James Jakubow

Education

2000, Ph.D. Graduate Center/CUNY
1997, M.Phil. Graduate Center/CUNY
1988, M.A. Western Michigan University

Biography

James J. Jakubow received his M.A. in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior at Western Michigan University and his Ph.D. in Learning Processes at the City University of New York. He then moved to Florida Atlantic University in 1998 where he has since conducted research on behavioral pharmacology and mathematical psychology.

Dr. Jakubow has taught a broad range of psychology courses first starting at Queens College/CUNY. Over his career he has taught courses in adolescent psychology, applied behavior analysis, behavioral pharmacology, biopsychology, drug abuse treatment, human development, learning & memory, statistics, research methods, but primarily in general psychology. In addition, since 2015 he has been teaching the behavioral sciences review section of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). He has currently taught over 30,000 students since 1993.

Outside of academia, he has about five years doing clinical interventions in intellectual disabilities, autism and schizophrenia. In addition, he has served as the Director of Behavior Analysis Services for Foster Care in Broward County, Florida, one of the nation’s largest foster care systems.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking and making use of the thousands of acres of available Florida wilderness.

Research Description

Since the late 1980s, I conducted basic research on the neuropharmacology of epilepsy, feeding, and drug tolerance.  During the 1990s I spent most of my time evaluating mathematical models of associative learning in animals. Currently, I am using a theoretical/mathematical approach to improve upon the available contemporary models of learning and memory.

Recent Publications

Jakubow, J. J. (2022). Psychology: The scientific approach (7^th edition). Kendall-Hunt.

Jakubow, J. J. (2016). Exciting Options During Depressing Times. [Review of the book  Enabling Discovery, Development, and Translation of Treatments for Cognitive Dysfunction in Depression ]. PsycCRITIQUES—Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books , 16 (No. 26), Article 3. Retrieved [3/13/17], from the  PsycCRITIQUES  database

Jakubow, J. J.  (2015). Does the Name Pavlov Ring A Buzzer? [Review of the book Ivan Pavlov: A Russian Life in Science]. PsycCRITIQUES—Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 60 (No. 13), Article 2. Retrieved [1/1/16], from the PsycCRITIQUES database

Jakubow, J. J. (2008, August 27). Motoring Our Behavior [Review of the book  A Theory of the Basal Ganglia and Their Disorders ].  PsycCRITIQUES Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 53 (No. 35), Article 8.  Retrieved [9/2/09], from the PsycCRITIQUES database. 

Jakubow, J. J. (2008, January 23). Do Behavioral Researchers Need One Diploma in Mathematics and Another in Psychology? [Review of the book  Data Analytic Techniques for Dynamical Systems ].  PsycCRITIQUES Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 53 (No. 4), Article 10.  Retrieved [1/27/08], from the PsycCRITIQUES database. 

Wolgin, D. L., & Jakubow, J. J. (2004). Tolerance to amphetamine hypophagia: A real-time depiction of learning to suppress stereotyped movements in the rat.  Behavioral Neuroscience, 118,  470-478. 

Jakubow, J. J., Brown, B. L., & Hemmes, N. S. (2004). The Cover-Stimulus Effect: Role of Similarity in Durations of the CS and Cover Cues.  Psychological Record, 54,  293-317. 

Wolgin, D. L., & Jakubow, J. J. (2003). Tolerance to amphetamine hypophagia: A microstructural analysis of licking behavior in the rat.  Behavioral Neuroscience, 117,  95-104. 

Hemmes, N. S., Brown, B. L., Jakubow, J. J., & Cabeza de Vaca, S. (1997). Determinants of response recovery in extinction following response elimination.  Learning and Motivation, 28,  542-557. 

Simansky, K. J., Jakubow, J., Sisk, F. C., Vaidya, A. H., & Eberle-Wang, K. (1992). Peripheral serotonin is an incomplete signal for eliciting satiety in sham-feeding rats.  Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 43,  847-854. 

Jakubow, J., Schlinger, H., & Poling, A. (1989). Pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in pigeons and the effects of ethosuximide thereon.  Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 33,  11-15. 

Renfrey, G., Schlinger, H., Jakubow, J., & Poling, A. (1989). Effects of phenytoin and phenobarbital on schedule-controlled responding and seizure activity in the amygdala-kindled rat.  Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 248,  967-973.

Scholarly Activities

Editorial Service

Behavior Analysis: Research & Practice
PsycCritiques
Florida Atlantic University Undergraduate Research Journal

Master’s Thesis Committees

• Chair.  Sarah Elizabeth Mills (2024). Effects of No-Kill Animal Shelters on Canine Quality of Life and the Assessment of Stereotypic Behaviors. American College of Applied Science.
• Committee member.  Nicole Bernardini-Loza (2024). Approaches to Treating Reactive Aggression in Canines. American College of Applied Science.
• Committee member.  Susan A. Stevens-Blackshear (2024). Fear-Free and Low-Stress Handling Techniques in the Veterinary Hospital. American College of Applied Science.
• Committee member. Diane C. Wright (2017). Use of evidence-based methods to ameliorate or reduce reactions in canines with anxiety, fear, and conflict-based aggression . American College of Applied Science.
• Committee member. Jocelyn P. Strassel (2015). The effects of “Feliway” on stress behaviors in domestic cats (Felis catus) in a shelter environment . American College of Applied Science.
• Committee member. Sandra L. Fornes (2015). Environmental enrichment to prevent and resolve fearful, stereotypical and agonistic behaviors in long-term shelter dogs . American College of Applied Science.
• Chair. Tammy Ege (2015). The role of feeding enrichment on the behavior of indoor group-housed domestic cats . American College of Applied Science.
• Chair. Elise Higashi (2012). Evaluating the effects of a variety of enrichment treatments on the wellbeing of domestic cats (Felis catus) living in a shelter environment . American College of Applied Science.
• Committee member. Christine Strickland (2010). Animal shelter volunteer training for dog handling and basic obedience training affects volunteered hours . American College of Applied Science.