychCritiques. 50, (43).

Geary, D. C., Hoard, M. K., Craven, J.B & DeSoto, M.C. (2004). Strategy choices in simple and complex addition: Contributions of working memory and counting knowledge for children with mathematical disability. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 88 (2), 121-151. abstract

DeSoto, M.C. (2003). Drops in estrogen levels affect brain and behavior: reported relationships between attitudes and menopausal symptoms. Maturitas, 45 (4), 299-301. abstract

DeSoto, M.C. & Buelow-Kopp, K.  (2003). Evolutionary theory, waist-to-hip ratio and predicting female attractiveness. Psychology, Evolution and Gender, 5, 83-88. Abstract

DeSoto, M.C. Geary, D.C.,  Hoard, M.K., Sheldon, M. & Cooper, M. L. (2003). Estrogen variation, oral contraceptives and borderline personality. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28. 751-766. abstract

DeSoto, M.C. (2003).  A brief reply to Bloch: The issue is women's health. Maturitas, 45, 299-301.

Geary, D.C., DeSoto, M.C., Hoard, M.K., Sheldon, M. & Cooper, L (2002). Estrogens  and relationship jealousy.  Human Nature, 12, 299-320.abstract

Geary, D.C. & DeSoto, M.C. (2001). Sex differences in spatial abilities among adults from Unites States and main land China Implications for Evolutionary Theory. Evolution and Cognition. abstract

DeSoto, M.C., Fabiani, M., Geary, D., & Gratton, G. (2001) When in doubt do it both ways: Brain evidence of simultaneous activation of conflicting motor responses in a spatial Stroop task. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.  abstract

Gratton, G., Fabiani, M., Goodman-Wood, M. R., & DeSoto, M. C. (1998). Memory-driven processing in human medial occipital cortex: An event-related optical signal (EROS) study.  Psychophysiology, 35, 348-51.  abstract

 

Published Abstracts and Conference Presentations

 

 

Hitlan RT, Desoto, MN, Can duel Hormones Duel? Poster presented at Human Behavior and Evolution Annual Converence, Columbia, Mo 2015.     

DeSoto, MC, Hitlan, Salinas, Hollenberg, Rigdon  (2015). HPA and personality: Bad idea to control for sex differences. Talk presented at Human Behavior and Evolution Annual Converence, Columbia, Mo 2015.          

Hollenberg B & Rigdon O Sex differences in salivary hormones. To be presented at UNI Student ResearchConference April 2015. Faculty Sponsor

Rigdon O & Hollenberg B. Freshman 15 is not your only problem: nutritional deficiencies are common at UNI. Presented at UNI Student Research Conference April 2015. Faculty Sponsor

DeWitt, AJ, Weins, D & DeSoto MC (2013). Influence of folic acid on chick neural connectivity. National Conference for Undergraduate Research, LaCrosse, WI, April 2013.

 

Hitlan R. T., Deol, R.S., McAdams, D.L. & DeSoto, M.C (2010).  Racial bias mediated by testosterone change. Poster presented at Social and Psychology and Personality Research Conference. Las Vegas, NV, February, 2009.

DeSoto, M.C., Deol, R.S., McAdams, D.L. & Hitlan R. T. (2010). In-group/out-group interactions mediate testosterone change. Poster presented at Social and Psychology and Personality Research Conference. Las Vegas, NV, February, 2009.

 

Joshi P. & DeSoto, M.C. Testosterone makes me green: The unexplored relation between testosterone and jealousy. Poster presented at Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Chicago IL, May 2009.

 

Hitlan, R. T. & DeSoto, M. C. (2009).  The Relation between testosterone, and social dominance  orientation.  Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference, Tampa, Fl.  February, 2009

 

DeSoto, MC & Joshi P (2009). Is  it  an  Urban  Legend that Sex Differences don't show up on  continuous-choice measures of Jealousy Triggers? Poster presented at Social and Psychology and Personality Research Conference. Florida, February, 2009.

 

DeSoto, M.C. (2008).  Hormones, Human Behavior and Borderline Personality.  Invited feature speaker. The Iowa Psychological Association Annual Meeting.  November  2008.


Osborn, A. (2008). Professional Opinions of Autism Prevalence. Poster presented at UNI Gradate Research Conference. Cedar Falls, IA. March  2008 (Faculty Sponsor MC DeSoto).

 

Tasovski, I & DeSoto, M.C. (2008).   Correlating Testosterone with Social Dominance. Poster Presented at the University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA. April 2008.

 

Gillette, M., Bakeris, A. & DeSoto, M.C. (2008).   Life events and Early Menarche.  Poster Presented at the University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA. April 2008.

 

Fang, Q.J.  & DeSoto, M.C. (2007).   Relational Aggression: Comparison of Chinese and American Students. Poster Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, Il. May 2007.

 

Fang, Q.J.  Bumgardner , J. & DeSoto, M.C. (2007).   Cross Cultural Study of Sex Differences in Relational Aggression. Poster Presented at the University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA. April 2007.

 

DeSoto, M.C., Close, A., Bumgardner, J., & Collingwood, M. (2006). Testosterone and ToM. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, Il. May 2006.

 

Collingwood, M. and DeSoto, M.C. (2006). Lower Estrogen levels increase pain ratings in women. Poster presented at the

University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA. April, 2006.

 

Bumgargner. J., Collingwood, M. DeSoto, M.C. (2006). Altruism and response to hurricane Katrina. Poster presented at the

University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA. April, 2006.

 

Collingwood, M. and DeSoto, M.C. (2006). Estrogen levels influence pain ratings in women. Poster presented at the

Annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, March, 2006.

 

Baker, L. A., Vickroy, L. M., Hitlan, R. T., MacLin, O. H., DeSoto, M. C., Williams, J. E., & MacLin, M. K. (2005). The effects of appearance on perceptions of sexual harassment. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society, La Jolla, CA.

 

 Parkin, J.L. & DeSoto, M.C. (2005). Effect of partner age on feelings of sexual and emotional jealousy. Poster presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Annual Meeting, Austin, TX. June 2005

 

Parkin, J.L. & DeSoto, M.C. (2005). Male Expression of Sexual Jealousy: A Test of Evolutionary Hypotheses.  University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA.

 

Cliffton, R. J., Hitlan, R. T., & DeSoto, M. C.  (2005). Work place ostracism: Examining the moderating effects of gender on workplace attitudes and psychological health. Poster presented at the CSBS Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA.

 

Baker, L. A., Vickroy, L. M., Hitlan, R. T., MacLin O. H., DeSoto M. C., Williams J. E., & MacLin, M. K. (April, 2005).Criminality and its effects on perceptions of sexual harassment. Poster presented at the University of Northern Iowa's CSBS Student Research Conference, Cedar Falls, IA.

Wang, M.C., DeSoto, M.C., Wells, A. (2004). How Body Esteem Differs among Women with Different Body Sizes. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Meeting, July 2004.

Baumgartner, S.B., Wise, L.W., Renfrow, A., Williams, J.E., & DeSoto, M. C. (2004). Sex Differences in MMPI Reliability. Poster presented at the CSBS research conference, University of Northern Iowa. April, 2004

Cliffton, R. J., Hitlan, R. T., Peterson, K., & DeSoto, M. C. (2004) Gender differences in exclusion: Aggression, perceived fairness, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Poster presented at the CSBS research conference, University of Northern Iowa. April 2004.

DeSoto, M.C., Geary, D.C. & Renfrow, A. (2004). Theory of Mind and reading people's intent: A possible role for Estrogen? Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, January 2004.

 

Buelow, K., Ruley, C., Renfrow, A., Ashby, J., DeSoto, M. C. (2003) Waist to Hip Ratio Reported Null Findings: The Roll of Stimuli. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Meeting , June 2003

 

Wang, M.C. & DeSoto, M.C. (2003). Symptoms of anorexia: Women at high and low estrogen times in the menstrual cycle. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Meeting , June 2003

 

DeSoto, M.C., and Beulow, K.  (2003). WHR and Evolutionary theory. Poster presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, June 2003.

 

Wang, M.C., & DeSoto, M.C. (2003). Eating Disturbance and estrogen levels across the menstrual cycle: Bulimia and anorexia symptoms are differentially affected. Poster presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, June 2003.

 

Ruley, C., Renfrow, A. &  DeSoto, M.C. (2003). Borderline symptom clusters in women and the role of estrogen.  Poster presented at the Annual UNI Undergraduate Research Conference , April 2003.

Wang, M.C. & DeSoto, M.C. (2003). Symptoms of anorexia: Women at high and low estrogen times in the menstrual cycle. American Psychological Society Annual Meeting, June 2003

Buelow, K., Ruley, C., Renfrow, A., Ashby, J., DeSoto, M. C. (2003) Waist to Hip Ratio Reported Null Findings: The Roll of Stimuli. American Psychological       Society Annual Meeting , June 2003

DeSoto, M. C., Gratton, G., & Fabiani, M. (1998). Response competition within the motor cortex: An optical imaging study. Psychophysiology, 35, S27.

 

 DeSoto, M. C., Fabiani, M., & Gratton, G. (1998). ERP analysis of task switching during a spatial Stroop task. Psychophysiology, 35, S27.

 

Gratton, G., Fabiani, M., & DeSoto, M. C. (1998).  The time course of response-related brain activity in a choice reaction time task: Comparison of optical and electrophysiological measures.  NeuroImage. 7(4),  S688.

 

Gratton, G., Fabiani, M., Ho, J. K., Goodman-Wood, M., DeSoto, M. C. (1997).  Brain activity associated with retrieval from working memory: A comparison of ERP and EROS data.  Psychophysiology, 34, S39.

 

 Professional Societies

 

  • American Psychological Society (APS)

  • Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES)

  • Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

  • Midwest Psychological Association (MPA)

 

Awards and Honors

 

Oustanding Scholarship Award, Colleges Social and Behavioral Sciences

          University of Northern Iowa, 2008.

 

Outstanding Teaching Award for Untenured Faculty, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

          University of Northern Iowa, 2005

 

Young Investigator Award

               National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder

               Borderline Personality Research Foundation

               In conjunction with National Alliance on Research for Schizophrenia and Depression

 

Who’s Who In America

               Included in the 59th Edition for scholarly contributions, published October, 2004.

 

Summer Research Fellow, “Testosterone and Theory of Mind”

        UNI Graduate College

       Awarded December 8, 2004 to support full time research activities. June of 2005.

 

Summer Research Fellow, "Autism and Vitamin K"

         UNI Graduate College

         Awarded December, 2014 to support full time research activities. Summer  2015.

 

 

Invited Presentations /  Conference Talks

“The Importance of Checking for Sex Differences: Personality and Cortisol." Presented at the 2015 Human Behavior and Evolution Society annual Meeting. Columbia, MO.

"Blood levels of mercury are related to the diagnosis of Autism.” Invited featured speaker at Autism Conference, Biology Department University of Warsaw, Poland, October 2008.

"Instability: The Link Between Estrogen and Borderline Personality." Presented at the 2008 Iowa Psychological Association General Meeting. October 2008

“Estrogen and Borderline Personality”  Presented May, 2005, Midwest Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Il.

"Estrogen and Borderline Personality" Presented at 2002 American Psychological Society Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA.

"The link between estrogen, brain and behavior: Why it matters" presented 2002 CROW (Current Research On Women) Forum, Graduate Program in Women's Studies, University of Northern Iowa.  

 

 

 

Graduate and Undergrauate Honors Thesis Student Supervision

 

  • Alexander DeWitt (2013). Influence of Folic Acid on chick neural connectivity.
  • Rory S. Deol (expected 2010).  Testosterone changes and social interactions among males.
  • Mei-Chuan Wang. Thesis Project: Estrogen and Eating Disturbance   

      (April 2003 defense)

  • Jamie Parkin. Thesis Project: Sex Differences in Relationship Jealousy: Testosterone and age of partner.
  • Abbie Close. Thesis Project: Testosterone and Perception Bias: Seeing Dominance.  
  • QuiJuan Fang. First Year Project. Cross Cultural Study of Relational Aggression.
  • Krista Van Hooser. Thesis Project: Disentangling the Effects Education and Experience on attitudes about the seriously mentally ill (March 2008 defense).

 

Recognition of Quality Supervision: Student Research Awards

 

Mei-Chuan Wang. Thesis Project: Estrogen and Eating Disturbance   

            The 2003 University Outstanding Thesis Award, First Place

Qui Juan Fang. Cross Cultural Study of Sex Differences in Relational Aggression.

            The Outstanding Graduate Student Poster Research Award,

            CSBS 2007 Student Research Conference

Meghan Gillette. Environmental Correlates of Early Menarche. Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award, 2008 CSBS Student Research Conference

Derrick McAdams. Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award, 2009 CSBS Student Research Conference

Rory Sean Deol. Outstanding Conference Talk : Oral Presentations. 2010 CSBS Student Research Conference

Jon Pederson, Oustanding Master's Thesis Award, 2nd Place 2014.

 

 

Specific courses that I am qualified to teach at either an introductory or advanced level

¨       Statistics or Research Methods

¨       Developmental Psychology

¨       General Psychology

¨       Cognitive Neuroscience or Biological Bases of Behavior