Position: Instructor
Department: Psychology/Social Science
Faculty: Humanities and Social Sciences
Office: NW N3424
Office Phone: (604) 527-5810
Email: danel@douglascollege.ca
Education and Credentials
- Ph.D., Psychology, University of New Mexico
- M.A., Psychology, Simon Fraser University
- B.A., Honours, Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Academic and Professional Profile
Throughout my education I was always interested in many different aspects of psychology (cognitive, biological, personality, social, developmental etc.), seeing them all as explaining important aspects of who we are as humans. Early in my undergraduate work I discovered the field of Evolutionary Psychology, which allowed me to integrate all of these different perspectives under one larger view of human nature. I took courses in Human Biology, Behavioral Ecology, Sociology, and Anthropology to help expand my knowledge in these areas. After working with one of the few Evolutionary Psychologists in Canada (at that time) at SFU, I moved on to work with a great, interdisciplinary team of Psychologists, Biologists and Anthropologists at the University of New Mexico. There I was able to do field work in Dominica (a small Caribbean island – not as vacation-like as it sounds), and learn valuable techniques like measuring symmetry and studying how women’s behavior changes across the menstrual cycle. These valuable experiences led me back to Vancouver and to Douglas College, where I helped develop our Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology degree, and our Honours program. I have had the pleasure of supervising several honours students, most of whom have had research presented at international conferences, and one project (so far) that has led to a publication.
Teaching Concentrations
My teaching focus is on social and evolutionary approaches to human behavior, cognition, and development with a specialization in methods and statistics. In my social psychology courses I try to use the perspective of Fundamental Human Motives to provide a larger framework for students to learn and understand the many different ways that the environment, culture and other humans can affect how we think and behave. In addition to social and evolutionary psychology, I teach second year statistics, research methods, and have taught upper level versions of both of these courses.
Courses
- PSYC 1100
- PSYC 1200
- PSYC 2300
- PSYC 2301
- PSYC 3330
- PSYC 3385
- PSYC 4390
Research/Clinical Activities
My current research interests are in how Fundamental Motives (particularly pathogen salience and personal safety) affects human behavior, attitudes and stereotypes. In addition we look at how individual differences (like differences in levels of the Dark Triad traits – psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism, or differences in susceptibilities to fundamental motives) between people lead to differential responses in behavior or attitudes. Our current research investigates the contexts in which individuals higher in the Dark Triad traits respond in a way that downplays the costs of social situations that may otherwise be considered stressful. Some of this research involves investigating the hormonal correlates of stress (cortisol) and of perceived challenges (testosterone).
Open to Supervising Honours Students for 2022-23: NO
Professional Affiliations and Community Service
2013 - present: Coordinator, Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology 2016 - present, Member, Human Behavior and Evolution Society 2016 – Organized the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Vancouver 2010 – 2013: Co-developer, Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology Degree and Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology – Honours Degree (Douglas College Team Excellence Award, 2013 2010 - 2012: Engaging Minds – Speaker Series Organizer Associate of Arts for Future Professional Pilots – Program Co-Developer 2011- present Reviewer: British Journal of Psychology; Personality and Individual Differences; Behavioral Ecology; Evolutionary Psychology
Selected Refereed Publications:
Dane, L.K., Jonason, P.K.,& McCaffrey, M. (2018). Physiological tests of the cheater hypothesis for the Dark Triad traits: Testosterone, cortisol, and a social stressor. Personality and Individual Differences, 121, 227-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.09.010
Jonason, P.K., & Dane, L.K., (2014). How beliefs get in the way of the acceptance of evolutionary psychology. Frontiers in Psychology. 5 (1212), 1-3. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01212
Dane, L.K. (2010). An analysis of the sexual dimorphism of hands: attractiveness, symmetry, and person perception. Dissertation Abstracts International, 71.
Fink, B., Taschner, K., Neave, N., & Dane, L.K. (2010). Male Faces and bodies: Evidence of a condition-dependent ornament of quality. Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 436-440. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.04.013
Salmon, C.A., Crawford. C.B., Dane, L., & Zuberebier, O. (2008). Ancestral Mechanisms in Modern Environments. Human Nature, 19(1), 103-117. DOI: 10.1007/s12110-008-9030-8
Selected Conference Presentations:
Dane, L.K. (2018). Psychopaths Are F#!@’ing Zombies: In pathogen prevalent environments. - Talk presented at Zombie Apocalypse Medicine Meeting, ASU, Arizona.
Dane, L.K. (2018). The Interaction of Disease Avoidance and Intergroup Bias on Attitudes Toward Gay Men - Talk presented at 2nd Javea Workshop on Social and Evolutionary Psychology, Javea, Spain.
Dane, L.K. Navdeep K. (2018). Political Fears: How the Fundamental Motives of Disease Avoidance and Self Protection Affect Conservatives’ Out-Group Prejudice - Poster, presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Dane, L.K., Jonason, P.K., O’Neill, C., & Williams, H. (2017). Dark and Dirty: How disease cues influence mate preferences differentially across levels of the Dark Triad Traits. - Talk presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Boise, Idaho.
Dane, L.K., Jonason, P.K., O’Neill, C., & Williams, H. (2017). Dark and Dirty: How mate preferences are a function of the interaction of dark personality traits and pathogen salience. - Talk presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference, San Antonio, Texas
Dane, L.K., McCaffrey, M., Walker, M., & Jonason, P.K. (2016). Hormonal correlates to deception are moderated by the Dark Triad traits. - Poster, presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Vancouver, Canada
Dane, L.K., O’Neil, C., & Jonason, P.K. (2015). Love Sick: The effects of disease salience and Dark Triad personality on mate preferences. - Poster, presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Columbia, Missouri.
Dane, L.K., Goh, L., Clapperton, C.J., & Fink, B. (2011) The Truth is in the Adaptations of the Observer: Attributions of deception depend on reproductive costs and attractiveness. - Poster, presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Montpellier, France
Dane, L.K. (2010). Seinfeld was Right About Man Hands: An analysis of the sexual dimorphism of Hands. - Talk presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Oregon.
Dane, L.K., Orban, L, Bassi, A, & Miller, G.F. (2007). Hands as Fitness Indicators: Seinfeld was right about man hands. - Poster presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Jenkins, C.O.E, Miller, G.F., & Dane, L.K. (2006). Teaching Evolutionary Psychology with Video Analysis Reports. - Poster presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dane, L.K., & Pirritano, M. (2005). Within-Sex Differences in Jealousy: The Role of Prenatal Testosterone and Developmental Instability. - Poster presented at American Psychological Society meeting, Los Angeles. - Poster presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society meeting, Austin Texas.
Gangestad, S.W, Thornhill, R., Flinn, M.V., Dane, L.K., Falcon, R.G., Garver-Apgar, C.E., Franklin, M., & England, B.G. (2005). Men’s Testosterone and Life History in a Caribbean Rural Village. - Talk presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society meeting, Austin Texas.
Dane, L.K., & Pirritano, M. (2004). Within-Sex Differences in Jealousy and other ‘Sex-Differentiated’ Tests: The Role of Prenatal Testosterone and Developmental Instability. - Talk presented at the Evolutionary Psychology Adaptations, Environments, and Behavior: Then and Now Conference, Carlton University, Ottawa.
Dane, L.K. (2002). Examining the Design of Mate Preference Mechanisms: Do sex-roles affect sex differences in mate preferences? - Talk given at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society meeting, 2003, Lincoln Nebraska. - Talk given at the Canadian Psychology Association Conference, 2002, UBC, Vancouver.
Dane, L. Janicki, M. & Campbell, L. (2002). New directions in evolutionary social psychology: Investigations of mate choice, reciprocity, and sexual psychologies (Symposium abstract). Canadian Psychology, 43(2a), 43.
Mistlberger, R.E., Antle, M.C., Dane, L., Wood, A. (1999). Sleep deprivation resets the circadian clock in the Syrian Hamster. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts. 25:1614.
Dane, L.K. (1998). The Impact of Women’s Expected Economic Status on Their Mate Preferences: Comparing sexual selection and sociocultural predictions. - Poster presented at the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society: University of California, Davis.