Brigette Ryalls, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor
Additional Information
Teaching
Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Undergraduate Courses Taught
- Methods of Experimental Psychology
- Child Development
- Cognitive Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Psycholinguistics (cross-listed)
- Laboratory in Sensation & Perception
- Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology
- Special Topic: Infant Development
Graduate Courses Taught
- Research Methods in Developmental Psych.
- Proseminar in Developmental Psychology
- Psycholinguistics (cross-listed)
- Seminar: Memory & Mechanisms of Dev.
- Seminar: Language Acquisition
- Seminar: Cognitive Development
- Seminar: Human Development and Culture
- Professions of Psychology
Research
Dr. Ryalls is interested in the development of cognition and language. More specifically, she is interested in the the acquisition of dimensional adjectives and other relational words in both natural and laboratory contexts.
She also collaborates with Dr. Lisa Kelly-Vance on research examining the development of play and the use of play as a context for assessment and intervention with young children.
Education
Ph.D., 1994, Indiana University, (Advisor: Linda B. Smith)
B.S., 1988, Murray State University
Professional Experience
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, Assistant Professor, 1994-2000
- Member, Graduate Faculty College, University of Nebraska, 1998-present
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, Associate Professor, 2000-present
- Director of Developmental Psychology, 2000-2009
- Chairperson, Department of Psychology, 2009-present
Publications
Kelly-Vance, L., Nero, C., Casas, J. F., Ryan, C. S., Ryalls, B. O., Kurien, S. A., & Ferguson, A. (in press). Parental involvement in education: A comparison of English and Spanish speaking parents. The New Mexico Review.
Casas, J. F., Ryan, C. S., Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., Ferguson, A., & Nero, C. (2005). Examining the impact of parental involvement in a dual language program: Implications for children and schools. OLLAS Special Report No. 2. Omaha, NE: Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2005). A Systematic, Reliable Approach to Play Assessment in Preschoolers. School Psychology International, 26, 398-412.
Cherney, I. C., Kelly-Vance, L., Gill, K., Ruane, A., & Ryalls, B. O. (2003). The effects of stereotyped toys and gender on play-based assessment in children aged 18-47 months. Educational Psychology, 22(5), 95-106.
Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Glover, K. (2002). The use of play assessment to evaluate the cognitive skills of two- and three-year-old children. School Psychology International, 23(2), 169-185.
Ryalls, B. O. (2000). Dimensional adjectives: Factors affecting the ability to compare objects using real and novel words. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 76, pp. 26-49.
Ryalls, B. O., & Smith, L. B. (2000). Adults’ acquisition of novel dimension words: Creating a semantic congruity effect. Journal of General Psychology, 127, pp. 279-326.
Ryalls, B. O., Gul, R. E., & Ryalls, K. R. (2000). Infant imitation of peer and adult models: Evidence for a peer model advantage. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 46, 188-202.
Kelly-Vance, L., Needelman, H., Troia, K., & Ryalls, B. O. (1999). Early childhood assessment: A comparison of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and play-based assessment in two-year-old at-risk children. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 27, 1-15.
Cherney, I. D., & Ryalls, B. O. (1999). Gender-linked differences in the incidental memory of children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 72, 305-328.
Ryalls, B. O., Winslow, E., & Smith, L. B. (1998). A semantic congruity effect in children’s acquisition of high and low. Journal of Memory and Language, 39, 543-556.
Ryalls, B. O., & Pisoni, D.B. (1997). The developmental course of talker normalization in pre-school children. Developmental Psychology, 33, 441-452.
Recent Conference Presentations
Ryalls, B. O., Nero, C., & Ferguson, A. (2006). Parents’ Reasons For and Against Enrolling Children in Dual Language Education. Presentation to be presented at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Annual Meeting, Pheonix, AZ.
Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O.(2006). Presentation to be presented at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Annual Meeting, Pheonix, AZ.
Ryalls, B. O., Kucera, M., Esquivel, S., Johannesen, S., & Evans, D. (2005). Maternal Usage of Big and Little in Spontaneous Conversation: Implications for the Acquisition of Dimensional Adjectives. Poster to be presented at the 2005 SRCD Biennial Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Casas, J., Ryalls, B. O., Ryan, C.S., Kelly-Vance, L., & Nero, C.L. (2005). Parental Involvement, Perceptions of Success, and Acculturation In Dual Language Programs. Poster to be presented at the 2005 SRCD Biennial Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Kelly-Vance, L., Nero, C. Wells, J., Kurien, S., Ryan, C., Ryalls, B.O., & Casas, J. (2005). Parental involvement and perceptions of success in dual-language programs. Poster to be presented at the Annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Atlanta, GA.
Nero, C., Kelly-Vance, L., Kurien, S., Wells, J., Ryan, C., Casas, J., & Ryalls, B.O. (2005). Context-based collaborative research: Linking university and practitioner resources to provide better outcomes for children. Paper to be presented at the Annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Atlanta, GA.
Cherney, I. D., & Ryalls, B. O. (2001). Gender-linked differences in the development of incidental and intentional memory for static and dynamic stimuli. Poster presented at the second meeting of the Cognitive Development Society, Virginia Beach , VA.
Gill-Glover, K. G., McCaslin, L., Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2001). A comparison of play based assessment and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition with Spanish and English speaking children. Poster presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists
Ryalls, B. O., Gill, K., Ruane, A., Cherney, I., Schoneboom, N., Cunningham, J., & Ryan, C. (2000). Conducting valid and reliable play-based assessments. Poster presented at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, New Orleans, LA.
Kelly-Vance, L., Gill, K., Schoneboom, N., Cherney, I., Ryan, C., Cunningham, J., & Ryalls, B. O. (2000). Coding play-based assessment: Issues, challenges, and recommendations. Poster presented at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, New Orleans, LA.
Additional Information
Teaching
Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Undergraduate Courses Taught
- Methods of Experimental Psychology
- Child Development
- Cognitive Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Psycholinguistics (cross-listed)
- Laboratory in Sensation & Perception
- Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology
- Special Topic: Infant Development
Graduate Courses Taught
- Research Methods in Developmental Psych.
- Proseminar in Developmental Psychology
- Psycholinguistics (cross-listed)
- Seminar: Memory & Mechanisms of Dev.
- Seminar: Language Acquisition
- Seminar: Cognitive Development
- Seminar: Human Development and Culture
- Professions of Psychology
Research
Dr. Ryalls is interested in the development of cognition and language. More specifically, she is interested in the the acquisition of dimensional adjectives and other relational words in both natural and laboratory contexts.
She also collaborates with Dr. Lisa Kelly-Vance on research examining the development of play and the use of play as a context for assessment and intervention with young children.
Education
Ph.D., 1994, Indiana University, (Advisor: Linda B. Smith)
B.S., 1988, Murray State University
Professional Experience
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, Assistant Professor, 1994-2000
- Member, Graduate Faculty College, University of Nebraska, 1998-present
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, Associate Professor, 2000-present
- Director of Developmental Psychology, 2000-2009
- Chairperson, Department of Psychology, 2009-present
Publications
Kelly-Vance, L., Nero, C., Casas, J. F., Ryan, C. S., Ryalls, B. O., Kurien, S. A., & Ferguson, A. (in press). Parental involvement in education: A comparison of English and Spanish speaking parents. The New Mexico Review.
Casas, J. F., Ryan, C. S., Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., Ferguson, A., & Nero, C. (2005). Examining the impact of parental involvement in a dual language program: Implications for children and schools. OLLAS Special Report No. 2. Omaha, NE: Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2005). A Systematic, Reliable Approach to Play Assessment in Preschoolers. School Psychology International, 26, 398-412.
Cherney, I. C., Kelly-Vance, L., Gill, K., Ruane, A., & Ryalls, B. O. (2003). The effects of stereotyped toys and gender on play-based assessment in children aged 18-47 months. Educational Psychology, 22(5), 95-106.
Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., & Glover, K. (2002). The use of play assessment to evaluate the cognitive skills of two- and three-year-old children. School Psychology International, 23(2), 169-185.
Ryalls, B. O. (2000). Dimensional adjectives: Factors affecting the ability to compare objects using real and novel words. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 76, pp. 26-49.
Ryalls, B. O., & Smith, L. B. (2000). Adults’ acquisition of novel dimension words: Creating a semantic congruity effect. Journal of General Psychology, 127, pp. 279-326.
Ryalls, B. O., Gul, R. E., & Ryalls, K. R. (2000). Infant imitation of peer and adult models: Evidence for a peer model advantage. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 46, 188-202.
Kelly-Vance, L., Needelman, H., Troia, K., & Ryalls, B. O. (1999). Early childhood assessment: A comparison of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and play-based assessment in two-year-old at-risk children. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 27, 1-15.
Cherney, I. D., & Ryalls, B. O. (1999). Gender-linked differences in the incidental memory of children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 72, 305-328.
Ryalls, B. O., Winslow, E., & Smith, L. B. (1998). A semantic congruity effect in children’s acquisition of high and low. Journal of Memory and Language, 39, 543-556.
Ryalls, B. O., & Pisoni, D.B. (1997). The developmental course of talker normalization in pre-school children. Developmental Psychology, 33, 441-452.
Recent Conference Presentations
Ryalls, B. O., Nero, C., & Ferguson, A. (2006). Parents’ Reasons For and Against Enrolling Children in Dual Language Education. Presentation to be presented at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Annual Meeting, Pheonix, AZ.
Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O.(2006). Presentation to be presented at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Annual Meeting, Pheonix, AZ.
Ryalls, B. O., Kucera, M., Esquivel, S., Johannesen, S., & Evans, D. (2005). Maternal Usage of Big and Little in Spontaneous Conversation: Implications for the Acquisition of Dimensional Adjectives. Poster to be presented at the 2005 SRCD Biennial Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Casas, J., Ryalls, B. O., Ryan, C.S., Kelly-Vance, L., & Nero, C.L. (2005). Parental Involvement, Perceptions of Success, and Acculturation In Dual Language Programs. Poster to be presented at the 2005 SRCD Biennial Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Kelly-Vance, L., Nero, C. Wells, J., Kurien, S., Ryan, C., Ryalls, B.O., & Casas, J. (2005). Parental involvement and perceptions of success in dual-language programs. Poster to be presented at the Annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Atlanta, GA.
Nero, C., Kelly-Vance, L., Kurien, S., Wells, J., Ryan, C., Casas, J., & Ryalls, B.O. (2005). Context-based collaborative research: Linking university and practitioner resources to provide better outcomes for children. Paper to be presented at the Annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, Atlanta, GA.
Cherney, I. D., & Ryalls, B. O. (2001). Gender-linked differences in the development of incidental and intentional memory for static and dynamic stimuli. Poster presented at the second meeting of the Cognitive Development Society, Virginia Beach , VA.
Gill-Glover, K. G., McCaslin, L., Kelly-Vance, L., & Ryalls, B. O. (2001). A comparison of play based assessment and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition with Spanish and English speaking children. Poster presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists
Ryalls, B. O., Gill, K., Ruane, A., Cherney, I., Schoneboom, N., Cunningham, J., & Ryan, C. (2000). Conducting valid and reliable play-based assessments. Poster presented at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, New Orleans, LA.
Kelly-Vance, L., Gill, K., Schoneboom, N., Cherney, I., Ryan, C., Cunningham, J., & Ryalls, B. O. (2000). Coding play-based assessment: Issues, challenges, and recommendations. Poster presented at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, New Orleans, LA.