Matthew Heller, PhD

Chair of Department of Undergraduate Psychology; Program Director of MS in Research Psychology; Associate Professor, Department of Psychology

Phone: (626) 815-6000

Email: mheller@apu.edu

Matthew Heller, PhD, taught for many years at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, and also worked for two years with adolescents in a psychiatric hospital. Heller enjoys teaching a variety of classes, including General Psychology, Research Methods, Social Psychology, and Statistics. Heller’s professional and research interests are in social psychology, focusing on the psychology of religion and close interpersonal relationships. Recently, he has been exploring the process of spiritual growth from an empirical, psychological perspective; preliminary results suggest a small but measurable increase in the Christian virtues often called the fruit of the Spirit in young adults who engage more frequently in spiritual disciplines such as Bible study and prayer.

Education

• PhD, Social Psychology (Minor in Statistics), University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Academic Area

• School of Behavioral Sciences