Faculty Profile
Azriel Grysman
Associate Professor of Psychology (2019)
Contact Information
Kaufman Hall Kaufman Hall 160
717-254-8124
https://blogs.dickinson.edu/grysman/
Bio
Professor Grysman is a cognitive psychologist specializing in the topics of autobiographical memory and narrative identity. His work focuses on how self and identity processes interact with memory capacities to produce memory for personal experiences. Topics of focus include the role of gender in memory, how memory is embedded within conversations, how people make meaning from their experiences, and what artificial intelligence can teach us about memory processes. Narrative is a tool he uses in his research, examining how people narrate their experiences and how people respond to narratives written by others. He is the author of the forthcoming (2027) book, Inheriting a Holocaust Legacy: Memory, Trauma, and Meaning Across Three Generations.
Education
- B.A., Yeshiva University, 2007
- M.S., Rutgers University, 2009
- Ph.D., 2012
2026-2027 Academic Year
Fall 2026
PSYC 210 Analysis of Psychological Data
Permission of Instructor Required. Completion of both PSYC 210 and PSYC 211 fulfills the WID Requirement.
PSYC 430 Human Memory
The purpose of this course is to gain knowledge of research in memory that is both deep and broad, with an emphasis on Episodic and Eyewitness Memory. We explore theory of how to define memory and what we know about the brain’s role in memory processes. Along the way, we explore theoretical and methodological questions to try and gain a grasp of what is known, unknown, and unknowable in a science of memory. A strong emphasis in the course is on the research that our knowledge comes from and the challenges in applying this research to situations outside the laboratory.
PSYC 550 Independent Research
Spring 2027
PSYC 330 Autobiographical Mem Rsch Meth
Cognitive psychology is the study of how the mind processes information, including vision, attention, memory, and decision making, among others. In this course, students will learn about autobiographical memory, or memory for events in a person’s life that are considered relevant to understanding a sense of self. Although cognitive psychologists use many different methodologies (including experimental methods, reaction time tasks, and even brain imaging), this course focuses on analyzing personal memory narratives to draw conclusions about memory and selfhood. In doing so, methods covered include reliability and validity, experimenter control when studying memory, correlational and quasi-experimental approaches to data, ethics, and real-world applications of research. This intensive lab course will include the design and implementation of an original research project in the area of autobiographical memory. Three hours classroom plus three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisites: 210 & 211; OR NRSC 200.