College of Science and Mathematics

Karl Oswald

Professor

Psychology | Office: Science II Bldg., Rm. 332

koswald@csufresno.edu

Education

Duke University, Ph.D. (Cognitive Psychology)
Duke University, M.A. (Cognitive Psychology)
UCLA, B.S. (Cognitive Science, Minor in Computing)
Santa Monica Community College
Los Angeles Valley College
Los Angeles Pierce College

Courses Taught

Cognitive Psychology (Psych 128)
Introduction to Psychology (Psych 10)
Mind, Brain, and Memory (Psych 129)
Practical Applications of Human Memory Theory (Psych 220T: Graduate Course)
Experimental Methods and Research Designs (Psych 144)
Science and Pseudoscience in Psychology (Psych 120T)
Psychology Honors Seminar (Psych 183)
Revolutions in Natural and Social Sciences (Co-instructor, Smittcamp Family Honors College)
Critical Thinking in Psychology (Psych 60T)
Introduction to Statistics (Psych 42)

Dr. Karl Oswald is a Professor in the Psychology Department at Fresno State. He joined the department in 1999 after earning his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and briefly teaching for Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Oswald attended UCLA from 1991-1993, earning his B.S. in Cognitive Science. Before that, he attended three different community colleges and worked as an independent computer consultant in Los Angeles law firms and various corporations. His research interests lie in the basic processes of human memory, the application of basic memory principles to educational environments, and self-concept changes over time. Dr. Oswald was the 2019-2020 Fresno State College of Science & Mathematics Professor of the Year, a 2012-2013 recipient of the Fresno State Outstanding Campus Advisor Award, and a recipient of multiple teaching and mentoring awards within the Department of Psychology.

Refereed Publications

Oswald, K. M., Blake, A. B., & Santiago, D. T. (2014). Enhancing retention with classroom clickers through individual response identification. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28, 438-442. doi: 10.1002/acp.3010.
Oswald, K. M., & Rhoten, S. E. (2014). Improving classroom clicker practices: Effects of incentives and feedback on retention. North American Journal of Psychology, 16(1), 79-88.
Bass, W. S., & Oswald, K. M. (2014). Proactive control of proactive interference using the method of loci. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 10(2), 49-59, doi: 10.2478/v10053-008-0156-3.
Oswald, K. M., & Coleman, M. L. (2007). Memory demands on facial composite identification. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21, 345-360, doi: 10.1002/acp.1276.
Oswald, K. M., Serra, M., & Krishna, A. (2006). Part-list cuing in speeded recognition and free recall. Memory & Cognition, 34, 518-526, doi: 10.3758/BF03193575.
Serra, M., & Oswald, K. M. (2006). Part-list cuing of association chains: Test of strategy disruption. The Journal of General Psychology, 133(3), 301-317, doi: 10.3200/GENP.133.3.301-317.

Recent Professional Presentations

Hupe, E. F., Meyer, T., Morillas, M., & Oswald, K. M. (2022, April). Recollection of the January 6^th capitol insurrection is not a flashbulb memory: A comparison of public and private events. Poster presented at the 102^nd annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.
Meyer, T., Morillas, M., Hupe, E. F., & Oswald, K. M. (2022, April). The effect of working memory load on self-concept. Poster presented at the 102^nd annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.
Meyer, T., & Oswald, K. M. (2022, April). High technology-based multitasking positively correlates with thought suppression and internal restlessness. Poster presented at the 2022 Central California Research Symposium, Virtual Convention.
Morillas, M., Hupe, E. F., Meyer, T., & Oswald, K. M. (2022, April). Investigating imagined events: Developing episodic future thinking stimuli. Poster presented at the 102^nd annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.
Morillas, M., & Oswald, K. M. (2022, April). Episodic future thinking: Differences in outlook styles across depression and anxiety. Poster presented at the 2022 Central California Research Symposium, Virtual Convention.
Oswald, K. M., Cervantes Chavez, L., & Gill, W. (2021, May). Enhancing the spacing effect with different encoding methods. Poster presented at the 2021 Association for Psychological Science Convention (Virtual).
Oswald, K. M., Cervantes Chavez, L., & Gill, W. (2021, May). Enhancing the spacing effect with different encoding methods. Poster presented at the 2021 Central California Research Symposium, Virtual Convention.
Cervantes Chavez, L., Oswald, K. M., & Gill, W. (2020, October). Best practices for learning new information: Testing across time intervals. Poster presented at the 100^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association (Virtual).
Cotton, K. A., & Oswald, K. M. (2020, October). Educators’ perceptions of the effects of childhood trauma. Poster presented at the 100^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, (Virtual).
Chavez, G. C., Oswald, K. M., & Gill, W. (2020, October). Moderating the spacing effect with the method of encoding. Poster presented at the 100^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, (Virtual).
Chavez, G. C., Gill, W., & Oswald, K. M. (2020, May). Best practices for learning new information: Testing across time intervals. Poster presented at Fresno State’s College of Science & Math Virtual Research Showcase.
Kochevar, K., & Oswald, K. M. (2019, May). Mainstreaming in classrooms: Investigating teachers’ attitudes. Poster presented at the 40^th annual Central California Research Symposium, Fresno, CA.
Duran, M., & Oswald, K. M. (2019, April). The similarity of intervening information moderates the spacing effect. Poster presented at the 99^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Pasadena, CA.
Malde-Sanchez, D., & Oswald, K. M. (2019, April). Talking to your future self: The relationship between the length of unmonitored videos and measures of self. Poster presented at the 99^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Pasadena, CA.
Van Fossen, J. A., & Oswald, K. M. (2017, May). Feel more, cheat less: How a focus on emotional benefits or costs affects mild unethical behavior. Poster presented at the 29^th annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Boston, MA.
Cowan, C., & Oswald, K. M. (2017, April). Olfactory imagery and its relation to episodic memory. Poster presented at the 97^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Sacramento, CA.
Gill, W., & Oswald, K. (2017, April). Enhancing the spacing effect with similar intervening activity. Poster presented at the 97^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Sacramento, CA.
Van Fossen, J., & Oswald, K. (2017, April). To cheat or not to cheat: How a focus on benefits and costs affect mild unethical behavior. Poster presented at the 97^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Sacramento, CA.
Caffrey-Casiano, C., & Oswald, K. M. (2016, April). The relationship of pet ownership, stress, and episodic memory. Poster presented at the 96^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Los Beach, CA.
Cowan, C. C., Oswald, K. M., Van Fossen, J. A., & Logan, E. N. (2016, April). Investigating encoding strategies as an explanation for metacognitive enhancement. Poster presented at the 96^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Los Beach, CA.
Gill, W. G., Oswald, K. M, Logan, E. N., Cowan, C. C., & Van Fossen, J. A. (2016, April). Optimizing distributed practice with similar intervening activity. Poster presented at the 96^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Los Beach, CA.
Van Fossen, J. A., Oswald, K. M, & McClincy, E. (2016, April). Emotional reactivity and memory for emotionally charged words. Poster presented at the 96^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Los Beach, CA.