John D. Batson

Department Chair and Professor Animal Learning and Behavior email

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Dr. Batson, a Furman alumnus (class of ’74), has been teaching at Furman since 1982. After graduate study at the University of Virginia, he taught at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He has conducted research at the University of Hawaii on several occasions, including the summer of 2002.

His principal research interest is the evolution of adaptive learning processes in animals. Rats and honeybees are among his favorite lab animals, though students in the PSY 42 course (Animal Behavior) also work with fish and chickens. Some of his research has been published in Animal Learning & Behavior, Learning and Motivation, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, and the Journal of Comparative Psychology.

He has served as project director or co-project director for five equipment grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), awards that have helped provide enriched experiences for psychology students in class laboratories and research.

Dr. Batson is a long-time member of the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, and other conservation groups, and he is also an inveterate birdwatcher.