About
Dr. Jennifer Fayard serves as associate professor of psychology at Ouachita. She earned her Ph.D. from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Personality Psychology in 2012 and
her B.A. in Psychology from Samford University in 2006.
Her research is concentrated on two areas: personality and emotional experience, and
perceptions of other people's personalities. In the former, Dr. Fayard is particularly
interested in the connection between conscientiousness, a personality trait that involves
self-control, responsibility, industriousness and order, and is related to experiences
of guilt. In the latter area of research, she conducted the first study to examine
what it means when we say that someone has "no personality" or "a lot of personality."
She is currently collecting data on follow-up projects with the students in the Ouachita
Personality Lab.
In addition to teaching at Ouachita, she writes a blog for "Psychology Today" called
People Are Strange.
When she's not at work, Dr. Fayard is a hiker, knitter and crocheter, beginning ceramicist,
gardener, traveler and cat mom.
Fun Facts
What is your go-to musical artist?
I'm a passionate Led Zeppelin fan! They're the greatest band in the world, and I'm
prepared for an extensive discussion as to why.
If you were anything other than a professor, what would you be and why?
I would absolutely be a national park ranger, preferably in a mountainous region.
I'm an avid hiker and waterfall hunter, lover of geology, glaciers, edible plants
and animals, and standing on top of a mountain or under a waterfall - especially if
I've gotten there by the power of my own two legs - is my happy place. Being in nature
and educating others on its magic would be a dream come true. The thought of trail
maintenance, litter and dealing with unhappy public, on the other hand, makes me want
to keep my day job!
Why did you enter the teaching profession?
I wanted to become a professor because of the professors I had in college. They helped
me develop intellectually and personally and really showed me how much there was to
the world outside the small bubble I lived in. I credit a lot of the person I am today
to my college experience. I knew I wanted to share that same experience with my own
students one day.
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
My favorite place on campus is the music building. Anytime I walk through, there's
always some kind of music to hear, whether it's jazz band, choir practice, steel drums,
a Guitarmageddon practice or something else. It's really special to be able to hear
all sorts of music any time of day, and it brightens my day and makes me smile every
single time!
Areas of Expertise
Featured Courses Taught:
- Personality Psychology
- Meta-Analysis
- Research Methods I and II
- Social Psychology
- Psychology of Creativity
- Psychology of Music
Featured Publications/Presentations:
-
Fayard, J.V. (2020). Meta-analysis as a tool for increasing students’ scientific
thinking. In A. Beyer & A. Peters (Eds.). For the Love of Teaching Undergraduate Statistics. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/
-
Fayard, J.V., *Clay, J.Z., *Valdez, F.R., & *Howard, L.A. (2019). What does it mean
to have “no personality” or “a lot of personality”? Natural language descriptions
and big five correlates. Journal of Research in Personality, 79, 59-66.
-
Fayard, J.V., Roberts, B.W., Robins, R.W., & Watson, D. (2012). Uncovering the affective
core of conscientiousness: The role of self-conscious emotions. Journal of Personality, 80, 1-32.
*Publications with (*) are co-authored with undergraduate students.
Involvement
- Association for Research in Personality
- Society for the Teaching of Psychology
