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{{Short description|American psychologist (born 1939)}}
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{{Infobox scientist
{{Use American English|date=September 2022}}
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| name = Robert O. Pihl
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
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| image =
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{{Infobox scientist
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| image_size =
| caption = Robert O. Pihl
| name = Robert O. Pihl
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| image =
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|2|2|mf=y}}
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| image_size =
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| birth_place = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], U.S.
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| caption = Robert O. Pihl
| residence = [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|2|2|mf=y}}
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| field = [[Psychology]]
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| birth_place = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], US
| work_institution = [[McGill University]]
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| field = [[Psychology]]
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| alma_mater = {{br list | [[Lawrence University]] | [[Arizona State University]]}}
| doctoral_advisor = [[Joel Greenspoon]]
| work_institution = [[McGill University]]
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| alma_mater = {{br list | [[Lawrence University]] | [[Arizona State University]]}}
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| doctoral_students = [[Jordan B. Peterson]]
| doctoral_advisor = [[Joel Greenspoon]]
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| prizes =
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| doctoral_students = [[Jordan Peterson]]
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| website = {{URL|https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/robert-o-pihl}}
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| prizes =
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| website = {{URL|https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/robert-o-pihl}}
}}
}}


'''Robert O. Pihl''' (born February 2, 1939) is an American psychology researcher, professor and clinician. Since 1966, he has worked at [[McGill University]] in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]. He is also a fellow of the [[American Psychological Association]] and [[Canadian Psychological Association]], as well as a member of many other academic organizations.
'''Robert O. Pihl''' (born February 2, 1939) is an American psychology researcher, professor and clinician. Since 1966, he has worked at [[McGill University]] in [[Montreal]], Canada. He is also a fellow of the [[American Psychological Association]] and [[Canadian Psychological Association]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cpa.ca/aboutcpa/cpaawards/fellows/ |title=CPA Fellows |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=March 9, 2021 |website=Canadian Psychological Association |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> as well as a member of many other academic organizations.


Pihl has made major contributions to the fields of clinical and health psychology in his more than 250 publications on various topics such as alcohol aggression, substance abuse, and pharmacology. In 2009, he received the Canadian Psychological Association’s Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Canadian Psychology.<ref name="CPA awards">{{cite web|title=CPA Award Descriptions and Past Recipients|url=http://www.cpa.ca/aboutcpa/cpaawards/awarddescriptions/|website=www.cpa.ca}}</ref>
Pihl has made major contributions to the fields of clinical and health psychology in his more than 250 publications on various topics such as alcohol aggression, substance abuse, and pharmacology. In 2009, he received the Canadian Psychological Association's Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Canadian Psychology.<ref name="CPA awards">{{cite web|title=CPA Award Descriptions and Past Recipients|url=http://www.cpa.ca/aboutcpa/cpaawards/awarddescriptions/|website=www.cpa.ca|date=August 8, 2018 }}</ref>


==Education==
== Education ==


When deciding which master's degree to pursue, Pihl was torn between his main interests of economics and psychology. Pihl earned his master's degree and his Ph.D. at [[Arizona State University]] in [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]], [[Arizona]]. At the time, he worked in a neurological hospital and became interested in impulse control. He received his Ph.D. in 1966 under the supervision of [[Joel Greenspoon]], a clinical psychologist and leading researcher in behavioral analysis.<ref name="Joel Greenspoon">{{cite web|title=Greenspoon, Joel|url=https://behavioranalysishistory.pbworks.com/enwiki/w/page/2061755/Greenspoon,%20Joel|website=Behaviour Analysis History}}</ref> Pihl completed his clinical internship from 1964 to 1966 at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
Pihl earned his master's degree and his PhD at [[Arizona State University]] in [[Tempe, Arizona]]. At the time, he worked in a neurological hospital and became interested in impulse control. He received his PhD in 1966 under the supervision of [[Joel Greenspoon]], a clinical psychologist and leading researcher in behavioral analysis.<ref name="Joel Greenspoon">{{cite web|title=Greenspoon, Joel|url=https://behavioranalysishistory.pbworks.com/enwiki/w/page/2061755/Greenspoon,%20Joel|website=Behaviour Analysis History}}</ref> Pihl completed his clinical internship from 1964 to 1966 at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.


==Professional life==
== Professional life ==


===Research and publications===
=== Research and publications ===


Pihl’s research includes over 250 publications, on which he has collaborated with over 200 co-authors from around the world. His work has been cited over 6000 times (as of November 4, 2014). He is also on the board of reviewing editors for [[Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research]]. Pihl’s research addresses [[psychopharmacology]], alcohol, aggression, [[substance abuse]], [[behavior modification]], the cognitive consequences of [[addiction]], and several risk factors for disorders.
Pihl's research includes over 250 publications, on which he has collaborated with over 200 co-authors from around the world. According to Google Scholar, his work has been cited over 16,000 times.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?start=0&q=Robert+O.+Pihl&hl=en&as_sdt=0,10 |title=Robert O. Pihl on Google Scholar |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=March 9, 2021 |website=Google Scholar |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> He is also on the board of reviewing editors for ''[[Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/15300277/homepage/editorialboard.html |title=Editorial Board – Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=March 9, 2021 |website=Wiley Online Library |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> Pihl's research addresses [[psychopharmacology]], alcohol, aggression, [[substance abuse]], [[behavior modification]], the cognitive consequences of [[addiction]], and several risk factors for disorders.


Some of Pihl’s early research projects involved the hair analysis of children with learning disabilities. He found that children with learning disabilities had higher levels of [[lead]] and [[cadmium]] in their hair compared to children without these disabilities.<ref name="Hair Analysis">Pihl, R.O.The lead level is connected to the cadmium level, the cadmium level is connected to the lithium level, and that may be why they have trouble learning.Paper presented at the 1979 OACLD and OISE Conference on Learning Disabilities, Toronto, February 1979.</ref> These findings influenced the U.S. Congress to mandate that lead be removed from paint in the 1970s. Pihl later conducted similar analyses in which he also found greater levels of lead and cadmium in the hair of violent criminals, compared to the normal population.<ref name="Hair Analysis Violent Criminals">Pihl, R.O., Ervin, F.R., Pelletier, G., Deikel, S.& Strain, W. 1982.Hair element content of violent criminals. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 27, 533-534.</ref>
Some of Pihl's early research projects involved the hair analysis of children with learning disabilities. He found that children with learning disabilities had higher levels of [[lead]] and [[cadmium]] in their hair compared to children without these disabilities.<ref name="Hair Analysis">Pihl, R.O. The lead level is connected to the cadmium level, the cadmium level is connected to the lithium level, and that may be why they have trouble learning. Paper presented at the 1979 OACLD and OISE Conference on Learning Disabilities, Toronto, February 1979.</ref> These findings influenced the US Congress to mandate that lead be removed from paint in the 1970s. Pihl later conducted similar analyzes in which he also found greater levels of lead and cadmium in the hair of violent criminals, compared to the normal population.<ref name="Hair Analysis Violent Criminals">Pihl, R.O., Ervin, F.R., Pelletier, G., Deikel, S.& Strain, W. 1982. Hair element content of violent criminals. ''Canadian Journal of Psychiatry'', 27, 533-534.</ref>
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Pihl has extensively studied the link between alcohol and aggression, namely that alcohol consumption increases aggression. He has also studied other predictors of aggression, such as pain sensitivity, levels of cognitive functioning, and one’s social environment.<ref name="Alcohol and Aggression">Pihl, R.O., Lau, M., and Assaad, J.M. (1997). Aggressive Disposition, Alcohol, and Aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 23: 11-18. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1997)23:1<11::AID-AB2>3.0.CO;2-W</ref> His investigations of the link between tryptophan depletion and aggression suggest an association between disturbances of the brain’s serotonin system and one’s aggression.<ref name="Tryptophan Depletion">] LeMarquand, D. G., Pihl, R. O., Young, S. N., Tremblay, R. E., Seguin, J. R., Palmour, R. M., & Benkelfat, C. (January 01, 1998). Tryptophan Depletion, Executive Functions, and Disinhibition in Aggressive, Adolescent Males.</ref> Pihl linked this research to alcohol intoxication, finding that intoxicated subjects with lower tryptophan (and thus lower serotonin) levels in the brain were more aggressive than those with higher serotonin levels.<ref name="Tryptophan, Alcohol, and Aggression">Pihl, R. O., Young, S. N., Harden, P., Plotnick, S., Chamberlain, B., & Ervin, F. R. (June 01, 1995). Acute effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males. Psychopharmacology, 119, 4, 353-360</ref>
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Pihl has also researched motivational, physiological and cognitive factors that predict substance abuse. Pihl looked at people’s varying reactions to substance consumption, and how this affects their behavior when intoxicated. He investigated the risk factors for abuse of different substances, and in 2000 Pihl and colleagues created The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, a scale for classifying substance abusers on the basis of personality and motivational risk factors for substance abuse, such as hopelessness, impulsivity, and sensation-seeking.<ref name="Substance Use Risk Profile Scale">Pihl, R.O., Conrad, P.J, Stewart, S.H., Dongier, M. (2000) Validation of a System of Classifying Female Substance Abusers on the Basis of Personality and Motivational Risk Factors for Substance Abuse. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 14: 243-256.</ref>
Currently, Pihl’s research is exploring motivational profiles and neuropsychological predictors of medical errors using neural imaging. He also is part of a large study on a drug abuse prevention program with 4000 children in Montreal.


⚫
Pihl has extensively studied the link between alcohol and aggression, namely that alcohol consumption increases aggression. He has also studied other predictors of aggression, such as pain sensitivity, levels of cognitive functioning, and one's social environment.<ref name="Alcohol and Aggression">Pihl, R.O., Lau, M., and Assaad, J.M. (1997). Aggressive Disposition, Alcohol, and Aggression. [[Aggressive Behavior]], 23: 11-18. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1997)23:1<11::AID-AB2>3.0.CO;2-W</ref> His investigations of the link between [[Acute tryptophan depletion|tryptophan depletion]] and aggression suggest an association between disturbances of the brain's [[serotonin]] system and one's aggression.<ref name="Tryptophan Depletion">LeMarquand, D. G., Pihl, R. O., Young, S. N., Tremblay, R. E., Seguin, J. R., Palmour, R. M., & Benkelfat, C. (January 1, 1998). Tryptophan Depletion, Executive Functions, and Disinhibition in Aggressive, Adolescent Males.</ref> Pihl linked this research to alcohol intoxication, finding that intoxicated subjects with lower tryptophan (and thus lower serotonin) levels in the brain were more aggressive than those with higher serotonin levels.<ref name="Tryptophan, Alcohol, and Aggression">Pihl, R. O., Young, S. N., Harden, P., Plotnick, S., Chamberlain, B., & Ervin, F. R. (June 1, 1995). Acute effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males. ''Psychopharmacology'', 119, 4, 353-360</ref>
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Some of his most notable research publications include:
⚫
Pihl has also researched motivational, physiological and cognitive factors that predict substance abuse. Pihl looked at people's varying reactions to substance consumption, and how this affects their behavior when intoxicated. He investigated the risk factors for abuse of different substances, and in 2000 Pihl collaborated in developing The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, a scale for classifying substance abusers on the basis of personality and motivational risk factors for substance abuse, such as hopelessness, impulsivity, and sensation-seeking.<ref name="Substance Use Risk Profile Scale">Woicik, P.A., Pihl, R.O., Stewart, S.H., Conrod, P.J. (2009). ''Psychology of Addictive Behaviors'', 34: 1042–1055.</ref>
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* ''Experimental analysis of the placebo effect'' (Pihl & Altman,197l)<ref name="Placebo Effect Analysis">Pihl, R.O. & Altman, J. 197l. Experimental analysis of the placebo effect. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, March–April, 91-95.</ref>
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* ''The problem of drug abuse: Has Canada found some answers?'' (Milstein,Pihl, & Smart, 1974)<ref name="Canada Drug Abuse">Milstein, S.L., Pihl, R.O. & Smart, R.G. 1974. The problem of drug abuse: Has Canada found some answers? The Canadian Psychologist, l5, 357-367.</ref>
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* ''Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression'' (Zeichner, & Pihl, 1979)<ref name="Alcohol and Aggression Article">Zeichner, A. & Pihl, R.O. 1979. Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression. The Journal of AbnormalPsychology, 88, l53-l60.</ref>
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* ''Measurement of Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity to Stress in the Real World'' (Dobkin & Pihl, 1992)<ref name="Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity">Dobkin, P.L. & Pihl, R.O. (1992). Measurement of Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity to Stress in the Real World. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 58: 208-2l4.</ref>
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* ''Cognitive deficits and autonomic reactivity in boys at high risk for alcoholism'' (Harden & Pihl, 1995)<ref name="Cognitive Deficits and Reactivity in Boys at Risk">Harden, P., & Pihl, R.O. (1995). Cognitive deficits and autonomic reactivity in boys at high risk for alcoholism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, l04, 94-l03.</ref>
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* ''The effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males'' (Pihl, Young, Harden, Plotnick, Chamberlain, & Ervin, 1995)<ref name="Altered Tryptophan and Aggression">Pihl, R.O., Young, S., Harden, P., Plotnick, S., Chamberlain, B. & Ervin, F. (1995). The effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males. Psychopharmacology, l19: 353-360.</ref>
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* ''Hair element content in learning disabled children'' (Pihl & Parkes, 1977)<ref name="Hair Analysis in Disabled Children">Pihl, R. O., & Parkes, M. (January 01, 1977). Hair element content in learning disabled children. Science, 198, 4313, 204-6.</ref>
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* ''Motivational model of substance abuse risk'' (Conrod, Pihl, Stewart, Coté, & Dongier, 1997)<ref name="Motivational Model of Abuse">Conrod, P.J., Pihl, R.O., Stewart, S.H., Coté, S., & Dongier, M.A motivational model of substance abuse:Implications for etiology and treatment of co-morbidity. Paper presented at the Addictions Research Foundation Conference on co-occurring substance use and mental disorders:Functional relations and clinical implications. Toronto, ON, November 2–5, 1997.</ref>


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Some of his most notable research publications include:
⚫
===Clinical work===
⚫
* ''Experimental analysis of the placebo effect'' (Pihl & Altman, 1971)<ref name="Placebo Effect Analysis">Pihl, R.O. & Altman, J. 1971. Experimental analysis of the placebo effect. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, March–April, 91-95.</ref>
⚫
* ''The problem of drug abuse: Has Canada found some answers?'' (Milstein, Pihl, & Smart, 1974)<ref name="Canada Drug Abuse">Milstein, S.L., Pihl, R.O. & Smart, R.G. 1974. The problem of drug abuse: Has Canada found some answers? The Canadian Psychologist, 15, 357-367.</ref>
⚫
* ''Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression'' (Zeichner, & Pihl, 1979)<ref name="Alcohol and Aggression Article">Zeichner, A. & Pihl, R.O. 1979. Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression. The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 88, 153-160.</ref>
⚫
* ''Measurement of Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity to Stress in the Real World'' (Dobkin & Pihl, 1992)<ref name="Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity">Dobkin, P.L. & Pihl, R.O. (1992). Measurement of Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity to Stress in the Real World. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 58: 208-214.</ref>
⚫
* ''Cognitive deficits and autonomic reactivity in boys at high risk for alcoholism'' (Harden & Pihl, 1995)<ref name="Cognitive Deficits and Reactivity in Boys at Risk">Harden, P., & Pihl, R.O. (1995). Cognitive deficits and autonomic reactivity in boys at high risk for alcoholism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 94-103.</ref>
⚫
* ''The effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males'' (Pihl, Young, Harden, Plotnick, Chamberlain, & Ervin, 1995)<ref name="Altered Tryptophan and Aggression">Pihl, R.O., Young, S., Harden, P., Plotnick, S., Chamberlain, B. & Ervin, F. (1995). The effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males. Psychopharmacology, 119: 353-360.</ref>
⚫
* ''Hair element content in learning disabled children'' (Pihl & Parkes, 1977)<ref name="Hair Analysis in Disabled Children">Pihl, R. O., & Parkes, M. (January 1, 1977). Hair element content in learning disabled children. Science, 198, 4313, 204-6.</ref>
⚫
* ''Motivational model of substance abuse risk'' (Conrod, Pihl, Stewart, Coté, & Dongier, 1997)<ref name="Motivational Model of Abuse">Conrod, P.J., Pihl, R.O., Stewart, S.H., Coté, S., & Dongier, M.A motivational model of substance abuse: Implications for etiology and treatment of co-morbidity. Paper presented at the Addictions Research Foundation Conference on co-occurring substance use and mental disorders: Functional relations and clinical implications. Toronto, ON, November 2–5, 1997.</ref>


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=== Clinical work ===
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Pihl previously directed the department of psychology at the Lakeshore General Hospital in Montreal. He was also a co-director of the Alcohol Studies Group at the [[Douglas Mental Health University Institute]] in Montreal. He was a consultant for the psychology department at Montreal’s [[Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal|Royal Victoria Hospital]], and for the Montreal’s Centre Pour Enfants avec Problèmes d'Apprentissage. Pihl is on the advisory committee of the McGill-Montreal Children's Hospital Learning Center. Additionally, Pihl has experience working with all types of clinical patients.


⚫
Pihl previously directed the department of psychology at the Lakeshore General Hospital in Montreal. He was also a co-director of the Alcohol Studies Group at the [[Douglas Mental Health University Institute]] in Montreal. He was a consultant for the psychology department at Montreal's [[Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal|Royal Victoria Hospital]], and for the Montreal's Centre Pour Enfants avec Problèmes d'Apprentissage. Pihl is on the advisory committee of the McGill-Montreal Children's Hospital Learning Center.
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===Committees and organizations===


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=== Committees and organizations ===
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Pihl is a member of several psychological committees and organizations, including: the International Society for Research on Aggression, the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Neuropharmacology Subcommittee of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Violence and Traumatic Stress Committee, the Working Group on Alcohol-Related Violence, the Review Committee for Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Health and Welfare Canada, the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation, and the International Society for Research on Aggression.<ref name="Private communication">Private communication with Robert Pihl in an interview at McGill University on October 24th, 2014</ref> He is a fellow in the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association’s Psychopharmacology, Addiction, Clinical Psychology, and Learning Disability Divisions, the Behavioral Science Foundation, and others. For Health and Welfare Canada, Pihl is a member of the Scientific Review Committee for Behavioral Research and the Non-medical Use of Drugs, and he is also an advisor for a group on Parent Drug Education.


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Pihl is a member of several psychological committees and organizations, including: the International Society for Research on Aggression, the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Neuropharmacology Subcommittee of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Violence and Traumatic Stress Committee, the Working Group on Alcohol-Related Violence, the Review Committee for Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Health and Welfare Canada, the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation, and the International Society for Research on Aggression.<ref name="Private communication">Private communication with Robert Pihl in an interview at McGill University on October 24, 2014</ref> He is a fellow in the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association's Psychopharmacology, Addiction, Clinical Psychology, and Learning Disability Divisions, the Behavioral Science Foundation, and others. For Health and Welfare Canada, Pihl is a member of the Scientific Review Committee for Behavioral Research and the Non-medical Use of Drugs, and he is also an advisor for a group on Parent Drug Education.
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===Honors and awards===


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=== Honors and awards ===
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Pihl has received several honors and awards throughout his career. These include: the Lehmann Award from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (1994),<ref name="Lehmann Award">{{cite web|title=Past Winners|url=https://ccnp.ca/Awards/PastWinners|website=Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology}}</ref> the Canadian Psychological Association’s Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Canadian Psychology (2009),<ref name="CPA awards" /> the National Patient Safety Award from the Drug Safety Institute (2013), the David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Supervision from McGill University (2014).<ref name="David Thomson Award">{{cite web|title=David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching & Supervision|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/about/awards/david-thomson|website=McGill University}}</ref>


⚫
Pihl has received several honors and awards throughout his career. These include: the Lehmann Award from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (1994),<ref name="Lehmann Award">{{cite web|title=Past Winners|url=https://ccnp.ca/Awards/PastWinners|website=Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology}}</ref> the Canadian Psychological Association's Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Canadian Psychology (2009),<ref name="CPA awards" /> the National Patient Safety Award from the Drug Safety Institute (2013), the David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Supervision from McGill University (2014).<ref name="David Thomson Award">{{cite web|title=David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching & Supervision|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/about/awards/david-thomson|website=McGill University}}</ref>
===Past students===

Pihl has supervised the doctoral research of a large number of graduate students in Psychology at McGill. Many of his former students have gone on to successful academic careers. Some of his students include:
* '''[[Jordan Peterson]]''' is currently a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the [[University of Toronto]]. Previously, he was a professor at [[Harvard University]] from 1993-1998. He completed his graduate and post-doctoral work at McGill under the supervision of Dr. Robert Pihl, studying alcoholism and aggression.
* '''Sherry Stewart''' is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at [[Dalhousie University]] in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]].<ref name="Sherry Stewart">{{cite web|title=Sherry Stewart|url=https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/psychology_neuroscience/faculty-staff/our-faculty/sherry-stewart.html|website=Dhalousie University}}</ref>
* '''Peter Finn''' is a professor of psychology at [[Indiana University Bloomington]]. He studies substance use, abuse and dependence at the Biobehavioral Alcohol Research Laboratory.<ref name="Peter Finn">{{cite web|title=Dr. Peter Finn|url=http://psych.indiana.edu/faculty/finnp.php|website=Indiana University}}</ref>
* '''Jean Séguin''' is a professor of psychiatry at the [[Université de Montréal]]. His research focuses on developmental psychopathology, adolescence, substance use, ADHD, and aggression.<ref name="Jean Séguin">{{cite web|title=Séguin, Jean R.|url=http://www.gripinfo.ca/grip/consultation/chercheurs/infogen.asp?langue=en&ts=1383572197109&id=941&p=0|website=Research unit on children's psychological maladjustment}}</ref>
* '''Patricia Conrod''' is a clinical psychologist and research professor at the ''Université de Montréal''. Her research emphasizes cognitive, personality, and biological risk factors for drug abuse, and the findings have contributed to the development of new substance abuse treatments and prevention programs that target the motivational underpinnings of drug use.<ref name="Patricia Conrod">{{cite web|title=Researchers|url=http://recherche.chusj.org/en/Chercheurs/Bio?id=9c4c6303-24ed-4d68-a375-02795554d609|website=Research Center Of the Sainte-Justine University Hospita}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{official|https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/robert-o-pihl}}
* {{official website|https://www.mcgill.ca/psychology/robert-o-pihl}}

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pihl, Robert O.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pihl, Robert O.}}
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[[Category:Arizona State University alumni]]
[[Category:Arizona State University alumni]]
[[Category:Lawrence University alumni]]
[[Category:Lawrence University alumni]]
[[Category:McGill University faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of McGill University]]

Latest revision as of 19:24, 21 October 2023

Robert O. Pihl
Born (1939-02-02) February 2, 1939 (age 85)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
Alma materLawrence University
Arizona State University
Scientific career
FieldsPsychology
InstitutionsMcGill University
Doctoral advisorJoel Greenspoon
Doctoral studentsJordan Peterson
Websitewww.mcgill.ca/psychology/robert-o-pihl

Robert O. Pihl (born February 2, 1939) is an American psychology researcher, professor and clinician. Since 1966, he has worked at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Canadian Psychological Association,[1] as well as a member of many other academic organizations.

Pihl has made major contributions to the fields of clinical and health psychology in his more than 250 publications on various topics such as alcohol aggression, substance abuse, and pharmacology. In 2009, he received the Canadian Psychological Association's Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Canadian Psychology.[2]

Education

[edit]

Pihl earned his master's degree and his PhD at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. At the time, he worked in a neurological hospital and became interested in impulse control. He received his PhD in 1966 under the supervision of Joel Greenspoon, a clinical psychologist and leading researcher in behavioral analysis.[3] Pihl completed his clinical internship from 1964 to 1966 at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

Professional life

[edit]

Research and publications

[edit]

Pihl's research includes over 250 publications, on which he has collaborated with over 200 co-authors from around the world. According to Google Scholar, his work has been cited over 16,000 times.[4] He is also on the board of reviewing editors for Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.[5] Pihl's research addresses psychopharmacology, alcohol, aggression, substance abuse, behavior modification, the cognitive consequences of addiction, and several risk factors for disorders.

Some of Pihl's early research projects involved the hair analysis of children with learning disabilities. He found that children with learning disabilities had higher levels of lead and cadmium in their hair compared to children without these disabilities.[6] These findings influenced the US Congress to mandate that lead be removed from paint in the 1970s. Pihl later conducted similar analyzes in which he also found greater levels of lead and cadmium in the hair of violent criminals, compared to the normal population.[7]

Pihl has extensively studied the link between alcohol and aggression, namely that alcohol consumption increases aggression. He has also studied other predictors of aggression, such as pain sensitivity, levels of cognitive functioning, and one's social environment.[8] His investigations of the link between tryptophan depletion and aggression suggest an association between disturbances of the brain's serotonin system and one's aggression.[9] Pihl linked this research to alcohol intoxication, finding that intoxicated subjects with lower tryptophan (and thus lower serotonin) levels in the brain were more aggressive than those with higher serotonin levels.[10] Pihl has also researched motivational, physiological and cognitive factors that predict substance abuse. Pihl looked at people's varying reactions to substance consumption, and how this affects their behavior when intoxicated. He investigated the risk factors for abuse of different substances, and in 2000 Pihl collaborated in developing The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, a scale for classifying substance abusers on the basis of personality and motivational risk factors for substance abuse, such as hopelessness, impulsivity, and sensation-seeking.[11]

Some of his most notable research publications include:

  • Experimental analysis of the placebo effect (Pihl & Altman, 1971)[12]
  • The problem of drug abuse: Has Canada found some answers? (Milstein, Pihl, & Smart, 1974)[13]
  • Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression (Zeichner, & Pihl, 1979)[14]
  • Measurement of Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity to Stress in the Real World (Dobkin & Pihl, 1992)[15]
  • Cognitive deficits and autonomic reactivity in boys at high risk for alcoholism (Harden & Pihl, 1995)[16]
  • The effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males (Pihl, Young, Harden, Plotnick, Chamberlain, & Ervin, 1995)[17]
  • Hair element content in learning disabled children (Pihl & Parkes, 1977)[18]
  • Motivational model of substance abuse risk (Conrod, Pihl, Stewart, Coté, & Dongier, 1997)[19]

Clinical work

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Pihl previously directed the department of psychology at the Lakeshore General Hospital in Montreal. He was also a co-director of the Alcohol Studies Group at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal. He was a consultant for the psychology department at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital, and for the Montreal's Centre Pour Enfants avec Problèmes d'Apprentissage. Pihl is on the advisory committee of the McGill-Montreal Children's Hospital Learning Center.

Committees and organizations

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Pihl is a member of several psychological committees and organizations, including: the International Society for Research on Aggression, the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Neuropharmacology Subcommittee of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Violence and Traumatic Stress Committee, the Working Group on Alcohol-Related Violence, the Review Committee for Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Health and Welfare Canada, the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation, and the International Society for Research on Aggression.[20] He is a fellow in the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association's Psychopharmacology, Addiction, Clinical Psychology, and Learning Disability Divisions, the Behavioral Science Foundation, and others. For Health and Welfare Canada, Pihl is a member of the Scientific Review Committee for Behavioral Research and the Non-medical Use of Drugs, and he is also an advisor for a group on Parent Drug Education.

Honors and awards

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Pihl has received several honors and awards throughout his career. These include: the Lehmann Award from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (1994),[21] the Canadian Psychological Association's Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Canadian Psychology (2009),[2] the National Patient Safety Award from the Drug Safety Institute (2013), the David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Supervision from McGill University (2014).[22]

References

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  1. ^ "CPA Fellows". Canadian Psychological Association. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "CPA Award Descriptions and Past Recipients". www.cpa.ca. August 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Greenspoon, Joel". Behaviour Analysis History.
  4. ^ "Robert O. Pihl on Google Scholar". Google Scholar. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "Editorial Board – Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research". Wiley Online Library. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Pihl, R.O. The lead level is connected to the cadmium level, the cadmium level is connected to the lithium level, and that may be why they have trouble learning. Paper presented at the 1979 OACLD and OISE Conference on Learning Disabilities, Toronto, February 1979.
  7. ^ Pihl, R.O., Ervin, F.R., Pelletier, G., Deikel, S.& Strain, W. 1982. Hair element content of violent criminals. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 27, 533-534.
  8. ^ Pihl, R.O., Lau, M., and Assaad, J.M. (1997). Aggressive Disposition, Alcohol, and Aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 23: 11-18. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1997)23:1<11::AID-AB2>3.0.CO;2-W
  9. ^ LeMarquand, D. G., Pihl, R. O., Young, S. N., Tremblay, R. E., Seguin, J. R., Palmour, R. M., & Benkelfat, C. (January 1, 1998). Tryptophan Depletion, Executive Functions, and Disinhibition in Aggressive, Adolescent Males.
  10. ^ Pihl, R. O., Young, S. N., Harden, P., Plotnick, S., Chamberlain, B., & Ervin, F. R. (June 1, 1995). Acute effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males. Psychopharmacology, 119, 4, 353-360
  11. ^ Woicik, P.A., Pihl, R.O., Stewart, S.H., Conrod, P.J. (2009). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 34: 1042–1055.
  12. ^ Pihl, R.O. & Altman, J. 1971. Experimental analysis of the placebo effect. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, March–April, 91-95.
  13. ^ Milstein, S.L., Pihl, R.O. & Smart, R.G. 1974. The problem of drug abuse: Has Canada found some answers? The Canadian Psychologist, 15, 357-367.
  14. ^ Zeichner, A. & Pihl, R.O. 1979. Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression. The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 88, 153-160.
  15. ^ Dobkin, P.L. & Pihl, R.O. (1992). Measurement of Psychological and Heart Rate Reactivity to Stress in the Real World. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 58: 208-214.
  16. ^ Harden, P., & Pihl, R.O. (1995). Cognitive deficits and autonomic reactivity in boys at high risk for alcoholism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 94-103.
  17. ^ Pihl, R.O., Young, S., Harden, P., Plotnick, S., Chamberlain, B. & Ervin, F. (1995). The effect of altered tryptophan levels and alcohol on aggression in normal human males. Psychopharmacology, 119: 353-360.
  18. ^ Pihl, R. O., & Parkes, M. (January 1, 1977). Hair element content in learning disabled children. Science, 198, 4313, 204-6.
  19. ^ Conrod, P.J., Pihl, R.O., Stewart, S.H., Coté, S., & Dongier, M.A motivational model of substance abuse: Implications for etiology and treatment of co-morbidity. Paper presented at the Addictions Research Foundation Conference on co-occurring substance use and mental disorders: Functional relations and clinical implications. Toronto, ON, November 2–5, 1997.
  20. ^ Private communication with Robert Pihl in an interview at McGill University on October 24, 2014
  21. ^ "Past Winners". Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
  22. ^ "David Thomson Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching & Supervision". McGill University.
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