Eric Corty, Ph.D.

Eric Corty, Ph.D.
Director Emeritus, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Professor Emeritus, Psychology
Mailing Address:
PENN STATE BEHREND
170 KOCHEL CENTER
ERIE, PA 16563

Eric Corty received a B.A. in psychology from Vassar College in 1976 and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Indiana University in 1983. He completed his internship at the Dede Wallace and Frank Luton centers in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1983. From 1983 to 1984, he was a postdoctoral fellow in neuropsychopharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania, after which he served three years as the project coordinator of the Methadone Research Project in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. From 1987 to 1991, he was an assistant professor at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in human sexuality in the Department of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 1993.

Dr. Corty joined the psychology faculty at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, in 1993. He taught various courses, including abnormal psychology, statistics, human sexuality, principles of measurement, and introductory psychology. Corty received the Council of Fellows Excellence in Teaching Award in 1997, became a Penn State Teaching Fellow in 2001, and served as director of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences from 2017 to 2022.

Dr. Corty is a psychometrician, with his research focused on developing measures of treatment satisfaction. He has over 30 peer-reviewed publications in areas ranging from drug addiction to human sexuality. His 2008 research on ejaculatory latencies received worldwide attention, including being made fun of on the David Letterman show. His statistics textbook, Using and Interpreting Statistics, was recognized as a Book of the Year by the American Journal of Nursing in 1997. In addition, Corty served as a member of the editorial boards for The Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy and The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.


Courses Taught

  • PSYCH 100/ PSY 002, Introductory Psychology
  • PSYCH 200/ PSY 015, Elementary Statistics in Psychology
  • PSYCH 238/ PSY 238, Introduction to Personality Psychology (formerly PSYCH 480)
  • PSYCH 270/ PSY 212, Introduction to Abnormal Psychology (formerly PSYCH 486)
  • PSYCH 404/ PSY 450, Principles of Measurement
  • PSYCH 422/ PSYCH 402, Human Sexuality
  • PSYCH 496K, Independent Study

Using and Interpreting Statistics - 2014

Setting sample size to ensure narrow confidence intervals for precise estimation of population values, Nursing Research - 2011
Collaborator: R.W. Corty, Secondary Author

Review of the book Principles and practice of sex therapy, 4th ed. S. R. Leiblum (Ed.), Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy - 2008

Canadian and American sex therapists’ perceptions of normal and abnormal ejaculatory latencies: How long should intercourse last?, Journal of Sexual Medicine - 2008
Collaborator: J.M. Guardiani, Secondary Author

Perceived ejaculatory latency and pleasure in different outlets, Journal of Sexual Medicine - 2008

Resolving a conflict between APA learning goals and APA ethical principles, Teaching of Psychology - 2008

Using, and interpreting statistics: A practical text for the health, behavioral, and social sciences - 2007

Sexual dysfunctions, Comprehensive handbook of personality and psychopathology, Volume Two: Adult psychopathology - 2006

Outcome measurement in female sexual dysfunction trials: Review and recommendations, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy - 2005
Collaborators: S.E. Althof; R.C. Rosen; L. DeRogatis; F. Quirk; T. Symonds

Distribution of chronic prostatitis in radical prostatectomy specimens with up-regulation of BCL-2 in areas of inflammation, Journal of Urology - 2002
Collaborators: R.E. Gerstenbluth; A.D. Seftel; G.T. MacLennan; R.N. Rao

Prostate-specific antigen changes in hypogonadal men treated with testosterone replacement, Journal of Andrology - 2002
Collaborators: R.E. Gerstenbluth; P.N. Maniam; A.D. Seftel

Nocturnal penile tumescence activity unchanged after long-term intracavernous injection therapy, Journal of Urology - 2001
Collaborators: P. Maniam; A.D. Seftel; S. Rutchik; N. Hampel; S.E. Althof

The EDITS: The development of questionnaires for evaluating satisfaction with treatments for erectile dysfunction, Urology - 1999
Collaborators: S.E. Althof; S.B. Levine; F. Levine; A.L. Burnett; K. McVary; V. Stecher; A.D. Seftel

Courseware for Observational Research (COR): A new approach to teaching naturalistic observation, Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers - 1998
Collaborators: Victoria Kazmerski; Dawn Blasko; Carl Kallgren

The role of cognitive factors in cue reactivity: Extinction on demand, Addictive Behaviors - 1998
Collaborators: R.E. Minehart; N.M. Campbell

Construction of scales for the Center for Marital and Sexual Health (CMASH) sexual functioning questionnaire, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy - 1997
Collaborators: H.A. Glick; T.J. McCarron; S.E. Althof; R.J. Willke

Screening for mental illness with the Addiction Severity Index, American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse - 1996
Collaborators: L. Dixon; C.P. Myers; J. Johnson

The reliability and validity of a sexual functioning questionnaire, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy - 1996
Collaborators: S.E. Althof; D.M. Kurit

Addictive Behaviors - 1995
Collaborator: B. Coon

A double blind crossover trial of Clomipramine for rapid ejaculation in 15 couples, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry - 1995
Collaborators: S.E. Althof; S.B. Levine; C.B. Risen; E.B. Stern; D.M. Kurit

Prevalence and patterns of “dual diagnosis” among psychiatric inpatients, Comprehensive Psychiatry - 1994
Collaborators: A.F. Lehman; C.P. Myers; J.W. Thompson

Severity of substance use disorders among psychiatric inpatients, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease - 1994
Collaborators: A.F. Lehman; C.P. Myers; J. Thompson

Severity of substance use disorders among psychiatric inpatients, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease - 1994
Collaborators: A.F. Lehman; C.P. Myers; J. Thompson

The impact of systemic lupus erythematosus on women’s sexual functioning, Journal of Rheumatology - 1994
Collaborators: S.L. Curry; S.B. Levine; P.K. Jones; D.M. Kurit

Implications of mental and substance use disorders: A comparison of “single” and “dual” diagnosis patients, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease - 1993
Collaborators: A.F. Lehman; C.P. Myers; J.W. Thompson

Rape on campus: The prevalence of sexual assault while enrolled in college, Journal of College Student Development - 1993
Collaborator: C. Finley

The influence of psychoactive substance use on the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology - 1993
Collaborators: A.F. Lehman; C.P. Myers

Prevalence and change in psychiatric symptomatology among methadone maintenance patients, The effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment - 1991
Collaborators: J. Ball; C. Myers; A. Ross

Policy issues pertaining to the treatment of heroin addicts in the United States, with particular reference to methadone maintenance therapy, The effectiveness of drug abuse treatment: Dutch and American perspectives - 1990
Collaborator: J. Ball

Assessment and classification of patients with psychiatric and substance abuse syndromes, Hospital & Community Psychiatry - 1989
Collaborators: A. Lehman; C.P. Myers

Psychological symptoms and methadone maintenance patients: Prevalence and change over treatment., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology - 1988
Collaborators: J.C. Ball; C.P. Myers

Reactivity to alcohol stimuli in alcoholics: Is there a role for temptation?, Drug and Alcohol Dependence - 1988
Collaborators: C.P. O'Brien; S. Mann

Basic issues pertaining to the effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment, Compulsory treatment of drug abuse: Research and clinical practice, Research Monograph - 1988
Collaborator: J. Ball

The reduction of intravenous heroin use, non-opiate abuse and crime during methadone maintenance treatment: Further findings, Problems of drug dependence 1987: Proceedings of the 49th annual scientific meeting, Research Monograph - 1988
Collaborators: J. Ball; H. Bond; C. Myers; A. Tommasello

Admissions to methadone maintenance: Comparisons between programs and implications for treatment, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment - 1987
Collaborator: J.C. Ball

Incidence of cyclosporine side effects in renal transplant patients, ANNA Journal - 1987
Collaborator: S.L. Douglas

The role of temptation in reactivity to alcohol stimuli, Problems of drug dependence 1986: Proceedings of the 48th annual scientific meeting, Research Monograph - 1987
Collaborators: C. O'Brien; S. Mann

Treatment effectiveness: Medical staff and services provided to 2394 patients at methadone programs in three states, Problems of drug dependence 1986: Proceedings of the 48th annual scientific meeting, Research Monograph - 1987
Collaborators: J. Ball; P. Petroski; H. Bond; A. Tommasello; H. Graff

Medical services provided to 2,394 patients at methadone programs in three states, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment - 1986
Collaborators: J.C. Ball; S.P. Petroski; H. Bond; A. Tommasello; H. Graff

What can we know about addiction from the addicts we treat?, International Journal of Addictions - 1986
Collaborator: J.C. Ball

Major patterns of polydrug abuse among heroin addicts, Problems of drug dependence, 1985: Proceedings of the 47th annual scientific meeting of the committee on problems of drug dependence, Research Monograph - 1986
Collaborators: J. Ball; D. Erdlen; D. Nurco

Cognitive heuristics, The handbook of social cognition - 1984
Collaborator: S. Sherman

Predicting the onset of cigarette smoking in adolescence: A longitudinal study, Journal of Applied Social Psychology - 1984
Collaborators: L. Chassin; C.C. Presson; S.J. Sherman; R. Olshavsky

Predictors of adolescents’ intentions to smoke: Age, sex, race, and regional differences, International Journal of the Addictions - 1984
Collaborators: C.C. Presson; L. Chassin; S.J. Sherman; R. Olshavsky; M. Rosenberg

Response prevention in the treatment of cigarette smoking, Addictive Behaviors - 1984
Collaborator: R.M. McFall

Test-retest reliability of measures used in research on cigarette smoking, Addictive Behaviors - 1983

The false consensus effect in estimates of smoking prevalence: Underlying mechanisms, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin - 1983
Collaborators: S.J. Sherman; C.C. Presson; L. Chassin; R. Olshavsky

Smoking intentions in adolescents: Direct experience and predictability, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin - 1982
Collaborators: S.J. Sherman; C.C. Presson; L. Chassin; M. Bensenberg; R. Olshavsky

Predicting adolescents’ intentions to smoke cigarettes, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, - 1981
Collaborators: L. Chassin; C.C. Presson; S.J. Sherman; R. Olshavsky; M. Bensenberg

Self-images and cigarette smoking in adolescence, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin - 1981
Collaborators: L. Chassin; C.C. Presson; S.J. Sherman; R. Olshavsky

Social contact and perceived loneliness in college students, Perceptual and Motor Skills - 1981
Collaborator: R.D. Young

Postdoctoral Fellow, Human Sexuality, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine

Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Pennsylvania

Ph D, Clinical Psychology, Indiana University

AB, Psychology, Vassar College