Education

• Ph.D. 2007, UCLA. Dissertation: “Dimensionality and Invariance: Assessing differential item functioning using bifactor multiple indicator multiple cause models”
• M.A., 2002. California State University, Northridge.
• B.A., 1999. California State University, Northridge.

  Specialty Areas:

  Measurement and Psychometrics, Social Psychology

Courses Taught

• Psy: 305
• Psy 420/L - Advanced Statistical Methods & Lab
• Psy: 427
  
• Psy 524/L - Applied Multivariate Statistics & Lab

Selected Publications and Presentations

Publications

Whitehead, K., Ainsworth, A. T., Wittig, M. A., and Gadino, B. (2009).  Implications of ethnic identity strength and ethnic identity exploration for intergroup attitudes among adolescents.  Journal of Research on Adolescence.

Wittig, M. A., Molina, L. E., Giang, M. T., & Ainsworth, A. (2007).  Responding to racial/ethnic diversity:  A mutual acculturation model of prejudice reduction.  In R. Brown, D. Capozza, & O. Licciardello (Eds.), Proceedings of the Conference on the Contact Hypothesis and Immigrant Acculturation.  Rome: Franco Angeli, Publishers.

Morizot, J., Ainsworth, A.T., & Reise, S.P. (2007). Toward modern psychometrics: Application of item response theory models in personality research. In R.W. Robins, R.C. Fraley, & R.F. Krueger (Eds.), Handbook of research methods in personality psychology (pp. 407-423). Guilford Press.

Reise, S. P., Meijer, R. R., Ainsworth, A. T., Morales, L. S., and Hays, R. D. (2006).  Application of group-level item response models in the evaluation of health plan quality.  Multivariate Behavioral Research, 41(1), 85-102.

Reise, S.P., Ainsworth, A.T. and Haviland, M.G. (2005).  Item Response Theory: Fundamentals, applications, and promise in psychological research.  Current Directions in Psychology, 14(2), 95-101.

Wittig, M. A., Molina, L., Smurda, J., Ainsworth, A., & Despues, D. (1999). Prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination: Research funding priorities. Report funded by and submitted to the Ford Foundation.

Ainsworth, A. T., Wittig, M. W. and Rabinowitz, J. L. (in preparation).  A comparative test of an acculturation model of prejudice in two multicultural education programs.

Presentations

Ainsworth, A., Veprinsky, A., Hendel, K., & Banales, V. (2009). The Social and Relational Impact of Stuttering.  Paper will be presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Banales, V., Preminger, M., Der Gregorian, D., Veprinsky, A. & Ainsworth, A. (2009). The Influence of Stuttering in Many Areas of Life.  Paper will be presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Hendel, K., Veprinsky, A., Banales, V., Preminger, M., & Ainsworth, A. (2009). Communication Apprehension: Comparing English as Second Language Speakers and Stutterers.  Paper will be presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Veprinsky, A., Nayar, M., Kazemi, E., & Ainsworth, A., (2009). Investigating Psychological Differences Between Stuttering and Non-Stuttering Individuals.  Paper will be presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, Oregon.

McAuliff, B. D., Ainsworth, A., & Nicholson, E. (2008).  Straying from the path of expert testimony: Victim age, suggestibility, and jurors’ decisions.  Paper presented at the Southern California Psychology and Law Conference, Irvine, CA.

McAuliff, B. D., Ainsworth, A., & Nicholson, E.  (2008). “You can lead a horse to water, but…” Expert testimony, witness suggestibility, and juror decisions.  In J. Buck & K. London (Chairs), Expert testimony relating to child witnesses: When does it have probative value for jurors?  Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, Jacksonville, FL

Ainsworth, A.T., Wittig, M.A. and Rabinowitz, J. (2006).  Generalization of the Mutual Acculturation Model of Prejudice Reduction. The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Biennial Convention, Long Beach, California, CA.

Ainsworth, A. T. (2005).  A comparison of the ML and MUML approaches in two-level covariance structure analysis.  Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology Annual Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA.

Wittig, M. A., Molina, L., & Giang, M. A, Ainsworth, A.T. (2004). Mutual acculturation model of intergroup prejudice reduction.  Invited plenary address, International Conference on the Contact Hypothesis and Immigrant Acculturation, University of Catania, Sicily, Italy.

Wittig, M. A., Ainsworth, A., & Molina, L. (2002).  Relative utility of common ingroup identity and acculturation models of intergroup bias reduction.  European Association of Experimental Social Psychology, San Sebastian, Spain.

Ainsworth, A. & Wittig, M. (2002, May). Ethnic group differences in a mediational model of prejudice reduction. Poster will be presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Irvine, CA.

Ruzicka, A., Ainsworth, A., Galvez, G., & Wittig, M. (2002, May). Change in acculturation strategy following a prejudice reduction program. Poster will be presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Irvine, CA.

Galvez, G., Ainsworth, A., & Wittig, M. (2002, May). Majority and minority acculturation strategy preferences and change following intervention. Poster will be presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Irvine, CA.

Ghovanloonia, B., Ainsworth, A., & Wittig, M. (2002, May). Changes in Ethnic Identity, Outgroup Orientation, and Affective Bias among racial groups. Poster will be presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Irvine, CA.

Miramontez, D., Galvez, G., Ainsworth, A. & Wittig, M. (2002, May). Educational aspirations as a predictor of acculturation among ninth graders. Poster will be presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Irvine, CA.

Ainsworth, A., Molina, L., Banks, H. D., & Wittig, M. A. (2001, May). Factor analytic structure of predictors of affective intergroup prejudice. Poster was presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Maui, HI.

Molina, L., Ainsworth, A., Galvez, G., & Wittig, M. A. (2001, May). Test of two mediational models of intergroup prejudice reduction. Poster was presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Maui, HI.

Galvez, G., Ainsworth, A., Molina, L., & Wittig, M. A. (2001, May). Acculturation strategy preferences and change between majority and minority groups. Poster was presented at the annual meeting of Western Psychological Association, Maui, HI.

Despues, D., Molina, L., Ainsworth, A., Banks, H., Wittig, M. A. (2001, February). Test of an acculturation model of affective intergroup bias. Poster was presented at the annual meeting of Society of Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, Texas.

 

Research and Interests

Social and Psychological Impact of Stuttering We seek to fully understand the impact that stuttering has on a person’s mental health in order to improve treatment outcomes for chronic stutterers. We are simultaneously investigating psychological impairments concomitant with the speech disorder as measured by a number of assessment inventories (e.g., depression, anxiety, executive functioning deficits) as well as investigating the impact that stuttering has on a perceiver’s evaluations (i.e., ratings of attractiveness, intelligence, friendship potential) of a target that stutters. Investigations into perceptions of people who stutter is necessary in order to understand the nature of the stigma attached to stuttering and discover the roots of psychological impairments suffered by people who stutter.  Research assistants will work with Dr. Ainsworth in all aspects of the research process; 1) reviewing literature, 2) research design and implementation, 3) administering and scoring psychological inventories, 4) working directly with participants, 5) entering, coding and analyzing data using SPSS, Excel and other programs, and 6) poster and paper preparation for conferences and publication. 

Intergroup Relations Dr. Michele Wittig and I have worked together for a number of years on high school prejudice reduction curriculum as well as testing mediating, moderating, factor analytic, growth curve and other complex models of prejudice.

Advanced Statistical Methods As a quantitative psychologist I have the opportunity to consult and/or collaborate on a number of projects in a wide variety of sub-fields within psychology (e.g. neuropsych, psychopathology, personality, health, cognitive). Students working with me will receive extensive training in advanced research and statistical methods (e.g. multivariate analysis of variance, hierarchical regression, mediation analysis, factor analysis, structural equation modeling) that can either be applied to his/her area of interest or applied to multiple areas.