Research Experience Opportunities with Faculty
Kent D. Bodily
Undergraduate students may work in my lab Fall and Spring semesters. My research focuses on studying the basic learning principles involved in spatial navigation, learning and cognition. Using a desktop virtual environment, I study a wide range of topics, for example, how we learn to successfully navigate the environment, how we learn about landmarks, and how we solve problems. Students in my lab engage in literature reviews, running experiments, data analysis (Excel, SPSS), and weekly lab meetings. Students may sign up for 1 or 2 hours of credit.
Janice H. Kennedy
Both fall and spring semesters, I need undergraduate students to help with my research. The research in my lab focuses on developmental psychology, particular parent-child attachment. I conduct observational research with mothers and their infants in the lab and with college students in an interview setting. I typically need students who can videotape research sessions and/or interact with infants. I also need students who can transcribe audiotapes accurately, score questionnaires, and code data into SPSS. Students can typically sign up for 1 or 2 hours of credit (3-6 hours per week). To benefit most from this experience, students should have completed Child Psychology and Research Methods.
Lawrence Locker, Jr.
My area of interest is Cognitive Psychology in the areas of language and memory. I am also interested in issues related to social cognition or interdisciplinary studies that involve a cognitive component. I conduct laboratory research typically involving the presentation of stimuli on a computer. Students involved in my research are typically involved in the preparation of stimuli (e.g., a list of words). Research assistants also help with scheduling participants and are very active in the data collection process.
Karen Naufel
My research interests are twofold: I examine 1) people’s interpretations and responses to health messages, and 2) ethical issues in psychology. My undergraduate students take on various roles in the lab. They create health messages, design questionnaires (both web surveys and print surveys), assist with recruitment of participants, and conduct research sessions. I value having a lab community in which research ideas are generated and explored. Undergraduate assistants work actively with their lab mates and lab advisor, so strong interpersonal skills are desirable. Undergraduates must have completed or be enrolled in Research Methods. To obtain an application, please contact Dr. Naufel at knaufel@georgiasouthern.edu.
Michael Nielsen
My research program focuses on psychological aspects of religion. I study this from a social psychological perspective, sometimes working with colleagues in sociology, political science and anthropology. Depending on the specific project, undergraduate students take on a range of duties, usually including library research, data collection, or data entry. My projects tend to involve self-reports (questionnaires) but I use experimental and quasi-experimental designs. The most important qualities my research assistants have is the ability to be accurate and thorough in carrying out their duties, and open-minded regarding views that may differ from their own. Students can typically sign up for 1 or 2 hours of credit (3-6 hours per week).
Rebecca G. Ryan
I am open most semesters to students who are interested in registering for one, two, or three credit hours of research experience. The research in my lab is currently focused on jury decision making and service learning. We are investigating the influence of a series of variables on the conclusions made by mock jurors. We are also investigating outcomes associated with engaging in community service as part of completing course requirements. Research assistants will be involved in collecting and entering data, scoring assessments, and assisting with literature searches. Those accepted will gain experience in running participants, using SPSS, and using PsycInfo.
K. Bryant Smalley
During Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, undergraduate students can become involved with my research centering on health risk-taking behaviors, gender and health, help-seeking behaviors, health behavior intervention development, and the impact of the gender socialization process upon mental health. Students may become involved for course credit or on a volunteer basis (by joining the Behavioral Health Student Research Group). Typical student activities may include recruiting and consenting study participants, collecting survey data, entering data, and helping conduct mental health screenings at health fairs.
Janice N. Steirn
I conduct research throughout the year, but primarily in the Fall and Spring terms. My area of research is learning as it is applied to wellness. I also have a long history of research in animal learning and cognition. Students working with me may do one or more of the following: help generate stimuli, help organize experimental sessions, conduct experimental sessions (currently with humans), enter data into statistical programs and help with data analyses and interpretation. Students can sign up for 1-3 hours of credit (3-9 hours of work/week).
Janie H Wilson
I conduct research on social buffering, generally with a physiological outcome. As a second area of research, I conduct empirical studies of rapport in teaching. When conducting research with me in Research Experience, students often enter data, review literature from the library, test participants, and write up studies. When you speak with me about doing a Research Experience, we will talk about what I am currently working on and how you might help based on the stages of various studies. Being involved in research is sometimes fun and sometimes tedious, but you should get involved in someone’s lab to get an idea of how research actually works!
Thresa Yancey (Not currently working on anything)
My research areas are child maltreatment, resiliency following trauma, and the use of empirically supported treatments in non-traditional populations. Students working on my projects would have varied tasks, including data entry, reading and evaluating research, and potentially writing portions of research papers.