Biography
Amy Camodeca, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Penn State Beaver and a clinical neuropsychologist at the Watson Institute. She teaches research methods, statistics, biological bases of behavior, psychology of learning (behaviorism), cognitive psychology, and neuropsychology.
Dr. Camodeca is a neuropsychologist and researcher whose work focuses on social cognition, executive function, and psychometric properties of tests in autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. She has cultivated a dynamic research program and an engaging learning environment for undergraduates.
Her classes use research and statistics in enjoyable ways to reinforce the importance of critical thinking and logic. She uses games like Plinko and Connect Four to illustrate statistics and cognition concepts, helping students understand the mental processes involved in perception, attention, memory, and reasoning. Students learn how their day to day lives are affected by cognitive psychology such as why you can successfully cram for a test and forget everything two days later, why experts see details the rest of us don’t, and why “slay” is the new “groovy.”
Within Penn State Beaver’s Neuropsychology Lab, Dr. Camodeca leads research on executive functioning, memory, language, and social cognition. Her projects serve dual purposes: advancing scientific understanding and offering valuable experiential training for her students.
Research Interests
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Executive function and social cognition
- Psychological assessment and diagnostic validity
- Emotional language and cognitive development in children
Publications
Camodeca, A. (2022, online first). Autism traits and real-world executive functioning in parents of children with disabilities and undergraduates. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04097-5
Camodeca, A. (2022, online first). Diagnostic Utility of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scales-3rd Edition Parent Report in Clinically Referred Children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05483-5
Camodeca, A. (2022, online first). Real-World Executive Functioning and Subclinical Autism Traits in Autism Parents, Other Disability Parents, and Non-Clinical Undergraduates. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02740-9
Camodeca, A. & Walcott, K. (2021). Criterion validity of the autism spectrum rating scales 2-5 parent report. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 86, 101820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101820
Camodeca, A., Walcott, K., Hosack, A., & Todd, K. Q. (2020). Preliminary evidence for the Emotion Word Fluency Test as a unique semantic fluency measure. Psychological Assessment, (online first) doi:10.1037/pas0000965.
Camodeca, A., Todd, K., & Croyle, J. (2019). Utility of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale in the Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04272-x.
Camodeca, A. (2019) Theory of Mind Performance in Broad Autism Phenotype Groups: Between-Group Differences and Predictor Variables. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 4079-4096. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04126-6.
Camodeca, A. (2019) Description of Criterion Validity of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales 6-18 Parent Report: Initial Exploration in a Large Community Sample. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s10578-019-00899-0.
Camodeca, A., Todd, K.Q., & Hosack, A. (2018) Intact verbal fluency abilities in the broad autism phenotype. Psychiatry Research, 270, 443-452. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.006.
Camodeca, A., Hosack, A.G., & Todd, K.Q. (2018). Investigation of broad autism phenotype traits as measured by the 26-item Autism Quotient. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 37, 338-357. doi: 10.1177/0734282918768706.
Camodeca, A. (2018). Utility of three n-item scales of the Child Behavior Checklist 6-18 in autism diagnosis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 51, 75-85. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2018.04.004
Camodeca, A., & Voelker, S. (2015 online; 2016). Automatic and controlled processing and the broad autism phenotype. Psychiatry Research, 235, 169-176. doi: 0.1016/j.psychres.2015.11.012.
Paterson, A.D., Babb, K.A., & Camodeca, A., Goodwin, J., Hakim-Larson, J., Voelker, S., & Gragg, M. (2012). Emotion-Related Parenting Styles (ERPS): A short form for measuring parental meta-emotion philosophy. Early Education and Development, 23, 583-602. doi:10.1080/10409289.2011.569316.
Education
B.S. in Psycholgoy, Baldwin Wallace College, Ohio
M.A. in Counseling Psychology, University of Denver, Colorado
Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology, University of Windsor, Canada
Post Doctoral Training at The Watson Institute in Autism Assessment and Diagnosis and at Allegheny General Hospital in Pediatric Neuropsychology
Papers and Presentations
Camodeca, A., & Walcott, K. (2021, February). Intact Emotion Fluency Abilities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Poster to be presented at the 49th Conference of The International Neuropsychological Society, Virtual.
Camodeca, A., & Croyle, J. (2021, January). Diagnostic Utility of Autism Parent Report Questionnaires in Children aged 2-18. Paper presented at the 28th Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) Conference, Virtual.
Camodeca, A., & Walcott, K. (2020, February). Executive function in children with autism vs. other psychiatric disorders. Poster presented at the 48th Conference of The International Neuropsychological Society, Denver, CO.
Camodeca, A., & Croyle, J. (2019, January). Interpretation of parent/teacher questionnaires in autism diagnostic assessment. Paper presented at the 26th Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) Conference, Orlando, FL.
Camodeca, A. (2018, November). Will students work for beans? Paper presented at the 38th Annual Original Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Oxford, OH.
Croyle, J. & Camodeca, A. (2018, August). Factor structure of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale. Poster presented at the 127th Convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Todd, K.Q., & Camodeca, A. (2016, June). Construct validity of the Unexpected Outcomes Test, Pennsylvania Psychological Association Annual Convention, Harrisburg, PA
Page, M. & Camodeca, A. (2015, February). Executive functioning profiles in a clinical sample of youth with and without autism. Poster presented at the 43rd Conference of The International Neuropsychological Society, Denver, CO.
Camodeca, A., Ainsworth, N., & Getz, G. (2014, August). Factor structure of the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale in a non-autism and autism sample. Poster presented at the 122nd Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
Camodeca, A., Gragg, M., & Timmons-Fritz, P. (2012, August). Changing undergraduates’ attributions of and reactions to children’s challenging behaviours. Poster presented at the 120th Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Camodeca, A., *Scott, S., *Al-Saadi, R., *Daniels, G., *Gidak, S., & Voelker, S. (2012, August). Creative skills in the broad autism phenotype. Poster presented at the 120th Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Camodeca, A., Voelker, S., & Gragg, M. (2012, February). Automatic and controlled processing in the broad autism phenotype. Poster presented at the 40th Conference of the International Neuropsychological Society, Montreal, Quebec.
Scammell, J., Camodeca, A., Duffett, M., Hakim-Larson, J., Babb, K., Voelker, S., & Gragg, M. (2011, April). Comparing adaptive behaviour and emotion variability among children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Montreal, Quebec.
Camodeca, A., Gragg., M., & Voelker, S. (2011, February). Investigation of executive function deficits associated with the broader autism phenotype. Poster presented at the 39th Conference of the International Neuropsychological Society, Boston, Massachusetts.
Camodeca, A., Strang, J. D., & Macklin, E. (2009, November). JMCC enhanced preschool intervention study. Research paper presented at the Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Centre Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
Paterson, A., Camodeca, A., Goodwin, J., Babb, K. A., Hakim-Larson, J., Voelker, S., & Gragg, M. (2009, June). Parental meta-emotion: Short form of the Emotion-Related Parenting Styles Self-Test (ERPSST). Poster presented at the 70th Conference of the Canadian Psychological Association, Montreal, Quebec.
Paterson, A., Babb, K. A., Camodeca, A., *Rummel, S., Nedecheva, T., O'Neil, S., & *Bedard, M. (2008, June). Mothers' reasons for reading to their children with developmental disabilities. Poster presented at the 69th Conference of the Canadian Psychological Association, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Camodeca, A., Voelker, S., & Saunders, C. (2007, June). Parental stress and the level iii nicu experience: An analysis of gender and coping strategies. Poster presented at the 68th Conference of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, Ontario.
Camodeca, A., *Parameswaran, V., Ip, K., Babb, K., Hakim-Larson, J., Gragg, M., Voelker, S., Broga, M., & Agar, C. (2007, June). Parent-child emotion language during storytelling in children with developmental disabilities and controls. Poster presented at the 68th Conference of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, Ontario.
Camodeca, A., *Vance, M., & Voelker, S. (2007, May). Influence of gender and professional title on initial judgments about mental health professionals. Poster Presented at the 2nd Conference of the University of Windsor Feminist Research Group, Windsor, Ontario.
Agar, C., Babb, K. A., Camodeca, A., *Soucie, K., *Parameswaran, V., *Gobatto, C., *Hillman, K., Voelker, S., & Hakim-Larson, J. (2006, August). Emotion-related parenting styles: Self-report versus third party rating. Poster presented at the 114th Conference of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Kibblewhite, S., Goodwin, Jaqueline, Agar, C., Hakim-Larson, J., Voelker, S., *Soucie, K., *Parameswaran, V., & Camodeca, A. (2005, August). Maternal Socialization of Preschoolers: Emotion Language Through Narrative Storytelling. Poster presented at the 113th Conference of the American Psychological Association, Washington D. C.
Green, L., Guthrie, M., Camodeca, A., Snyder, A., & Leach, M. (2002, August). Personality variables involved in prolonged custody disputes. Poster presented at the 110th Conference of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, Illinois.
Camodeca, A. (2001, June). Connection between early harsh discipline and later relationship satisfaction (II). Poster presented at the 13th Annual Conference of the American Psychological Society, Toronto, Canada.
Camodeca, A. (2001, April). Professional title and perceptions of mental health professionals. Invited poster presentation of the Annual Board of Trustees Meeting, Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, OH.
Camodeca, A. (2000, April). Connection between early harsh discipline and later relationship satisfaction. Paper presented at the Ohio Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Wooster, OH.