Rate My Professor Eric Hessler

Eric Hessler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth within the College of Education and Human Service Professions. He currently serves as Interim Department Head of the Department of Education for 2025-2026. Hessler earned his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 2010. His dissertation, 'Relative Phase Dynamics in Motor-Respiratory Coordination,' reflects his early focus on coordination dynamics.

Hessler's research specializations encompass motor control, coordination, and learning; ecological psychology with emphasis on perception and action; nonlinear dynamics and complexity; and interpersonal and team coordination. He advises graduate students, serving as a Potential Faculty Research (Plan B) Advisor for projects in motor control, coordination dynamics, and ecological psychology. His scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed articles such as 'Top-down (prior knowledge) and bottom-up (perceptual modality) influences on spontaneous interpersonal synchronization' (Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 2016); 'Grouping feedback components by common fate benefits motor-respiratory coordination' (Journal of Motor Behavior, 2015); 'Learning and transfer in motor-respiratory coordination' (Human Movement Science, 2014, with P.G. Amazeen); 'Dynamical analysis in real time: Detecting perturbations to team communication' (Ergonomics, 2012, with J.C. Gorman, P.G. Amazeen, N.J. Cooke, and S.M. Shope); 'Gender consistency and flexibility: Using dynamics to understand the relation between gender and adjustment' (Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 2012, with M.D. DiDonato et al.); 'Perceptual constraints on frequency ratio performance in motor-respiratory coordination' (Ecological Psychology, 2010, with L.M. Gonzales and P.G. Amazeen); 'Displays that facilitate performance of multifrequency ratios during motor-respiratory coordination' (Acta Psychologica, 2010, with L.M. Gonzales and P.G. Amazeen); 'Oscillations in daily pain prediction accuracy' (Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 2010, with P.H. Finan et al.); and 'Attentional demands on motor-respiratory coordination' (Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2009, with P.G. Amazeen). He also authored the chapter 'Psychological Rhythmicities' in the Handbook of Systems Complexity in Health (2013, with P.H. Finan and P.G. Amazeen). His publications total over 170 citations. Hessler holds roles on the Academic Affairs Council and contributes to departmental leadership.