Faculty Sketch
Kenneth A. Wallston, PhD, MA
Professor of Psychology in NursingJoe B. Wyatt Distinguished University Professor
ken.wallston@vanderbilt.edu
Current Research Interests
- Psychometric measurement
- Perceived control of health
- Adaptation to chronic illness
- Self-management of chronic medical conditions
- Health literacy and numeracy; public health literacy
- Cognitive adaptability
- Health effects of expressive writing
Grants
Principal Investigator; Pilot & Feasibility Grant Award from the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center: Effects of Expressive Writing in Persons with Diabetes (4/1/02 - 3/31/04). Co-Investigator: Kathleen Wolff, MSN, RN.
Principal Investigator; Grant # 1 R21 MH65872-03 from the National Institute of Mental Health/NIH: Effects of Expressive Writing in Persons with HIV/AIDS (7/1/02 - 6/30/06). Co-Investigators: Lois Wagner, PhD, MSN; Joe Hepworth, PhD; Craig Smith, PhD; Stephen Raffanti, MD.
Principal Investigator; Grant # 1 R21 CA098100-02 from the National Cancer Institute/NIH: Effect of Expressive Writing on the Cessation of Tobacco Use (7/1/03 – 6/30/06). Co-Investigator: Joe Hepworth, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator (of Nashville site); Grant # R01 AT002477-01 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine/NIH: Expressive Writing: Complementary Treatment for Diabetes. (J. Smyth, Syracuse University, Overall PI). (9/30/04 – 6/30/08). (Co-Investigator: Kathleen Wolff, MSN, RN).
Representative Publications
Suls, J., and Wallston, K.A. (2003). Introduction. In J. Suls and K. A. Wallston (Eds.). Social psychological foundations of health and illness (pp. x-xx). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
Smith, C. A., Wallston, K.A., and Dwyer, K.A. (2003). Coping and adjustment in rheumatoid arthritis. In J. Suls and K. A. Wallston (Eds.) Social psychological foundations of health and illness. Oxford, UK: Blackwell. 458-494.
Wallston, K.A. (2004). Control and health. In Norman Anderson (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Health & Behavior, Volume One. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 217-220.
Wallston, K.A. (2004). Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. In A.J. Christensen, R. Martin, and J. Smyth (Eds.) Enclyclopedia of Health Psychology. New York: Kluwer Academic/ Plenum. 171-172.
Wallston, K. A. (2005). Overview of the special issue on research with the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales. Journal of Health Psychology, 10, 619-621.
Wallston, K. A. (2005). The validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales. Journal of Health Psychology, 10, 623-631.
Masters, K. S. and Wallston, K. A. (2005). Canonical correlation reveals important relations between health locus of control, coping, affect and values. Journal of Health Psychology, 10, 719-731.
Roumie, C. L., Elasy, T. A., Griffin, M. R., Liu, X, Stone, W. J., Wallston, K. A., et al. (2006). Improving blood pressure control through provider education, provider alerts, and patient education: A cluster randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 145, 163-175.
Roumie, C. L., Elasy, T. A., Wallston, K. A., Pratt, S., Greevy, R. A., Liu, X., et al. (2007). Clinical intertia: A common barrier to changing provider prescribing behavior. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 33, 277-285.
Goggin, K., Murray, T., Malcarne, V. L., Brown, S. A., & Wallston, K. A. (2007). Do religious and control cognitions predict risky behavior? II. Development and validation of the Alcohol-Related God Locus of Control Scale for Adolescents (AGLOC-A). Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31, 111-122.
Goggin, K., Malcarne, V. L., Murray, T. S., Metcalfe, K. A., & Wallston, K. A. (2007). Do religious and control cognitions predict risky behavior? I. Development and validation of the Sexual Risk Behavior-related God Locus of Control Scale for Adolescents (SexGLOC-A). Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31, 123-139.
Wallston, K. A. (2007). Perceived control. In S. Ayers, A. Baum, C. McManus, S. Newman, J. Weinman, K. Wallston and R. West (Eds). Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine, Second Edition. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 148-150.
Wallston, K. A., (2007). Patient healthcare behaviours related to medication use/adherence. In N. MacKinnon (Ed.). Safe and Effective. Canadian Pharmacists Association. 269-288.
Wallston, K. A., Rothman, R. L., & Cherrington, A. (2007). Psychometric properties of the Perceived Diabetes Self-Management Scale (PDSMS). Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30. 395-401.
Franklin, M.D., Schlundt, D. G., & Wallston, K. A. (in press). Development and validation of a religious health fatalism measure for the African American faith community. Journal of Health Psychology.
Professional Research
- American Psychological Association Division 38 - Health Psychology (Treasurer, 1987-1993; Newsletter Editor, 1994-2002; President, 1998-99; Division Historian, 1997- ).
- Society of Behavioral Medicine (Chair, Finance Committee: 1993-1996; Local Arrangements Chair, 2000; Member Delegate to Executive Committee, 2002-2005; Chair, Finance Committee 2004-2008).
Experience as a Pre-, Post, K Award (or like) Mentor
Mentor. The Effects of Expressive Writing in Breast Cancer Survivors with Lymphedema. Mentored Research Scholar Grant in Applied and Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society to Sheila Ridner, Ph.D., MSN. (1/1/07 – 12/31/09).
Mentor. Mammography Follow-up in Minority and Medically Underserved Women. Mentored Research Scholar Grant in Applied and Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society to Alicia (Malin) Fair, Ph.D. (Meharry Medical College) (1/1/07 – 12/31/11).
Mentor. Coping, Depression, and Heart Failure Outcomes. Mentored Research Scientist Award (Grant # K01 NR010137-01) from the National Institute of Nursing Research/NIH to Michael Vollman, Ph.D., MSN. (9/26/06 – 7/31/09).
Mentor. Multiple Roles, Role Stress and Strain in Adults with Recent Onset of RA. New Investigator Award from the Arthritis Foundation to Mary-Beth Coty, Ph.D., MSN. (University of Louisville). ( 1/1/07 – 12/31/09).