Publications
Stone, S. M. & Barron, L. (2005). Biting Behavior Modification for Therapy Horses. STRIDES, North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.
Stone, S. M. (in press). Pets. N. J. Salkind (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Human Development. Sage Publications.
Stone, S. M. (in press). Observational Learning. N. J. Salkind (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Human Development. Sage Publications.
Stone, S. M. (in press). Imprinting. N. J. Salkind (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Human Development. Sage Publications.
Stone, S. M. (in press). Ethology. N. J. Salkind (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Human Development. Sage Publications.
Stone, S. M. (submitted to Teaching of Psychology). The Effects of Pets on College Students’ Psychology Grades.
Stone, S. M. (submitted to Journal of Equine Science). Individual Human Conceptualization in Horses.
Stone, S. M. (2001). MORE THAN LOVE: Adopting and Surviving Attachment Disorder Children. Writers Club Press, Lincoln: NE.
Stone, S. M. (2001). Specific Concept Formation In Horses: You Sure Look Familiar. Ph.D. Dissertation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
Abramson, Charles I., Stone, Sherril M., & Bollinger, Nathan. (2001). Internet Access to Residents: Its Time Has Come. Nursing Homes Long Term Care Management (Apr).
Stone, S. M. (2000). Human-Animal Interaction, A Guideline to Therapeutic Intervention. Pet-Me Pets ®, Sherril M. Stone (Ed.).
Abramson, C. I., Stone, S. M., Ortez, R. A., Luccardi, A., Vann, K. L., Hanig, K. D., & Rice, J. (2000). The Development of an Ethanol Model Using Social Insects I: Behavior Studies of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.). Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 24(8), 1153-1166.
Stone, S. M. (1999). Self-Administration of Alcohol In Honey Bees. Masters Thesis, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
Abramson, C. I., Aquino, I. S., & Stone, S. M. (1999). Failure to find proboscis conditioning in one-day old Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and in adult Uruçu honey bees (Meliponascutellaris). International Journal of Comparative Psychology.
Stone, S. M. (1997). Attachment Disorder: Assessment and Treatment Plan. Guide to Psychological Practice, Vol. 2, D. Mitchell (ed.), University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. (1997). Overt and Covert Behaviors of Abused Children as Indicators of Placement: Adoption or Structured Treatment Facilities. Masters Thesis, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK.
Presentations
Stone, S. M. (2004). Pet Therapy for Stress Reduction. Alternative Stress Reduction Therapies, Tahlequah City Hospital, Tahlequah, OK.
Stone, S. M. & Baron, L. (2003). Biting Behavior Modification for Therapy Horses. Research Day for Regional Universities, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. & Pittman, S. (2003). Therapy Pets in Special Education Classes. Research Day for Regional Universities, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. (2002). Human-Animal Interactions and Bonding Processes Summer Science Academy for High School Students, Annual research conference, Oklahoma Association of Science, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK
Stone, S. M. (2002). The Therapeutic Use of Animals with Attachment Disorder Children. Spring regional conference, Forever Homes Adoption Training and Research Institute, Tulsa, OK.
Stone, S. M. (2001). Pet-Me Pets ® - Animal Education: Dog Bite Prevention. Dewey Head Start. Dewey Public Schools, Dewey, OK.
Stone, S. M. (2001). Pet-Me Pets ® - Animal Education: Dog Bite Prevention. Swan Lake Head Start, Swan Lake Day Care. Bartlesville, OK.
Stone, S. M. (2001). Pet-Me Pets ® - Animal Education: Dog Bite Prevention. First Christian Church, Preschool, Bartlesville, OK.
Abramson, C. I., Stone, S. M., Bollinger, N. (2001). Internet Access for Residents: Its Time Has Come. Nursing Homes Long Term Care Management.
Stone, S. M. (2000). Pet-Me Pets ® , Human-Pet Interactions as Therapy. Alterra Sterling House Assisted Living Center Activity Directors Meeting. Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. (2000). Pet-Me Pets ® , Human-Pet Interactions as Therapy. Alterra Sterling House Assisted Living Center Regional Marketing Directors Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. (1999). Drunk Honey Bees: What Do They Have To Do With Me? Oklahoma State University Research Colloquium, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
Stone, S. M. (1999). Self-Administration of Alcohol in Honey Bees. Oral defense of Masters Thesis, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
Stone, S. M. (1999). Development of An Alcohol Model Using Honey Bees. Southwestern Psychological Association 46th Annual Research Conference. Albuquerque, NM.
Hoster, A. A., Stone, S. M. & Abramson, C. I. (1999). Shaping of Proboscis Extension in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.). Oklahoma Psychological Society/Oklahoma Psychological Association Annual Research Conference. Edmond, OK.
Luccardi, A., Garrido, D., Goldsberry, B., Stone, S. M. & Abramson, C. I. (1999). Transfer of Training in the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.). Oklahoma Psychological Society/Oklahoma Psychological Association Annual Research Conference. Edmond, OK.
Vann, K., Hanig. K., Goldsberry, B., Stone, S. M. & Abramson, C. I. (1999). Self-administration of ethanol in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.). Oklahoma Psychological Society/Oklahoma Psychological Association Annual Research Conference. Edmond, OK.
Geminden, T., Rice, J., Stone, S., King, M., & Abramson, C. (1998). The Development of an Alcohol Model Using Social Insects II: The Role of Antennal Stimulation in Honey Bees. Oklahoma Psychological Society/Oklahoma Psychological Association Annual Research Conference. Edmond, OK.
Hershey, D. A., Iwamasa, G. Y., Stone, S. M., Lin, S., Farrell, A. H., Herndon, C., & Martin, P. (1998). Cross Cultural Perceptions of Wisdom. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. San Francisco, CA.
Hershey, D. A., Stone, S. M., Frostholm, L., Mauldin, L., & Walsh, D. A. (1998). A Three Stage Model of Complex Problem Solving. The Psychonomic Society 39th Annual Research Conference. Dallas, TX.
Hershey, D. A., Walsh, D. A., Frostholm, L., Mauldin, L., & Stone, S. M. (1998). Knowledge and Age Effects on Complex Decision Making: The Case of Retirement Planning. Oklahoma-Kansas Judgment & Decision Making Conference. Stillwater, OK.
King, M., Rice, J., Geminden, T., Stone, S. & Abramson, C. (1998). The Development of an Alcohol Model Using Social Insects I: Alcohol Consumption in Honey Bees. Oklahoma Psychological Society/Oklahoma Psychological Association Annual Research Conference. Edmond, OK.
Rice, J., King, M., Geminden, T., Stone, S. & Abramson, C. (1998). The Development of an Alcohol Model Using Social Insects III: The Influence of Alcohol on Shuttlebox Behavior. Oklahoma Psychological Society/Oklahoma Psychological Association Annual Research Conference. Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. (1997). Overt and Covert Behaviors of Abused Children as Indicators of Placement: Adoption or Structured Treatment Facilities. Oral defense of Masters Thesis, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK.
Stone, S. M. & Phillips, S. (1995). Societal Perceptions of Parents Whose Children Exhibit Behavior Problems. Oklahoma Psychological Society Association research conference. Oklahoma City.
Professional Memberships
- Animal Behavior Society
- Society and Animals
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association
- American Psychological Association
- Oklahoma Psychological Society
- IACUC
Research Interests
My curiosity of the behaviors of human and non-human animals has led to my interest in comparative psychology and developmental mechanisms. Specifically, I am interested in human and animal interactions and the attachments formed across, and between, species, specifically between humans and their pets. Although much has been written about the human process of attachment, much remains unknown about the non-human process of attachment to same and different species. In addition, I am interested in how individuals, human and non-human, learn and the mechanisms used to learn successfully.
Prior research projects have included study of developmental and cognitive processes used by humans for their attachment behaviors. One major project focused on the individual differences of abused and traumatized children and the effect this had on subsequent attachment to parents, e.g. birth, adoptive, foster and/or substitute. More recently, I became interested in animal studies of imprinting (Lorenz, 1965) and attachment ( Harlow, 1958). Therefore, my research shifted to include the study of animal behaviors.
Examination of the psychological and ethological attachment literature suggests that animals form species-specific attachments similar to those found in humans. Other researchers have studied the effects of animals on human health, psychological well-being, and social behaviors. Unfortunately, much remains unknown regarding the mechanisms underlying the attachment that is formed between human and animals. Therefore, one of my goals is to identify the psychological constructs of this attachment by examining the processes in intra-species and inter-species from the animal’s perspective.
My experiences with horses began in childhood where I witnessed many instances of aversive training. I subsequently participated in 4-H animal programs and acquired first-hand knowledge of non-aversive animal training techniques. These techniques compelled me to conduct research into the development of training methodology to enhance the horse and rider attachment. Over the last several years, I have conducted naturalistic observations of the benefits of human-horse interactions. These include those individuals with physical or emotional disabilities and military personnel suffering from loneliness due to separation from family and friends. These experiences suggested to me that the bonding process of human and animals serve an important psychological purpose for not only the human but the animals as well.
The human-animal bonding process, in concert with empirical data regarding animals’ cognitive abilities and emotional capacity, led to the focus of my Ph.D. dissertation. Specifically, I examined a possible training method for horses used in therapeutic riding programs. The project was designed to test the horses’ ability to form specific concepts. The results revealed that horses not only are capable of forming concepts of abstract geometric shapes but also of particular individuals. The findings suggest that trainers could use “pictures” of riders as training devices during adaptation sessions for therapeutic riding. The results provide support for the future development of training methods for non-aversive techniques for equine riding and therapy programs. The applied ramifications of this will benefit the estimated 21 million horses and owners, trainers, and other equine professionals (North American Therapeutic Riding Association, 2000). These include other areas that utilize horses such as racing commissions, professional rodeo associations, as well as show horse clubs.
Another area of interest is of an applied nature and focuses on human-pet relationships. Much research exists supporting the psychological, emotional, and physical benefits that pets provide their human companions. I believe these benefits extend to the pets as much as, if not more than, they extend to humans. Therefore, I formed Pet-Me Pets®.
Pet-Me Pets® is a human-animal interaction program that provides therapy pet visits to the elderly, children, and hospitalized individuals. Because interactions with pets is a lifestyle for myself I was unaware of the importance of pet visitation until my grandmother 
was faced with the reality of leaving her home and moving to an assisted living center. Her major concerns were for her house and her pet companion cat, Jeeta. After investigating the benefits of therapy pets I was motivated to fill this void for so many who are confined to assisted living centers, nursing homes, terminal cancer treatment centers and children’s’ hospitals. Additionally, many animals are trapped in shelters with relatively little chance of being adopted. My program provides the link, homes for the animals and enhanced physical and psychological functioning for both the humans and animals.
Pet-Me Pets ® also allows me to expand into animal education. I conduct animal education workshops at Head Start programs, preschool children, kindergarten children, and day care centers. These programs include 1) Dog bite prevention, 2) Pet care, and 3) Farm animals.
In summary, my research skills have been enhanced by the projects at Rogers State University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Pet-Me Pets ® . For example, I have gained a better understanding of classical conditioning and operant conditioning techniques for animals by personally training all of my therapy pets. My apparatus building skills have improved tremendously and were evident in the culmination of 
an operant conditioning wall and photographic stimuli used for my dissertation research. Finally, my research design, statistical analysis skills, and scientific writing skills are very strong as a result of these and many more studies. My professional teaching skills have been developed and enhanced through teaching numerous courses in psychology at the undergraduate level. Additionally, I am interested in teaching courses such as learning, statistics, comparative, ethology, zoology, and evolutionary psychology at the graduate level as well. Also, my desire is to continue researching areas that explore and examine human-pet interaction and animal learning. The increased knowledge will benefit both humans and animals by providing a better understanding of learning abilities and human-pet attachments.
Teaching Philosophy
As a professor of Psychology I adhere to five views that guide my concept as a “teacher”. Additionally, whether I am teaching in the university classroom, to a group of pre kindergarten children, residents in a nursing home, or seniors at an assisted living center, I use an interactive, hands-on approach, particularly when animals are used as tools for therapy or educational purposes. Together my views and interactive, hands-on style serve as the basis for my teaching philosophy.
I have applied all five of my teaching views to the various classes I have taught and had very satisfying results. I anticipate these views accompanied by my interactive, hands-on approach will continue to serve as the basis of my teaching philosophy with as much future success as they have provided in past successes.
Finally, these five teaching views, interactive style, and hands-on approach have been very successful in research as well as in the classroom. Specifically, whether I am conducting a study on my own, mentoring a student’s research, or in corroboration with others, all aspects enhance the learning process. My views are as follows:
View 1: Students are capable individuals and should be treated with respect.
I strongly believe that all individuals deserve respect in the classroom. One of the first classroom rules that I relay to students is that their opinions are not only allowed but encouraged. I explain that all humans are entitled to their opinions and, support it or not, those in the classroom are expected to respect the right to have them. This freedom of expression in my classrooms has prompted many mind enhancing discussions and add educational opportunities that otherwise would be lost. Additionally, I stress the importance of treating each other with respect by listening and remaining attentive during all classroom presentations.
View 2: Students learn better when they are part of an interactive process.
My teaching skills are enhanced with each course I teach. My students have taught me, at times, more than I have taught them. That is, they prompt me to stay “on my toes” and provide interesting and relevant material for class discussions. Because I am a firm believer in hands-on, interactive approach, I provide many varied activities for my students. For instance, when I cover learning theories and behaviorism chapters I bring classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning exercises to class. Learning principles are brought to life in the classroom when I bring animals as live demonstrations. Animals provide excellent examples of Pavlov’s classical conditioning, Skinner’s operant conditioning and shaping techniques, and naturalistic observation exercises involving non-human species. Likewise, when I teach human development I have brought preschool and various elderly citizens as “real world” illustrations of, for instance, Piaget’s cognitive development theory, Kohler’s moral development theory, and Erickson’s psychosocial development stages. My students are able to interact with them, which allow them to witness the principles and theories explained from classroom materials and textbooks. Finally, the humans and animals I bring into the classroom serve as demonstrations of human-animal interactions, evolutionary Psychology, biological concepts, and various other topics. All of these activities sharpen my teaching skills and provide excellent analogies for otherwise confusing theoretical topics.
View 3: Academic standards are maintained by intellectually challenging material.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that as a nation the United States is not doing the young people any favors by “passing” them through the educational system. Therefore, I have accepted the problem as one of my own and challenge my students to learn the material. Although some students may not appreciate the benefits of this method, those who apply themselves and do well in my class feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. These students are better prepared to face their future whether it be in the classroom, therapy room, or boardroom.
View 4: To remain the best teacher possible, I must commit to be an active learner.
It is my responsibility to remain educated on Psychological research by reading current scientific journals, attending professional conferences, and keeping informed on social, cultural, and political events. Because I use many analogies as a regulate part of my lectures, I consider it a duty to learn new and exciting material that can be related to theoretical concepts. It is personally rewarding for me to observe the “lightbulb” of knowledge turn on when an analogy successfully clears the student’s confusion over material presented in class. Likewise, I monitor their non-verbal communication to determine the need for further explanation and discussion of concepts presented in my lectures.
View 5: It is important to apply my views while allowing the students to enjoy the class.
When students are not enjoying what they do, explicitly or implicitly, the opportunity to reach them is lost. Therefore, I take a supportive and coactive approach with students. I laugh with them, cry with them, and match their efforts by work as hard as they do for their education and learning. As a teacher I am responsible for their intellectual growth and strive to be a role model and a professional at all times.
