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A closeup of a student praying in the chapel at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA.
Reed Priest, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, PsychologyCollege of Arts & Sciences

Reed Priest, Ph.D.

Bio

Dr. Reed Priest is an industrial-organizational psychologist with a scientist-practitioner mindset. He integrates this approach across his teaching, research, and consulting. While his research interests span a broad range of topics related to work behavior, his primary research areas include leadership, motivation, individual differences, and Christian organizations. This expertise informs his consulting in job analysis, performance appraisal, personnel selection, and more.

Dr. Priest brings a strong emphasis on methodology and statistical analysis to his work. His research uses a range of approaches — including multilevel and longitudinal designs, meta-analysis, and structural equation modeling — to capture complex workplace dynamics. This methodological rigor also shapes his teaching, where he uses class-based research projects to develop students’ scientific thinking and analytical skills.

Dr. Priest’s teaching emphasizes developing students’ knowledge, skills, and critical thinking. In his courses, content is presented through multiple media to develop knowledge, projects are used to develop job-relevant skills, and discussions encourage students to critically consider course content and its implications. Throughout his courses, be they statistical or psychological, he contextualizes material through a biblical worldview. As such, faith most centrally directs Dr. Priest’s teaching, research, and consulting. His teaching explores science through a Christian perspective, his research uncovers truths about God’s world, and his consulting supports others through faithful service.

Some of his hobbies include reviewing movies, hiking, and charcoal grilling. He welcomes inquiries regarding research collaboration and applied consulting.

Credentials

  • Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of Minnesota
  • M.A. in Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Concentration, Middle Tennessee State University
  • B.S. in Psychological Science with Honors, Belmont University

Publications

  • Priest, R. (2026). Organizing leadership constructs by their similarities and differences: An exploratory bifactor analysis (Publication No. 32741170) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
  • Do, N., Jin, T., Priest, R., Meredith, L. N., & Landers, R. N. (2024). A longitudinal quasi-experiment of leaderboard effectiveness on learner behaviors and course performance. Learning and Individual Differences, 116, 102572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102572
  • Priest, R., Griebie, A., Zhou, Y., Tomeh, D., & Sackett, P. R. (2024). Stereotype lift and stereotype threat effects on subgroup mean differences for cognitive tests: A meta-analysis of adult samples. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. Selected as APA’s September 2024 Editor’s Choice Article. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001185
  • Sackett, P. R., Demeke, S., Bazian, I. M., Griebie, A. M., Priest, R., & Kuncel, N. R. (2023). A contemporary look at the relationship between general cognitive ability and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001159