Valerie K. Pilling - York
DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH
My research focuses on identifying factors that may increase the effectiveness of Public Service Announcements discouraging undergraduate binge drinking. Factors investigated include message personalization (i.e., tailoring the message to the individual’s drinking behavior, or their self-concept) and the congruency between the message and the context in which it is presented.
For the past four years, I have been fortunate enough to work on a collaborative project between the Psychology Department and the Hotel, Restaurant, Institution Management and Dietetics Department as a Graduate Research Assistant. This project involved using social psychological theory (The Theory of Planned Behavior; Ajzen, 1991) to develop an intervention to improve restaurant employees’ compliance with food safety guidelines. Specific behaviors targeted include handwashing, use of thermometers, and proper handling of work surfaces (e.g., utensils, cutting boards, countertops) because the improper performance of these three behaviors contributes most significantly to the incidence of foodborne illness.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Pilling, V.K., Brannon, L.A., Shanklin, C.W., Howells, A.D., & Roberts, K.R. (in press). Identifying specific beliefs to target to improve restaurant employees’ intentions for performing three important food safety behaviors. Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Brannon, L.A., Pilling, V.K., Roberts, K.R., Shanklin, C.W., & Howells, A.D. (in press). Appreciation of food safety practices based on level of experience. Journal of Foodservice Business Research.
Pilling, V.K., Brannon, L.A., Roberts, K.R., Shanklin, C.W., & Howells, A.D. (in press). Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to elicit restaurant employee beliefs about food safety: Using surveys versus focus groups. Journal of Foodservice Business Research.
Howells, A.D., Roberts, K.R., Shanklin, C.W., Pilling, V.K., Brannon, L.A. & Barrett, B.B. (in press). Restaurant employees’ perceptions of barriers to three food safety practices. Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Roberts, K.R., Barrett, B.B., Howells, A.D., Shanklin, C.W., Pilling, V.K., & Brannon, L.A. (2008). Food safety training and foodservice employees’ knowledge and behavior. Food Protection Trends, 28(4), 252-260.
Pilling, V.K., Brannon, L.A., Shanklin, C.W., Roberts, K.R., Barrett, B. B., & Howells, A.D. (2008). Food safety training requirements and food handlers’ knowledge and behaviors. Food Protection Trends, 28(3), 192-200.
Pilling, V.K., & Brannon, L.A. (2007). Assessing college students’ attitudes toward responsible drinking messages to identify promising binge drinking intervention strategies. Health Communication, 22(3), 265-276.
Pease, M.E., Brannon, L.A., & Pilling, V.K. (2006). Increasing selective exposure to health messages by targeting person versus behavior schemas. Health Communication, 19(3), 231-240.
Brannon, L.A., & Pilling, V.K. (2005). Encouraging responsible drinking among underage drinkers. Health Marketing Quarterly, 23(2), 3-30.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Howells, A. D., Roberts, K. R., Shanklin, C. W., Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A.,& Barrett, E. B. (October, 2007). Restaurant employees’ perceptions of barriers to three food safety practices. American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Philadelphia, PA.
Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A., Roberts, K. R., Howells, A. D., Olds, D. A., Phillips, W., Shanklin, C. W., & Barrett, E. B. (August, 2007). Evaluating safety training in restaurants using Theory of Planned Behavior. Annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. San Francisco, CA.
Roberts, K. R., Shanklin, C. W., Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A., Howells, A. D., & Barrett, E. B. (July, 2007). The impact of food safety training on foodservice employees’ knowledge and behavior. International CHRIE Conference. Dallas, TX.
Brannon, L. A., & Pilling, V. K. (May, 2007). College students react more favorably to individually tailored messages discouraging binge drinking. Annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science. Washington, DC.
Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A., Roberts, K. R., Howells, A. D., Olds, D. A., Phillips, W., Shanklin, C. W., & Barrett, E. B. (May, 2007). Effects of food safety training using Theory of Planned Behavior. Annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science. Washington, DC.
Pilling, V.K., & Brannon, L.A. (May, 2007). Tailoring to the person to increase acceptance of health communications. Annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association. Chicago, IL.
Pilling, V.K., Brannon, L.A., Roberts, K.R., Olds, D.A., Phillips, W., Howells, A.D., Shanklin, C.W., Barrett, E.B. (May, 2007). Use of Theory of Planned Behavior to improve food safety. Annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association. Chicago, IL.
Roberts, K. R., Pilling, V. K., Phillips, W., Brannon, L. A., Shanklin, C. W., & Barrett, E. B. (September, 2006). Influence of food safety training on students' appreciation of food safety behaviors. Food Safety Education Conference: Reaching At-Risk Audiences and Today's Other Food Safety Challenges. Denver, CO.
Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A., Roberts, K. R., Phillips, W., Shanklin, C. W., & Barrett, E. B. (August, 2006). Implications of Theory of Planned Behavior for workplace safety interventions. Annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A., Roberts, K. R., Phillips, W., Shanklin, C. W., & Barrett, E. B. (May, 2006). Theory of Planned Behavior belief elicitations: Surveys vs. focus groups. Annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, New York City, NY.
Pilling, V. K., Brannon, L. A., Phillips, W., Barrett, E. B., Roberts, K. R., & Shanklin, C. W. (May, 2006). Type of experience influences restaurant employees' appreciation of food safety. Annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Pilling, V. K., & Brannon, L. A. (March, 2006). Using the internet to present important health information. Annual meeting of the Kansas State University Graduate Research Forum, Manhattan, KS.
Pilling, V. K., & Downey, R. G. (February, 2006). Reliability and validity analysis of a risk behavior survey. Annual meeting of IOOB, Fairfax, VA.
Pilling, V. K., Phillips, W., Roberts, K. R., Shanklin, C. W., Brannon, L. A., & Barrett, E. B. (October, 2005). Students’ perceptions of barriers to three food safety practices. American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. St. Louis, MO.
Pilling, V. K., McCabe, A. E., & Brannon, L. A. (May, 2005). Preference for exposure to messages matching product’s personality not limited by self-monitoring. Annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA.
Hatfield, J. D., Pilling, V. K., & Brannon, L. A. (May, 2005). Maternal employment status may influence child personality into adulthood. Annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA.
Pilling, V. K., & Brannon, L. A. (May, 2005). Need-for-cognition affects extremity of attitudes towards mother's role. Annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Hatfield, J. D., Pilling, V. K., & Brannon, L. A. (May, 2005). Working mothers' employment does not hinder children's secure attachment in adulthood. Annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Pilling, V. K., McCabe, A. E., & Brannon, L. A. (April, 2005). Preference for exposure to messages matching a product’s personality. Annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.
Pilling, V. K., & Brannon, L. A. (May, 2004). A survey of family life: Improving appreciation of stay-at-home mothers. Annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Chicago, IL.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Apprenticeship Program Participant Fall 2004 – Spring 2005
- Completed EDCIP 943: Principles of College Teaching
- Served as instructor of PSYCH 110: General Psychology
Graduate Teaching Assistant Fall 2002 – Spring 2004
- Spring 2004 - Experimental Design in Psychology; General Psychology
- Fall 2003 - Social Psychology; Clinical Psychology Lab
- Spring 2003 - Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior; General Psychology
- Fall 2002 - Abnormal Psychology; Junior Seminar in Psychology
EDUCATION
| KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY | Manhattan, KS |
| Ph.D., Psychology | May 2008 |
| Graduate Certificate in Occupational Health Psychology | May 2005 |
| M.S., Psychology | December 2004 |
| SIMPSON COLLEGE | Indianola, IA |
| B.A., Psychology –Summa cum Laude | May 2002 |
Email Address: vpilling@ksu.edu
