Sabina Samipour-Biel, Ph.D.

Sabina Samipour-Biel

  • Assistant Professor of Psychology
  • Ph.D., The University of Akron
  • Office: Wayne Hall 517
  • Phone: 610-436-2348
  • Email: ssamipour-biel@wcupa.edu

Office Hours: Spring 2024

In-Person

  • Monday 1:00-2:11 PM
  • Wednesday 12:00-2:00 PM
  • Thursday 5:00-7:00 PM

Virtual

  • Monday 1:00-2:11 PM
  • Wednesday 12:00-2:00 PM
  • Thursday 5:00-7:00 PM

Courses Typically Taught

  • PSY 386 Applied Skills-I/O Psychology
  • PSY 400 Senior Seminar
  • PSY 524 Psychometrics 
  • PSY 570 Applied Psych Practicum
  • PSY 572 People Analytics
  • PSY 601 Introduction to Statistics/Research Methods
  • PSY 602 Advanced Statistical Methods

Brief Description of Research Interests

One of my research interests is the Transactive Memory System (TMS), a system whereby a team of specialized individuals work together interdependently to achieve a common goal that could not be achieved by any of the team members on their own. This construct has great impact potential for both performance and team member experiences in high-risk settings (e.g. medical, infrastructure, military), yet the majority of the literature is focused on correlates of the construct, leaving us with little understanding of how to foster its development or conduct interventions. One of my research goals is to learn more about the development of TMS along with interventions to improve its quality.

Another one of my research interests is how to better study dynamic and emergent team constructs using computational modeling. Team constructs have primarily been studied as cognitive outcome states, but this neglects the phenomenon of emergence as well as the role of social interactions over time. My research goals include gaining insight into the informal learning processes through which many team constructs emerge. Computational modeling is a versatile method through which we can begin to study these processes.

Teaching Philosophy

The following principles reflect my teaching philosophy and I continuously strive to balance them as an instructor:

  • Asking for additional support is welcomed – I make it a priority to be approachable and accessible to my students because not all learning can be restricted to course hours and I do not want any of my students to feel like they are an inconvenience.
  • Feedback is critical, for both sides – I provide my students with feedback regularly so they can evaluate how well they are learning the material. At the same time, I ask my students for feedback regularly so that I can evaluate how well I am teaching the material that I want them to learn.
  • A collaborative environment engages students – not all material is naturally engaging for everyone, so I work hard to create an environment in which my students feel they are engaging actively with the material alongside their peers and with me.
  • Instructional literature is an invaluable resource – the field of I/O Psychology has a great deal of research about teaching and learning that I rely on to improve my effectiveness as an instructor. Though I may try new ways of approaching the material, I work hard to be purposeful about how I teach so that my students are set up for success.
  • Attending university is about more than a degree – I do believe learning is valuable in and of itself, but there is an expectation that university courses will prepare students for the workforce, and I take that expectation seriously. As an instructor, I am responsible not only for course content but for preparing students to apply the knowledge they gain as well.
  • My goals align with student goals – my goal for each of my students is to help them achieve their goals in my courses, not to impose my own goals onto them. Some may be in the position to focus all of their attention on their courses while others may have to balance the time devoted to courses with other responsibilities. As an instructor, I do my best to support each of my students with whatever their goals in my courses are.