Harris Cooper, Professor

Research Summary:
My research interests follow two paths. The first concerns research synthesis. I study how research syntheses can best be carried out and how their results can be communicated to general audiences as well as scholars. My students and I have published research syntheses in varied fields, including personality and social psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology and education policy, marketing, and developmental medicine and child neurology.

Second, I am interested in the application of social and developmental psychology to educational policy issues. Our most recent homework research includes syntheses on (a) the effectiveness of homework and (b) the role of parents in the homework process. My students and I are currently conducting research syntheses on the impact of the length of the school day and school year on academic performance. We are also doing experimental research on the effects of choice on intrinsic motivation.

In 2003, I became Editor for the Psychological Bulletin and will serve in this role through mid-2009. My work as an editor is enormously rewarding. I get to read about a wide variety of topics in psychology, everything from the impact of adoption on the cognitive abilities of children to the existence of psychokinesis!

Representative Publications:   (More Publications)

1. Cooper, H. (1998). Synthesizing research: A guide for literature reviews. 3rd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
2. Cooper, H., Robinson, J.C. & Patall, E.A. (2006). Does homework improve academic achievement?: A synthesis of research, 1987-2004. Review of Educational Research, 76, 1-62.
3. Cooper, H. "Research questions and research designs." Handbook of Research in Educational Psychology (2nd ed.). Ed. P.A. Alexander, P.H. Winne & G Phye. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum & Associates., 2006: 849-877.