Ingrid Farreras

Biography

Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, her main research has focused on the professionalization of the field of clinical psychology.  Focusing on the 1896-1949 time period, she has explored the emerging and evolving role of clinical psychologists, from administrators of intelligence and occupational tests before, during and between the world wars, to their increased visibility as therapists and researchers during and after World War II. 

Her secondary area of research has focused on how eugenics, Progressivism, and intelligence testing shaped the first American commitment law for "feeble-minded" individuals, and the professionalization of psychologists as court personnel, in an example of how science was expected to inform social policy and the state was expected to regulate social ills and protect moral degeneracy.

In collaboration with Dr. Randolph Ford, director of the Data Analytics Ph.D. program at Harrisburg University, they have also been using a novel natural language processing tool to evaluate current AI systems, and to develop a valid readability index.