Alfred Kaszniak

 As a retired emeritus professor in the Department of Psychology, I no longer teach courses, or maintain an active laboratory.

I remain involved in some collaborative research and in various writing projects. I also devote professional service to several organizations and scientific journals, and serve as a teacher (Sensei) of Zen Buddhism, both locally and nationally.

Research Interests: 

• Psychophysiology and neuroscience of long-term and short-term meditation
• Contemplative pedagogy
• Contemplative approaches to end-of-life-care.   

Selected Publications: 

• Davidson, R.J. & Kaszniak A. (in press). Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and contemplative practice. American Psychologist.
• Back, A.L., Rushton, C.H., Kaszniak, A.W., & Halifax, J.S. (2015). Why are we doing this? Clinician helplessness in the face of suffering. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 18. 26-30.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2014). Contemplative pedagogy: Perspectives from cognitive and affective science.
• In O. Gunnlaugson, E. Sarath, C. Scott & H. Bai (Eds.), Contemplative learning and inquiry across disciplines. New York: State University of New York Press.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2014).Preface to Dialectical behavior therapy for wellness and recovery: Interventions and Activities for Diverse Client Needs (pp. ix-xi).
• Andrew Bein, New York: Wiley. O’Connor, M.-F., Arizmendi, B., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2014). Virtually supportive: A Feasibility pilot study of an online support group for dementia caregivers in a 3D virtual environment. Journal of Aging Studies, 30, 87-93.
• Rushton, C.H., Kaszniak, A.W. & Halifax, J.S. (2013). A framework for understanding moral distress among the inter-professional team. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 16, 1074-1079.
• Rushton, C.H., Kaszniak, A.W. & Halifax, J.S., (2013). Addressing Moral Distress: Application of a framework to palliative care practice. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 16, 1080-1088.
• Kaszniak, A.W. & Kligman, E. (2013). Hospice care for patients with dementia. Arizona Geriatrics Society Journal, 18 (2), 23-24.
• Burns, C.M., Chen, K., Kaszniak, A.W., Lee, W., Alexander, G., Bandy, D., Fleisher, A., Caselli, R.J., & Reiman, E.R. (2013). Higher serum glucose levels are associated with cerebral hypometabolism in Alzheimer's regions. Neurology, 80, 1557-1564.
• Levy, D.M., Wobbrock, J.O., Kaszniak, A.W. and Ostergren, M. (2012). The effects of mindfulness meditation training on multitasking in a high-stress information environment. Proceedings of Graphics Interface (pp. 45-52). Toronto, Ontario (May 28-30, 2012). Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Information Processing Society.
• Kaszniak, A.W., & Menchola, M. (2012). Behavioral neuroscience of emotion in aging. Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience, 10, 51-66.
• O’Donnell, R.M., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2011). Charting late-life affective disorders. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 35(2), 46-57.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2011). Meditation, mindfulness, cognition, and emotion: Implications for community-based older adult programs.
• In P. Hartman-Stein & A. LaRue(Eds.), Enhancing cognitive fitness in adults: A guide to the use and development of community programs. (pp. 85-106). New York: Springer.
• Levy, D.M., Wobbrock, J.O., Kaszniak, A.W. and Ostergren, M. (2011). Initial results from a study of the effects of meditation on multitasking performance. In: Proceedings of ACM CHI 2011 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 2011-2016. New York: ACM Press.
• Langbaum, J.B.S., Chen, K., Caselli, R.J., Lee, W., Reschke, C., Bandy, D., Alexander, G.E., Burns, C.M., Kaszniak, A.W., Reeder, S.A., Fleisher, A.S., & Reiman, E.M. (2010). Hypometabolism in Alzheimer-affected brain regions in cognitively healthy Latino individuals carrying the apolipoprotein E4 allele, Archives of Neurology, 67 462-468.
• Kaszniak, A.W., & Edmonds, E. (2010). Anosognosia and Alzheimer's disease: Behavioral studies. In G. Prigatano (Ed.), The study of anosognosia (pp., 189-228). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Drag, L.L., Glisky, E.L., Kaszniak, A.W., & Bieliauskas, L.A. (2009). Source memory and frontal functioning in Parkinson's disease. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 15, 399-406.
• Bondi, M., Salmon, D., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2009). The neuropsychology of dementia. 
• In I. Grant, & K. Adams (Eds.), Neuropsychological Assessment of Neuropsychiatric & Neuromedical Disorders (pp. 159-198). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Griffin-Pierce, T., Silverberg, N., Jim, M., Connor, D., Jim, M., Peters, J., Kaszniak, A.W., & Sabbagh, M. (2008). Challenges to the recognition and assessment of dementia in American Indians of the Southwestern United States. Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 4, 291-299.
• Milman, L.H., Holland, A., Kaszniak, A.W., D'Agostino, J., Garrett, M., & Rapcsak, S.R. (2008). Initial validity and reliability of the SCCAN: Using tailored testing to assess adult cognition and communication. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51, 49-69.
• Nielsen, L., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2007). Conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in inferring subjective emotional experience: Recommendations for researchers.
• In J.J.B. Allen & J. Coan (Eds.), The Handbook of Emotion Elicitation and Assessment(pp. 361-375). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Nielsen, L., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2006). Awareness of subtle emotional feelings: A comparison of long-term meditators and non-meditators. Emotion, 6, 392-405. 
• Quan, S.F., Wright, R., Baldwin, C.M., Kaemengk, K.L., Goodwin, J.L., Kuo, T.F., Kaszniak, A.W., Boland, L., Caccappolo, E., & Bootzin, R.R. (2006). Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea and neurocognitive functioning in the Sleep Heart Health Study. Sleep Medicine, 7, 498-507. 
• Burton, K., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2006). Emotional experience and facial muscle activity in Alzheimer's disease. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 13, 636-651.
• Pannu, J.K., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2005). Metamemory experiments in neurological populations: A review. Neuropsychology Review, 15, 105-130.
• Pannu, J.K., Kaszniak, A.W., & Rapcsak, S.Z. (2005). Metamemory for faces following frontal lobe damage.Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 11, 668-676. Kristensen,
• C.H., Gauer, G., Giovenardi, M., Parente, M.A. deM.P., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2005). Avaliação neuropsicológica no transtorno de estresse pós-traumático. In R Caminha (Ed.), Transtornos do estresse pós-traumático(pp. 123-132). Sao Paulo: Casa do Psycólogo.
• Kristensen, C.H., Parente, M.A. deM.P., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2005). Transtorno de estresse pós-traumático: Critérios diagnósticos, prevalência e avaliação. In R Caminha (Ed.), Transtornos do estresse pós-traumático(pp. 15-35). Sao Paulo: Casa do Psycólogo.
• Schaie, K.W., Caskie, G.I.L., Revell, A.J., Willis, S.L., Kaszniak, A.W., & Teri, L. (2005). Extending neuropsychological assessments into the primary mental ability space. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 12, 245-277. 
• O'Connor, M.-F., Allen, J.J.B., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2005). Emotional disclosure for whom? A study of vagal tone in bereavement, Biological Psychology, 68, 135-146.
• Trujillo, L.T., Peterson, M.A., Kaszniak, A.W., & Allen, J.J.B. (2005). EEG phase synchrony differences across visual perception conditions may depend on recording and analysis methods. Clinical Neurophysiology, 116, 172-189
• Reminger, S.L., Kaszniak, A.W., Labiner, D.M., Littrell, L.D., David, B.T., Ryan, L., Herring, A.M., & Kaemingk, K.L. (2004). Bilateral hippocampal volume predicts memory function in complex partial epilepsy, Epilepsy and Behavior, 5, 687-695.
• Schnyer, D.M., Verfaellie, M., Alexander, M.P., LaFleche, G., Nicholls, L., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2004). A role for right medial prefrontal cortex in accurate feeling of knowing judgments: Evidence from patients with lesions to frontal cortex. Neuropsychologia, 42, 957-966.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2003). Anosognosia. In L. Nadel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of cognitive science(pp. 160-163).
• London: Macmillan. Keil, K., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2002). Examining executive function in individuals with brain injury: A review. Aphasiology, 16, 305-335.
• Laurance, H.E., Thomas, K.G.F., Newman, M., Kaszniak, A.W., Nadel, L., & Jacobs, W.J. (2002). Older adults map novel environments but do not place learn: Findings from a computerized spatial task. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 9, 85-97.
• O'Connor, M.-F., Allen, J.J.B., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2002). Autonomic and emotion regulation in bereavement and depression. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 52, 183-185. 
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2002). Dementia. In V.S. Ramachandran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the human brain(pp. 89-100). San Diego, CA: Elsevier Science (USA).
• Rapcsak, S.Z., Nielsen, L., Glisky, E.L., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2002). The neuropsychology of false facial recognition. In L.R. Squire & D.L. Schacter (Eds.), Neuropsychology of memory (3rd ed., pp. 130 - 142). New York: Guilford.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2002). Neuropsychology. 
• D.J. Ekerdt, R. A. Applebaum, K. C. Holden, S. G. Post, K. Rockwood, R. Schulz, R. L. Sprott, & P. Uhlenberg (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Aging. New York: Macmillan Reference USA
• Rapcsak, S.Z., Nielsen, L., Littrell, L.D., Glisky, E.L., Kaszniak, A.W., & Laguna, J.F. (2001). Face memory impairments in patients with frontal lobe damage. Neurology, 57, 1168-1175.
• Newman, M.C., Allen, J.J.B., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2001). Tasks for assessing memory for temporal order versus memory for object in aging. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 8, 72-78.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2001). Introduction: Psychological perspectives. 
• A.W. Kaszniak (Ed.), Emotion, qualia, and consciousness. (pp. 323-325). London: World Scientific.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2001). Introduction: Biological perspectives. In A.W. 
• Kaszniak (Ed.), Emotion, qualia, and consciousness. (pp. 103-105). London: World Scientific.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2001). Introduction: Philosophical perspectives. In A.W. Kaszniak (Ed.), Emotion, qualia, and consciousness. (pp. 25-27). London: World Scientific.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2001). Some future directions in the study of emotion and consciousness.
• A.W. Kaszniak (Ed.), Emotion, qualia, and consciousness. (pp. 517-545). London: World Scientific.
• Kaszniak, A.W. (2001). Emotion and consciousness: Current research and controversies.
• A.W. Kaszniak (Ed.), Emotion, qualia, and consciousness. (pp. 3-21). London: World Scientific.
• Montgomery, E.B., Koller, W.C., LaMantia, T.J.K., Newman, M.C., Swanson-Hyland, E., Kaszniak, A.W., & Lyons, K. (2000). Early detection of probable idiopathic Parkinson's diesase: I. Development of a diagnostic test battery. Movement Disorders, 15, 467-473.
• Reminger, S.L., Kaszniak, A.W., & Dalby, P (2000). Age-invariance in the asymmetry of stimulus-evoked emotional facial muscle activity. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 7, 156-168,
• Lane, R.D., Sechrest, L., Riedel, R., Shapiro, D.E., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). Pervasive emotion recognition deficit common to alexithymia and the repressive coping style. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 492-501.
• Manber, R., Allen, J.J.B., Burton, K., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). Valence-dependent modulation of psychophysiological measures: Is there consistency across repeated testing? Psychophysiology., 37, 683-692.
• Newman, M.C., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). Spatial memory and aging: Performance on a human analog of the Morris Water Maze Task. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 7, 86-93.
• Kaszniak, A.W., & Newman, M.C. (2000). Toward a neuropsychology of cognitive aging.
• S.H. Qualls & N. Abeles (Eds), Psychology and the aging revolution: How we adapt to longer life (pp. 43-67). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Duke, L.M., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). Executive control functions in degenerative dementias: A comparative review. Neuropsychology Review, 10, 75-99.
• Rapcsak, S.Z., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). Searching for the neural correlates of consciousness: Clues from face recognition research. Brain and Cognition , 42, 37-40.
• Rapcsak, S.Z., Galper, S.R., Comer, J.F., Reminger, S.L., Nielsen, L., Kaszniak, A.W., Verfaellie, M., Laguna, J.F., Labiner, D.M. & Cohen, R.A. (2000). Fear recognition deficits after focal brain damage: A cautionary note. Neurology, 54, 575-581.
• Lane, R.D., Nadel, L., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). The future of emotion research from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience.
• R. Lane, L. Nadel, G. Ahern, J. Allen, A. W. Kaszniak, S. Rapcsak, & G. E. Schwartz, (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of emotion. (pp. 407-410). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Lane, R.D., Nadel, L., Allen, J.J.B., & Kaszniak, A.W. (2000). The study of emotion from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience.
• R. Lane, L. Nadel, G. Ahern, J. Allen, A. W. Kaszniak, S. Rapcsak, & G. E. Schwartz, (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of emotion. (pp. 3-11). New York: Oxford University Press.

Courses Taught: 

• PSY 596F - Emotion: Current Research and Theory (Graduate seminar on current research and theory on emotion), 2004.
• PSY 195A - Stress and Emotion, Psychology (Freshman Colloquium), 2002.
• PSY 694D - Clinical Neuropsychology Practicum, 1987-2014.
• PSY 496H - The Psychology of Empathy and Compassion: Scientific and Contemplative Perspectives (Honors Seminar), 2010; 2013; 2015.

Projects: 

• Principal Investigator, University of Arizona Subcontract (Eric Reiman, M.D., Project PI), “PET, APOE and the Preclinical Course of Alzheimer’s Disease,” July 1, 2007  – June 30, 2012, $45, 181 total subcontract costs, National Institute on Aging (9 RO1 AG 031581).
• Core Leader, Education and Information Core, Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center (Eric M. Reiman, M.D., P.I.), July. 1, 2006 – June 30, 2011, $418,341 total direct costs (for Education/Info. Transfer Core; $5,954,895 total direct costs for entire center grant), National Institute on Aging/ National Institutes of Health (2 P30 AG019610).