Mary Catherine DeSoto

Associate 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. & 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. (in press). A reply to Soden: Your data shows autistic children have higher levels of heavy metals. Clinical Toxicology.

 

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

 

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

 

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American Psychological Society (APS)

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Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES)

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Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

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Midwest Psychological Association (MPA)

 

Awards and Honors

 

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 for  in June of 2005.

 

 

Invited Presentations /  Conference Talks

 

"Instability: The Link Between Estrogen and Borderline Personality." Presented at the 2001 Annual  Show-Me Mental Health State Conference.  University of Missouri-Columbia.

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

"Estrogen and Borderline Personality" Presented at American Psychological Society 2002 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.

 

 

 

Editorial And Review Work

 

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Member of Editorial Board: American journal of Undergraduate Research

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Ad Hoc Peer Reviewer: Maturitas

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Ad Hoc Peer Reviewer: McGraw-Hill

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Ad Hoc Peer Reviewer: Johns Hopkins Advanced Studies in Medicine

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Estrogen Related Grants Reviewer, PPP Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching Experience

 

 

   

    2006 – present           Associate Professor

                                        Courses: Biological Psychology; Introduction to Psychology     

                                         University of Northern Iowa

    2001 – 2006                 Assistant Professor

                                        Courses: Biological Psychology; Introduction to Psychology     

                                         University of Northern Iowa

 

2000-2001                   Instructor for Child Psychology

                                    University of Missouri

 

1999-2000                   Lab Instructor for Research Methods II

                                    University of Missouri

  

1991-1996                   Instructor for General Psychology,

                                    Developmental Psychology,

                                    Abnormal Psychology, Social Problems

                                    Shawnee Community College

                                    Anna, IL

 

1992-1996                          Instructor for General Psychology

John A. Logan Community College

Carterville, IL 62918

 

 

 

Graduate Student Supervision

 

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

                Winner of 2003 University Outstanding Thesis Award, First Place.

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Jamie Parkin. Thesis Project: Sex Differences in Relationship Jealousy: Testosterone and age of partner

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Abbie Close. Thesis Project: Testosterone and Perception Bias: Seeing Dominance

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Krista Van Hosser. Thesis Project: Perceptions about serious mental illness: Education and exposure disentangled

 

 

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