Lovett, Benjamin (bl2799)

Ph.D., School Psychology, Syracuse University

M.S., Psychology, Syracuse University

B.A., Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University

Predoctoral Internship: Jamesville-Dewitt School District and Elmcrest Children’s Center

Licensure: Psychologist (NY)

Benjamin J. Lovett, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Education in the School Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. He teaches courses on psychological testing and on the legal and ethical framework for school psychology practice. He is a licensed psychologist in New York State and serves as a consultant to schools and testing agencies. He has over 100 publications including his 2015 book, Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Research-Based Practice, published by the American Psychological Association press. In addition, he co-authored the 5th edition of History of Psychology (Cambridge University Press) with David Hothersall. Finally, and most recently, he published Practical Psychometrics, a brief text and reference book, with Guilford Press. He earned his doctorate in school psychology at Syracuse University. 

Dr. Lovett’s current research interests fall into 3 categories:

1. Diagnosis of disabilities. Dr. Lovett studies how various high-incidence learning problems (e.g., dyslexia, auditory processing disorder) and attention problems (e.g., ADHD) are diagnosed in children, adolescents, and young adults. Various studies involve administering tests of cognitive abilities, academic skills, and behavioral functioning to clinical and nonclinical groups; using clinical and educational datasets to determine if diagnoses are being made accurately; and systematically reviewing literature to suggest improved ways of assessing these disorders.
2. Testing accommodations. Students who are diagnosed with disabilities are often given accommodations when taking tests in school and on admissions (e.g., SAT, GRE) or certification tests. Dr. Lovett studies the effects of these accommodations (adjustments to how tests are administered) on the performance and testing experience of students with and without disabilities. Various studies involve administering tests under different time allocations, administering tests in individual vs. group settings, and determining which diagnostic testing data are useful in making decisions about which testing accommodations students with disabilities will need.
3. Test anxiety. Anxiety is a common reaction to educational testing, and can sometimes be quite severe. Dr. Lovett studies how children, adolescents, and young adults experience tests, when and how their anxiety affects their actual performance on tests, and how to properly assess and manage test anxiety. Dr. Lovett and his students are examining how common different symptoms of anxiety are, how anxiety relates to math test performance, and what types of treatments work best for test anxiety. Dr. Lovett has also studied whether test anxiety could count as a clinical diagnosis and as a legal disability.

Dr. Lovett is Co-Principal Investigator on an IES-Funded Exploration grant project (2024-2026) entitled "Exporing Extended Time Eligibility and Use to Inform Equitable and Appropriate Practices."

Dr. Lovett will NOT be accepting external PhD students for Fall 2025.

Books

Lovett, B. J., & Lewandowski, L. J. (2015). Testing accommodations for students with disabilities: Research-based practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press. 

Hothersall, D., & Lovett, B. J. (2022). History of psychology. (5^th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Lovett, B. J. (2023). Practical psychometrics: A guide for test users. Guilford Press.

Jordan, A., & Lovett, B. J. (2025). Overcoming test anxiety: Tools to Support Students from Early Adolescence to Adulthood. Guilford Press.

Articles

Bucherbeam, T., Lovett, B. J., & Harrison, A. G. (in press). ADHD and anxiety symptoms: Does construct or assessment type matter more? Journal of Attention Disorders.

Lovett, B. J., Nelson, J. M., & O’Meara, P. (in press). Test anxiety symptoms in college students: Base rates and statistical deviance. Psychological Injury and Law.

Lovett, B. J., Nelson, J. M., & Jordan, A. H. (in press). Should patients be evaluated for ADHD while on ADHD medication? Professional Psychology: Research & Practice.

Lovett, B. J., & Fienup, D. M. (2023). Using interventions to increase test access: An alternative to accommodations? Assessment for Effective Intervention, 49(1), 41-49.

Lin-Siegler, X., Lovett, B. J., Du, Y., Yamane, K., Wang, K., & Hadis, S. (2023). What experiences constitute failures? High school students’ reflections on their struggles in STEM classes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1524, 105-117.

Lovett, B. J., Schaberg, T., Nazmiyal, A., & Spenceley, L. M. (2023). How do school psychologists address issues of effort, motivation, and honesty during evaluations? Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 41(6), 603-618.

Lovett, B. J., Spenceley, L. M., Schaberg, T. M., & Best, H. (2023). Response validity in psychoeducational evaluations: Results from a national survey of school psychologists. Psychology in the Schools, 60(6), 1652-1662.