Dr. Anthony Foster
Dr. Anthony Foster
Assistant Professor of PsychologySocial SciencesBiography
Dr. Foster is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. He earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, with an emphasis in Social Psychology, from Texas Tech University. Broadly speaking, his research examines the cognitive, affective, and behavioral consequences of living with a devalued social identity. He is particularly interested in examining the disclosure process of concealable stigmatized identities (e.g., mental health diagnoses, minoritized sexual identities, etc.) to understand how individuals' motivation to disclose their stigma to others impacts their post-disclosure well-being.The goal of his work is to identify amenable disclosure-context characteristics that can potentiate more personal and health-related benefits among individuals living with, what society deems, "discreditable" attributes.
Degrees Earned
Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, Texas Tech University
M.A., Experimental Psychology, Texas Tech University
B.S., Psychology, University of Cincinnati
Courses Taught
PSY 1303: Introduction to Psychology
PSY 3320: Research Methods in Psychology
Experience Qualifications
Dr. Foster is an Experimental Psychologist by training, with a specialization in Social Psychology. He has additional expertise in quantitative research, having earned a certificate in Psychological Methods and Analysis from Texas Tech University where he received his Ph.D. His theoretical and empirical work on social stigma has been widely published in both peer-reviewed journals and edited books. Furthermore, his program of research has been funded by numerous intramural and extramural grants, including from professional organizations such as the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
With respect to teaching, Dr. Foster has led introductory courses in general psychology, as well as specialized courses in social psychology, via face-to-face, online, and hybrid instruction. Overall, his training and prior experience qualify him to teach a range of undergraduate courses, across a variety of modalities, on topics such as Introductory Psychology, Social Psychology, Close Relationships, Psychology of Prejudice, Research Methods, and Statistics.
Teaching Experience
2021-Present: Assistant Professor of Psychology - University of Houston-Downtown
2017-2021: Graduate Part-Time Instructor - Texas Tech University
2015: Teaching Assistant - University of Cincinnati
More Information
Selected Publications
Le, T. H., Foster, A. M., Crane, P. R., & Talley, A. E. (2021). Alcohol use and misuse: Perspectives from seldom heard voices. In D. Frings & I.P. Albery (Eds.), Handbook of alcohol use and abuse: Understandings from synapse to society (pp. 453-481). Cambridge, MA: Elsevier Academic Press.
Foster, A. M., & Talley, A. E. (2020). Egosystem and ecosystem goals: Implications for concealable stigma disclosure. Self and Identity. doi: 10.1080/15298868.2020.1811141
Crane, P. R., Swaringen, K. S., Foster, A. M., & Talley, A. E. (2020). Alcohol use disorders among sexual and gender minority populations. In E.D. Rothblum (Ed.), Oxford handbook of sexual and gender minority mental health (pp. 87-100). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Crane, P. R., Swaringen, K. S., Rivas-Koehl, M., Foster, A. M., Le, T. H., Weiser, D. A., & Talley, A. E. (2020). Come out, get out: Relations among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer identification, microaggressions, and persistence in higher education. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. doi: 10.1177/0886260520967126
Talley, A. E., Turner, B. C., Foster, A. M., & Phillips, G. L. (2019). Sexual minority youth at risk of early and persistent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48, 1073-1086. doi: 10.1007/s10508-018-1275-7
Harpster, K., Brown, K., Burkett, K., Stanek, L., Van Rafelghem, D., & Foster, A. M. (2017). Snack time
intervention for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder: Fun and function. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(4_Supplement_1), 7111515207p1. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2017.71S1-RP101C