Education
- PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, 2004
Areas of Interest
Dr. Buchanan’s general area of expertise is in mental health and aging, although his current research focuses primarily on:
- Understanding ineffective and harmful communication patterns between younger and older adults, particularly with elderspeak, instruction types and age related microaggresions.
- The development and evaluation of the utility of Montessori-based activities for persons with dementia.
Courses Taught
- Psyc 455/555 Abnormal Psychology
- Psyc 466/566 Psychology of Aging
- Psyc 494 and 495 Group Process and Facilitation I and II
Selected Publications/Presentations
- Gehling, J., Laine, A., Tanhof, P.T., & Buchanan, J.A. (2025). The effects of a cognitive training program on individuals with moderate to severe cognitive impairment: A program evaluation study. The American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 23(2), 42-48. DOI: 10.5055/ajrt.0292
- Lewis, H., Geitzen, L., Patt, S., & Buchanan, J.A. (2023). Age-related microaggressions: Their frequency, emotional impact, and relationship to negative affect. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 1-19. DOI: 10.1177/00914150231219011
- Geitzen, L. J., Lewis, H. & Buchanan, J.A. (2022). Age-related microaggressions: A descriptive study. The Gerontologist. https://doi -org.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/10.1093/geront/gnasc158
- Jensen, N., Kinskey, C. & Buchanan, J.A. (2021). The effects of a cognitive training program for older adults: A brief preliminary report. International Journal of Aging Research, 86, 1-8. DOI:10.28933/ijoar-2021-07-0706
- Perera, A., Buchanan, J., & Ebel, D. (2020). A millennial looks at aging. The Journal of Creative Aging, 31, 4-9.
- Wagner, S., Buchanan, J.A., Bailey, J., Andresen, F., & Omlie, C. (2020). The use of stimulus preference assessment as part of dementia care: A review of the literature. Clinical Gerontologist, 43(3), 243-255.
- Buchanan, J.A., Johnson, E., Kennedy, J., Stypulkowski, K, & Jensen, N. (2019). The effects of a cognitive training program for cognitively impaired older adults: A pilot randomized control trial. International Journal of Aging Research, 2, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.28933/ijoar-2019-03-0705
- Buchanan, J.A., DeJager, B., Garcia, S., Houlihan, D., Sears, C., Fairchild, K., & Sattler, A. (2018). The relationship between instruction specificity and resistiveness to care during activities of daily living in persons with dementia. Clinical Nursing Studies 6(4), 45-52.
- Hindt, A., Morris, J., Sohre, J., & Buchanan, J.A. (2018). The effects of a
Montessori-based activity on affect and engagement in persons with dementia. Journal of Aging and Geriatric Medicine, 2(2), 1-4.
- Fisher, J.E. & Buchanan, J.A. (2018). Presentation of preferred stimuli as an intervention for aggression in a person with dementia. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 18(1), 33-40
- Andresen, F. & Buchanan, J.A. (2017). Bullying in senior living facilities: Perspectives of long-term care staff. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(7), 34-41.
- Grimme, T.M., Afflerbach, S. & Buchanan, J.A. (2015). Understanding elderspeak from the perspective of certified nursing assistants. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 41(11), 42-49.
- Lombardi, N.J., Buchanan, J.A., Afflerbach, S., Campana, K.L., Sattler, A., & Lai, D. (2014). Is elderspeak appropriate? A survey of certified nursing assistants. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40, 44-52.
