Education

• B.A. Appalachian State University
• M.A. The University of Memphis
• Ph.D. The University of Memphis

Research Bio

Dr. Farmer’s research program focuses on defining, describing, and understanding low-value practices (i.e., psychological and educational practices that are unvalidated, ineffective, harmful, or unnecessary), as well as what maintains their use amongst practitioners and educators. Concurrently and relatedly, he is interested in meta-science in school psychology and is exploring replication practices, publication processes, and evidence standards in the field. His past research has focused on assessment science, with emphasis on the psychometric properties of intelligence and adaptive behavior assessment. Dr Farmer employs a variety of research methodologies, including factor analysis, diagnostic accuracy estimation, delphi and survey designs, and systematic review. He has been supported in his work by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Current research projects center on the following broad questions:

• Explore, define, and describe the concept of low-value care in school psychology using philosophical inquiry and systematic review, delphi, and survey methodologies.
• Explore open science practices in school psychology using survey and descriptive methodologies.
• Evaluate the diagnostic utility of adaptive behavior assessments with developmental disabilities populations using ordinal regression and diagnostic statistics (e.g., ROC curve analysis). 
• Investigate the gap between what we know, what we teach in graduate programs, and what we do as practitioners using a variety of research approaches.

Recent Publications:

See Google Scholar for recent publications. Selected publications include:

• Farmer, R. L., Zaheer, I., Duhon, G. J., & Ghazal, S. (2021). Reducing low-value practices: A functional-contextual consideration to aid in de-implementation efforts. Canadian Journal of School Psychology https://doi.org/10.1177/0829573520974915.
• Farmer, R. L., McGill, R. J., Dombrowski, S. C., & Canivez, G. L. (2021). Why questionable assessment practices remain popular in school psychology: Instructional materials as pedagogic vehicles. Canadian Journal of School Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0829573520978111.
• Dombrowski, S. C., McGill, R. J., Farmer, R. L., Kranzler, J. H., & Canivez, G. L. (2021). Beyond the rhetoric of evidence-based assessment: A framework for critical thinking in clinical practice. School Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2021.1960126
• Farmer, R. L. McGill, R. J., Lockwood, A. B., Dombrowski, S. C., Canivez, G. L., & Zaheer, I. (2022). Warning signs of hype in school-based assessment: Implications for training and pedagogy. School Psychology Training & Pedagogy, 39(1). [https://psyarxiv.com/ypcv7]