Psychological Research
Vincent V. Herr, S.J. delivering a lecture
Herr joined Loyola University Chicago as an Assistant Professor in Psychology in 1939 following the completion of his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1944, and was appointed Full Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department the following year. Herr served in this role for the next 20 years until stepping down at the age of 64. In 1965, Herr's contributions were recognised by Loyola with the university's first Faculty Member of the Year Award. He continued to teach, supervise graduate students, and carry out research until his death five years later.
Herr's research was focused on individual differences in people's mental, emotional, and religious life. He built an original piece of instrumentation, the Herr Psychogalvanometer, to record subtle changes in individuals' emotional states. Herr also developed numerous novel assessment tests including a controlled word association task, the Loyola Language Study. Herr pursued a substantial program of research into clinical and social questions at Loyola and developed protocols for the training of psychologists and priests. Herr collaborated with the Psychiatry Department at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola and several other local psychiatric hospitals. These efforts were supported by grants from numerous sources for over ten years, including the National Institute of Mental Health. He served as an expert consultant to various city, state, national, and international institutions.