“My favorite part of teaching at Goucher is supporting students in maximizing academic success, and accompanying them on the journey of figuring out their path in life. My teaching and mentoring incorporates what memory research tells us about the most effective learning strategies, as well as the power of believing in growth through effort and persistence.”
Jennifer McCabe
ProfessorPsychology
Jennifer McCabe is the Elizabeth Conolly Todd ’21 Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. She completed her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology in 2004 from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, focusing on aging and working memory. Prior to her arrival at Goucher in 2008, she was an Assistant Professor at Marietta College for four years, and in 2007 honored with the Edward G. Harness Outstanding Educator Award. At Goucher, she teaches introductory courses along with middle- and upper-level courses in human cognition. Dr. McCabe’s current research interests include memory strategies, metacognition, and applications of memory theories to teaching and learning in higher education. Each semester, she mentors a research team of Goucher students, which has resulted in co-authored professional conference presentations and peer-reviewed articles. In addition to teaching and mentoring, Dr. McCabe is serving a 6-year term as an Associate Editor for the Teaching of Psychology journal. Dr. McCabe was honored in 2016 with the Excellence in Teaching Award and in 2024 with the Caroline Doebler Bruckerl ’25 Award for outstanding faculty achievement in teaching, research, and service.
Research, Scholarship, Creative Work in Progress
McCabe, J. A., St. Jean, B. D., DeKoven, J. A., Lees, M. S., & Cisse, V. A. (in preparation). Getting warmer: The impact of syllabus language on student perceptions of a college course.
McCabe, J. A., Hausthor, S. J., Murray, L. J., Waskow, E. R., & Friedman-Wheeler, D. G. (in preparation). Math mindset and math anxiety: Understanding achievement in data analytics courses.
Publications
McCabe, J. A., Banasik, C. S., Jackson, M. G., Postlethwait, E. M., Steitz, A. J. D., & Wenzel, A. R. (2023). Exploring perceptions of cognitive load and mental fatigue during pandemic-era Zoom classes. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication.
McCabe, J. A., Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., Davis, S. R., & Pearce, J. (2021). SET for success: Targeted instruction on learning strategies and behavior change in Introductory Psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 48(3), 257-268.
Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., Reese, Z. A., McCabe, J. A., Yarrish, C. M., Chapagain, S., Scherer, A. M., DeVault, K. M., Hoffmann, C., Mazid, L. J., Weinstein, R. N., Mitchell, J. D., & Finley, M. (2021). Mindfulness meditation intervention in the college classroom: Mindful awareness, working memory, content retention, and elaboration. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.
McCabe, J. A., Kane-Gerard, S., & Friedman-Wheeler, D. G. (2020). Examining the utility of growth-mindset interventions in undergraduates. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(2), 132–146.
Morin, C. E., Hostetter, J. M., Jeudy, J., Kim, W. G., McCabe, J. A., Merrow, A. C., Ropp, A. M., Shet, N. S., Sidhu, A. S., & Kim, J. S. (2019). Spaced radiology: Encouraging durable memory using spaced testing in pediatric radiology. Pediatric Radiology, 1-10.
Scisco, J. L., McCabe, J. A., Mendoza, A., Fallon, M., & Rodriguez, M. D. (2019). Strategies for selecting, managing, and engaging undergraduate coauthors: A multi-site perspective. Frontiers in Psychology.
McCabe, J. A., & Lummis, S. N. (2018). Why and how do undergraduates study in groups? Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 4(1), 27-42.
McCabe, J. A. (2018). What learning strategies do academic support centers recommend to undergraduates? Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 7, 143-153.
Lummis, S. N., McCabe, J. A., Sickles, A. L., Byler, R. A., Hochberg, S. A., Eckart, S. E., & Kahler, C. E. (2017). Lyrical memory: Mnemonic effects of music for musicians and non-musicians. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 22.2, 141-150.
McCabe, J. A., Redick, T. P., & Engle, R. W. (2016). Brain-training pessimism, but applied-memory optimism. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(3), 187-191.
McCabe, J. A. (2015). Learning the brain in Introductory Psychology: Examining the generation effect for mnemonics and examples. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), 203-210.
McCabe, J. A. (2015). Location, location, location! Demonstrating the mnemonic benefit of the method of loci. Teaching of Psychology, 42(2), 169-173.
McCabe, J. A., Osha, K. L., Roche, J. A., & Susser, J. A. (2013). Psychology students’ knowledge and use of mnemonics. Teaching of Psychology, 40(3), 183-192.
Susser, J. A., & McCabe, J. (2013). From the lab to the dorm room: Metacognitive awareness and use of spaced study. Instructional Science, 41(2), 345-363.
McCabe, J., Doerflinger, A., & Fox, R. (2011). Student and faculty perceptions of e-feedback. Teaching of Psychology, 38(3), 173-179.
McCabe, J. (2011). Metacognitive awareness of learning strategies in undergraduates. Memory and Cognition, 39(3), 462-476.
McCabe, J., & Hartman, M. (2008). Working memory for item and temporal information in younger and older adults. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 15(5), 574-600.
McCabe, J., & Hartman, M. (2008). An analysis of age differences in perceptual speed. Memory and Cognition, 36(8), 1495-1508.
McCabe, J., & Hartman, M. (2003). Examining the locus of age effects on complex span tasks. Psychology and Aging, 18(3), 562-572.
Exhibits or Performances
Popular Press and Videos
McCabe, J. (2022). The envelope, please. Part of the invited series, Short-Takes: Metacognition Ah-ha Moments. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2020). Pandemic metacognition: Distance learning in a crisis. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2019). Wrapping up metacognition: Pre- and post-exam interventions. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2019). Connecting with learning (and learners): Six principles that guide my teaching. Retrieved from the STP Graduate Student Teaching Association blog.
Chasmar, J., & McCabe, J. (2019). Metacognition at Goucher II: Training for Q-Tutors. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J., & Chasmar, J. (2018). Metacognition at Goucher I: Framework and implementation. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2018). Small metacognition - Part II. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2018). Small metacognition - Part I. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2017). Boosting metacognition through in-class assessments. Retrieved from the Improve with Metacognition web site.
McCabe, J. (2017). Make It Stick in cognitive psychology. Retrieved from the Teaching with Metacognition web site.
Weinstein, Y., & McCabe, J. (2016). How to design a blog writing assignment in 3 easy steps. Retrieved from The Learning Scientists blog.
McCabe, J. (2016). Tricks to retain studied information I. Retrieved from Lasting Learning Expert Interviews.
McCabe, J. (2016). Tricks to retain studied information II. Retrieved from Lasting Learning Expert Interviews.
External Awards, Honors, Grants
International Travel Grant for the International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS) in Paris, France, Society for the Teaching of Psychology, 2019.
Instructional Resource Award (Project title: Learning Strategy Demonstrations for the Psychology Classroom), Society for the Teaching of Psychology, 2013.
Instructional Resource Award (Project title: Integrating Mnemonics into Psychology Instruction), Society for the Teaching of Psychology, 2010.
Conference Papers & Panel Participation
McCabe, J. A., Cisse, V. A, Erlbaum, H. K., St. Jean, B. D., DeKoven, J. A., Lees, M. S., Adamson, E. T., Laurence, T. H., & Widenhouse, S. A. (2024, March). Whose class is it anyway? Effects of narrative voice in college syllabi. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
McCabe, J. A., Cisse, V. A, DeKoven, J. A., Hausthor, S. J., Lees, M. S., St. Jean, B. D., Stuart, M. M., Bichler, M., Steitz, A., & Waskow, E. R. (2023, March). Getting warmer: Syllabus tone impacts perceptions of a college course. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Boston, MA.
McCabe, J. A., & Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., Hausthor, S. J., Murray, L. J., & Waskow, E. R. (2022, March). Math mindset and math anxiety: Understanding achievement in data analytics courses. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Meeting, New York, NY.
Wenzel, A. R., Banasik, C. S., Jackson, M. G., Postlethwait, E. M., Steitz, A., & McCabe, J. A. (2022, March). Cognitive load in a Zoom world: Student and instructor perceptions. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Meeting, New York, NY.
McCabe, J. A., Banasik, C. S., Jackson, M. G., Postlethwait, E. M., & Wenzel, A. R. (2021, March). Can I catch a break?!?: Studying during a pandemic. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Virtual Conference.
McCabe, J. A., Alberts, A. M., Cogen, B. M., Venn, S. E., Villasana, C. I., Steitz, A. J. D., Hopkins, M. E., & Spell, J. A. (2020, June). Effects of syllabus transparency on undergraduates’ perceptions of learning, support, and success. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Virtual Conference.
McCabe, J. A., & Friedman-Wheeler, D. B. (2019, November). Instruction in learning strategies and behavior change: Outcomes in undergraduates. Poster presented at the 60th Psychonomic Society Meeting, Montreal, Canada.
McCabe, J. A., & Friedman-Wheeler, D. G. (2019, March). The mindfulness theme semester: Integrating meditation and mindfulness in psychology courses. Poster presented at the Teaching Institute at the International Convention of Psychological Science, Paris, France.
McCabe, J. A. (2019, January). Diversity in cognition and neuroscience courses. Participant Idea Exchange (PIE) session presented at the 41st Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg Beach, FL.
McCabe, J. A. (2019, January). Course sharing: Human learning & memory. Poster presented at the 41st Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg Beach, FL.
McCabe, J. A., Lind, S., Lummis, S. N., Kane-Gerard, S. C., Hopkins, M. E., Spell, J. A., & Turner, A. P. (2018, March). What learning strategies do academic support centers recommend to undergraduates? Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
McCabe, J. A., Lummis, S. N., Pearman, A. K., Spell, J. A., Hochberg, S. A., Turner, A. P., & Hopkins, M. E. (2017, March). The why and how of group learning in undergraduates. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Boston, MA.
Lummis, S. N., McCabe, J. A., Sickles, A. L., Eckart, S. E., Hochberg, S. A., Kahler, C. E., Stern, B. Z., Hauptman, A. J., & Stern, T. (2017, March). Lyrical memory: Mnemonic effects of music for musicians and non-musicians. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Boston, MA.
Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., McCabe, J. A., Mazid, L. J., DeVault, K., Weinstein, R. N., Reese, Z., Hoffmann, C., & Barrera, M. (2016, March). Mindfulness in the college classroom. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York, NY.
Shevlin, B. R. K., & McCabe, J. A. (2016, March). Relationship between responses and reaction times on the Cognitive Reflection Test. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York City, NY.
McCabe, J. A. (2015, November). A generation effect for mnemonics, not examples: Evidence from a classroom activity. Poster presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Chicago, IL.
Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., McCabe, J. A., Weinstein, R. N., Barrera, M. L., Reese, Z., & Brody, J. (2015, November). Mindfulness in the college classroom: Working memory, elaboration, and retention of course content. Poster presented at the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Chicago, IL.
McCabe, J. A., Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., Davis, S. R., Pearce, J., John, K., Hauptman, A. J., & Ruff, E. S. (2015, March). SET for success: Targeted instruction in learning strategies and behavior change. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Stern, B. Z., Collins, E. K., Hauptman, A. J., Eckart, S. E., & McCabe, J. A. (2015, March). Drawing from memory: Providing and generating pictures during keyword mnemonic learning. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Collins, E. K., McCabe, J. A., Hauptman, A. J., Meyers-Orr, B. M., & Stern, B. Z. (2014, August). Does picture generation enhance keyword mnemonic learning? Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
McCabe, J. A., Collins, E. K., Meyers-Orr, B. M., & Witham, M. B. (2013, March). Getting the GIST of memory: Teaching effective learning strategies in Introductory Psychology. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York, NY.
Shevlin, B. R. K. & McCabe, J. A. (2013, March). Cognitive reflection in undergraduates: Relationships with educational experiences and metacognition. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York, NY.
McCabe, J. A. (2013, January). The Introductory Psychology Laboratory as Gateway to Scientific Literacy. Participant Idea Exchange (PIE) session at the 35th Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg Beach, FL.
McCabe, J. A., Chefitz, L. S., Shevlin, B. R. K., & Turpin, S. (2012, March). Hand gestures and mnemonics: Effects of viewing and enacting. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
McCabe, J. A., Osha, K. L., Roche, J. A., & Susser, J. A. (2011, May). Undergraduates’ knowledge and use of mnemonics: A survey study. Poster presented at the 18th Annual APS-STP Teaching Institute, at the 23rd Annual Association for Psychological Science Convention, Washington, DC.
McCabe, J. A., Craig, A. A., Foley, J. E., Rose, A., Cephas, R. M., & Chefitz, L. S. (2011, March). Adding gestures to mnemonics: Do hands help recall? Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Cambridge, MS.
Osha, K. L., Roche, J. A., & McCabe, J. A. (2011, March). Change detection predictions: Overconfidence, hindsight bias, and correlations with metacognition. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Cambridge, MS.
Susser, J. A., & McCabe, J. A. (2011, March). From the lab to the dorm room: Metacognitive awareness and use of the spacing effect. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Cambridge, MS.
McCabe, J. A. (2010, November). Metacognition in college students: Predicting the outcomes of learning scenarios. Poster presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, St. Louis, MO.
Invited Talks
McCabe, J. A. (2022, June). “SET” for Success: A framework for targeted learning strategy instruction in introductory psychology. Invited talk at the American Psychological Association (APA) Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI) Course Design Institute.
McCabe, J. A. (2018, March). Making it stick in cognitive psychology. Invited symposium paper (Teaching College Students to Apply Lessons from Cognitive Psychology to Enhance Learning), Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
McCabe, J. A., & Mendoza, A. (2018, March). First-time submissions: Excitement with a hint of terror. Invited symposium paper (Publishing Your Work in the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research), Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
McCabe, J. A. (2015, August). Beyond ROY G BIV: Enhancing memory for course information using mnemonics. Invited paper at the 2015 McMaster Symposium on Education & Cognition (EdCog2015), Ontario, Canada.
Academic or Professional Associations
Psychonomic Society, Fall 2019 Class of Fellows, Member 2005-present
Eastern Psychological Association (EPA), 2019 Fellow, Member 2008-present
Association for Psychological Science (APS), Member, 2007-present
Women in Cognitive Science, Member, 2005-present
American Psychological Association (APA), Member, 2000-present
Division 2 – Society for the Teaching of Psychology, 2005-present
Division 3 – Experimental Psychology, 2011-present
Association of Heads of Departments of Psychology, Member, 2015-2018
Other Professional or Scholarly Activity
Editorship
Associate Editor, Teaching of Psychology journal (2020-2026)
Other Peer-reviewed Work
McCabe, J. A. (2023). Considerations for academic support centers regarding learning strategy recommendations. In C. E. Overson, C. M. Hakala, L. L. Kordonowy, & V. A. Benassi (Eds.). In their own words: What scholars and teachers want you to know about why and how to apply the science of learning in your academic setting (pp. 341-351). Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
McCabe, J. A. (2023). Goucher College Cognitive Psychology Syllabus. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Project Syllabus. American Psychological Association.
McCabe, J. A. (2022). Goucher College Introductory Psychology Asynchronous Online Course Syllabus. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Project Syllabus. American Psychological Association.
McCabe, J. A., & Friedman-Wheeler, D. G. (2018). Mindfulness and meditation in psychology courses. In W. Altman, & L. Stein (Eds.), Essays from E-xcellence in Teaching (Vol. 17). Published on the Society for the Teaching of Psychology Web site.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Between-Subjects Research Design. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Control Groups. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Convenience Sample. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Counterbalancing. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Cross-Sectional Research Design. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Floor and Ceiling Effects. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Regression Toward the Mean. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2017). Within-Subjects Research Design. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McCabe, J. A. (2016). Goucher College Cognitive Psychology Syllabus. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Project Syllabus. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
McCabe, J. A. (2014). Learning and memory demonstrations for the psychology classroom. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site, Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology.
McCabe, J. A. (2011). Integrating mnemonics into psychology instruction. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site, Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology.