You may not need to meet with your adviser to get help in this area. Please read the content below, and contact your adviser if you need additional assistance.
The projects listed below are a small sampling of some opportunities in our department. To view a full list of faculty research, download our Faculty Research Inventory.
Interested in animals? My team of student researchers works on projects related to attitudes people have toward animals and nature, and how experiences in nature affect cognitive and emotional processes. Here’s a sample of some of recent research topics:
- What species of animals do people find more appealing and why? How do people’s perceptions of animal relate to how likely we are to want to protect them, or whether we are concerned about their well-being?
- How are experiences with nature and wildlife related to well-being, cognitive processes, and emotions
Students work together as a team to design research projects, collect data, summarize and analyze data, and present our findings. Specific experiences depend on the progress of our current projects. I am also interested in reading about animal-behavior related topics such as animal cognition, effects of climate change on animal behavior, and animal social behavior. Interested students may reach out to me, Dr. Suzanne Baker (bakersc@jmu.edu), for more information.
Dr. Trice's research focuses on understanding the role of boredom in education. Intuitively, we may assume that when students find a topic or class or instructor boring, they learn less, but research suggest that it is not nearly that straightforward. We are interested in several research questions in this area:
- What do we learn from feeling bored in class or while studying?
- What kinds of changes can we make to instruction that reduces boredom without compromising the integrity of the instruction? Do we want to do this?
- Is online learning more or less boring that in person learning? Who is more bored by online learning? Are required courses more boring that electives? Why are classes with mathematical content usually found to be the most boring?
If these questions are not boring to you, please contact Dr. Trice at tricead@jmu.edu for further information, including the scheduled lab time. Students will assist in many aspects of research, including finding, reading, and reporting on research articles, participating in weekly lab meetings, collecting, analyzing, and presenting data.
I prefer for students beginning this experience to register for a 1 credit 200-level Research or Readings class. During a second semester, students are encouraged to complete a 3-credit 400-level experience.
In partnership with JMU’s Office of Student Success, we are researching ways to change JMU’s orientation and first year coursework to better promote students’ academic success and overall well-being. Transitions are known to be a difficult developmental time that our field of psychology can help address. If being a part of this project interests you too, please contact Dr. Kenn Barron at barronke@jmu.edu to learn more and to request an application to apply. Students interested in developmental psychology, social psychology, positive psychology, or counseling/clinical psychology are particularly encouraged to apply to gain relevant experience in these areas.
Apply now for next semester! The JMU Counseling Center would like to invite junior and senior psychology majors to join them for a semester of learning and practical experience! Join us for PSYC 402 and earn three credits.
- Prepare and co-present workshops on mental health or interpersonal skills topics. Topics vary by semester. Examples of workshops presented in the past include: Assertiveness, Dealing with Difficult People, Stress Management, Countering Negative Self-Talk, Mindfulness 101, and Practicing Self-Compassion.
- Assist us with outreach programming and with advertising our programs. Selected examples include attending outreach events with our staff and/or one of our four therapy dogs to advertise our services, helping out at events for National Suicide Prevention Day, the Walk for Hope,or other outrach events.
- Checking students in and out of our relaxation room – the OASIS – which has four massage therapy chairs, diffusers/oils for aromatherapy, yoga mats, and other relaxation items.
- Staffing the STUDIO – our expressive arts therapy room.
- Learn all about the role and functions of a University counseling center as well as gain valuable insight to different schooling paths which take you to different career opportunities in the field of psychology.
- Attend a cultural event for your cultural engagement project. This is designed to help you gain some diversity awareness by experiencing cultures and religions different than your own. We will process this experience and through discussion and self-examination, you will gain a greater understanding of yourself and be better prepared to be an effective mental health professional.
This is a wonderful way to gain experience in your field! This 402 can be highlighted on your resume or graduate school application. If you would like to apply for this experience, please e-mail Karla Kale (kalekl@jmu.edu) to request an application.
Dr. Yanbin Li’s research investigates youth and young adults’ development and health across cultural contexts, as well as related methodological challenges. Her current studies include (1) youth and young adults’ future migration, family formation, and career development, (2) development and health of international students, and (3) effect size measures in psychological studies. Her research questions include:
- How do youth and young adults envision their future and pursue their life goals from global and multicultural perspectives?
- How do young adults navigate their lives when studying in another country? How do they envision their future lives after they graduate?
- What would be the role of individuals’ intersecting identities when they pursue their life goals?
If you are interested in exploring these questions, please contact Dr. Li at li42yx@jmu.edu for more information. Please be prepared to discuss your research interests with her. Completion of methodology core courses is required but can be negotiable.
Dr. Upadhyay's research focuses on understanding the cognitive processes that inform reading. Discourse processing - or text and narrative comprehension - involves more than simply understanding the individual words on a page. Our mental representations for what we read build from the smallest units of language to the broadest higher-order representations, and include word and sentence level comprehension, memory, attention, and social and pragmatic information.
Several broad questions guide Dr. Upadhyay's research:
- We know our memory for the information we read is not infinite; what captures our attention as readers?
- Are readers guided by a story character’s experience?
- To what extent does a reader’s “inner voice” reflect a character’s voice?
- How do we communicate via, and comprehend, digital discourse (e.g., text messaging)?
Students will assist in many aspects of the lab including finding and reading research literature, experimental design, participating in lab meetings, preparing IRB protocols, collecting, analyzing, and presenting data, as well as preparing manuscripts for publication.
Preferred:
- A two-semester commitment
Required:
- An interest in cognitive psychology, specifically reading, language, and memory
- Completion of the methodology core
- Completion of PSYC 380 Cognitive Psychology - preferably with Dr. Upadhyay
Please be prepared to discuss your research interestwith Dr. Upadhyay. Prior to completing a Research Assistant Application, or contacting Dr. Upadhyay, it is helpful for you to review sample publications to make sure your research interests align with the lab. If you have issues or questions with the website, please email upadhyay@jmu.edu.
In the Human Development in Contemporary Society Lab, we are building a community of scholars and practitioners dedicated to raising awareness and promoting mental health among individuals with marginalized identities. Our research focuses on immigrant-origin emerging adults and how they navigate cultural differences, racism, and stereotypes while exploring their unique identities in a multicultural world. Through this work, we aim to deepen understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized emerging adults and contribute to creating more inclusive and supportive environments for their psychological well-being.
Current lab interests include:
- how immigrant-origin emerging adults develop their ethnic-racial identities in the face of marginalization and its impact on their psychological well-being,
- how immigrant-origin emerging adults and emerging adults outside of the U.S. define adulthood in contemporary society, and
- how immigrant-origin emerging adults navigate their intersectional identities against marginalization and stereotypes while fostering positive well-being during emerging adulthood.
Interested students are encouraged to learn more about the Human Development in Contemporary Society Lab and to reach out to Dr. Chung (chunghy@jmu.edu) to schedule a time to discuss their interests and explore potential opportunities.
Interested in teaching? Dr. Lyons is looking for students to join her in investigating student engagement in large classes and student development and/or working as a teaching assistant in large-enrollment classes. Students who participate will have the opportunity to work as either teaching assistants for PSYC 160 or research assistants (There are more places for teaching assistants). This opportunity to work will be of particular value to students who have an interest in college student development and teaching. Teaching assistants need to be available during Dr. Lyons’ lecture times each semester. Teaching assistants will need to have taken PSYC 160. Research assistants will need to have taken PSYC 210. Students will also need to be available for one-hour weekly meetings. Teaching Assistant Duties include: supporting student learning, grading student assignments and assisting in the development of class materials. Research Assistant Duties include: study design, data entry, and data collection. Interested students should email Dr. Lyons at lyonscw@jmu.edu.
Do you wonder what motivates us and what can be done to help improve our motivation? If yes, JMU's Motivation Research Institute (MRI) is interested in recruiting students to join either (1) our research lab for a PSYC 203 or 403 independent study research experience or (2) a book club for a PSYC 202 or 402 independent study reading experience about motivation. Please contact Dr. Kenn Barron at barronke@jmu.edu to learn more and to request an application to apply for either experience.
Are you passionate about your major? Are most students passionate about their majors? Does being passionate for your major (or for academics in general) have a positive effect on your subjective well-being, on your life satisfaction, and on your likelihood of being successful? These and other related questions are the focus of Dr. Bryan Saville’s research lab. Dr. Saville is looking for several motivated research assistants who are interested in studying passion for activities and how it impacts both subjective (e.g., happiness, subjective well-being) and objective (e.g., performance) outcomes. Students will assist in many aspects of research including designing studies, preparing IRB protocols, collecting and analyzing data, and preparing manuscripts for publication. For more information on this 3-credit PSYC 403 opportunity, or to obtain an application form, please contact Dr. Bryan Saville (savillbk@jmu.edu).
Lab Description: In the Structural Oppression as Feelings, Attitudes, and Behaviors Psychology Lab, or S.O.F.A.B. Psychology Lab, students will assist with research that investigates the connection between individual difference variables (e.g. identity, personality, and values), social psychological variables (i.e. feelings, attitudes, and behaviors), and socio-political variables that have the capacity to affect social structure, including voting, activism, and other types of engagement aimed at creating social change for members of marginalized groups. Upcoming studies will examine these particularly among LGBTQ, racial, and SES/class-related minorities.
To find out more information, contact Dr. Blankenship at blankebt@jmu.edu or visit http://www.btblankenship.com/.
If you are interested in being a part of cutting-edge existential research that utilizes Terror Management Theory (TMT) - a theory concerning the management of death anxiety - as its theoretical framework, Dr. Harvell-Bowman (harve2La@jmu.edu) is always looking for a team of students interested in getting involved in this type of research. We have investigated issues such as suicidality, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, paranormal beliefs, religious beliefs, and various theoretical extensions. There is an interview process in the latter part of each semester for openings in the lab. This interdisciplinary lab offers students in the Department of Psychology, the Department of Graduate Psychology and The School of Communication Studies a unique opportunity to work together to produce research. This lab includes undergraduates, master's students, and doctoral students. We regularly present at the Existential Preconference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), the larger SPSP, the National Communication Association, and the International Communication Association, as well as some regional conferences in psychology and communication. For further information, please check out our lab website and check our work out each year at the Psychology Symposium!
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) a teaching approach that aims to create an inclusive learning environment for all students by removing barriers and providing multiple ways to learn and demonstrate learning. In our lab, we will be investigating the use of UDL principles in higher education, how to ensure implementation fidelity, and both students and professors experiences with UDL practices.
If you are interested in exploring these questions, please contact Dr. Tracy Zinn at zinnte@jmu.edu.
Dr. Jeff Andre anticipates needing research assistants for the upcoming semester. He is currently working on a variety of visual perception topics such as the visual guidance of locomotion, eye tracking, and wayfinding. An interest in visual perception research and a prerequisite of PSYC 211 are required. Having completed PSYC 375 would be a plus. Research activities include developing/conducting experiments and lab meetings to discuss relevant theoretical topics. PSYC 403 credits are available. A two-semester commitment is preferred but not required. For more information, contact Dr. Jeff Andre (andrejt@jmu.edu).
