Looking for a job? On May 4th the Virginia Institute of Autism (formerly known as Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center) is hosting a job fair, with open positions as a Behavior Tech, Special Ed Teacher, and Job Coach!
Huge congratulations to senior Kristi Rolf who successfully defended her Honors in Psychology project on April 26th!
Kristi’s project was titled Sense of Purpose in College Students: Connections with Support and Descriptions of Purpose Development. During the defense, her advisor Dr. Findley Van Nostrand was joined by committee members Dr. Powell and Professor Chapman of the Modern Languages Department.
Kristi will be graduating with honors on May 6th 2023. Congratulations Kristi!
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Huge congratulations to senior Skyler Pokorny who successfully defended her honors project on Wednesday April 26th!
Skyler’s project was titled Experimental Manipulation of Self-Concept Clarity in Emerging Adults. During the defense, Skyler’s project advisor Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand was joined by committee members Dr. Allen and Dr. Berenson of the Religion and Philosophy department .
Skyler will be graduating with honors on May 6th, 2023. Congratulations Skyler!
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It’s been a busy year as usual for RC Psych! On Thursday April 20th, the Psychology Department took over the first floor of Fintel Library for the Spring 2023 poster session! Students, faculty, and staff from across campus gathered to hear psychology students present their research and experiential learning experiences.
Scroll on for photos from the day and visit us on social media to congratulate our hard-working students!
It’s been a great year of research and experiential learning for RC Psych! We can’t wait to see how these students apply their skills in the future.
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On Tuesday April 18th, the psychology department was proud to recognize the accomplishments of our fantastic students. In the annual ceremony, twelve students received special recognition for their achievements in psychology through eight awards, and Psi Chi the Psychology Honor Society inducted new members. Read on to learn about this year’s awardees!
The senior scholar in psychology is the student with the highest GPA in Psychology courses. Ties are broken by highest GPA across all Roanoke College Courses. Congratulations to Skyler Pokorny for winning the title this year!
The Charles E. Early award is granted in honor of Dr. Charles E. Early, retired Professor of Psychology who taught at Roanoke from 1988-2015. The award goes to the student who best embodies Dr. Early’s love of learning, powerful work ethic, keen intellect, warm humor, and deep appreciation for pie. This year’s recipient is Isabelle Mildonian. Congratulations Isabelle!
The Curt R. Camac Student Research Award was developed to honor Dr. Curt R. Camac’s support of student research. This year’s recipients were Devin Brown, Maryam Nishtar, and Kristi Rolf. Congratulations to all!
The Jan H. Lynch Human Development Concentration award is granted to a student who has demonstrated excellence in the Human Development Concentration. This year’s awardees are Caroline Powell and Kosovare Fetinci. Congratulations Caroline and Kosovare!
The Karl W. Beck award is granted to a student with demonstrated excellence in psychology. This year’s awardee is Allyson Herriges. Congratulations Allyson!
This award is granted to students who demonstrate excellence in the Neuroscience Concentration. Congratulations to the 2023 recipients, Jarod Le and Allyson Herriges!
Seven juniors were recognized for outstanding academic success and potential for continued success in Psychology. Awardees were (pictured above) Reagan Middelthon, Hannah Pluim, Sophia Contini, Brian Shwenk; and (not pictured) Elizabeth Bain, Ciara Fadeley, and Timothy Hoffstaetter.
The Psi Chi Achievement Award is granted to a Psi CHi member who has best exemplified excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Chosen by faculty members in Psi Chi, the 2023 awardee is Kristi Rolf. Congratulations!
Psi Chi also inducted students who have met the academic qualifications for membership in the Honorary Psychology Honor Society. Congratulations to all new members!
It’s been a fantastic year for RC Psychology and we are so proud of our students! Special congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2023 as they head off into their future endeavors post-graduation.
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Huge congratulations to senior Allyson Herriges who successfully defended her honors project on Tuesday April 18th!
Allyson’s project was titled Evaluating the Impact of Zofran Exposure on Embryonic Neural Development in Zebrafish Using a Multi-Method Approach. During the defense, Allyson’s project advisor Dr. Drea was joined by committee members Dr. Lassiter and Dr. Kennedy-Metz.
Below is the abstract from Allyson’s paper:
“Ondansetron, commonly known as Zofran, is commonly prescribed as an antiemetic to pregnant females experiencing severe morning sickness. Zofran is often only given when the mother’s malnutrition poses a much greater risk to the fetus than exposure to the drug. While the drug may cause morphological abnormalities in development, relatively little has been done to examine gene expression changes. In this study we identified four genes (shank3a, shank3b, gabra1, and hgma2) with important links to neural development and, using Danio rerio, evaluated the expression of these genes after embryos were exposed to Zofran in the early stages of development. We also looked at behavioral development, including tail-flips, startle response, and optical response. Preliminary qPCR analysis has shown dysregulation in the specified genes. Embryos exposed to Zofran at laboratory levels showed a significant increase in tail-flipping at 28hpf, with a downward trend correlating to exposure level. These findings may offer insight into potential correlations to neurodevelopmental disorders, like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, in children of mothers who used the drug while pregnant, and in turn allow doctors to better treat these conditions.”
Allyson will be graduating with honors on May 6th, 2023. Congratulations, Allyson!
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April 23-29 2023 is Psychology Week, a campaign from the American Psychological Association (APA). In honor of the week, we are highlighting some of the amazing people in the Roanoke College Psychology Department.
We asked two students and a faculty member to share their answer to the question, “Why Psychology?”
Why psychology?
I choose to study psychology because of my passion for helping and uplifting others. Being educated on this subject allows for me to help others live their best and truest life. I also want to shoutout my sister because even though she is not in the field of psychology she inspires me every day to live my life by helping people.
Why psychology?
I was drawn to psychology in a search for an answer to big questions like, What is consciousness? Do we have free will? How can we best live happy and meaningful lives? What I love about psychology and the human experience is that I am still learning new answers to these questions. I find joy in that search as well as in sharing what I have learned with others.
Why psychology?
I chose to study psychology because I’m the mother of an autistic child. Through my studies I’ve been able to develop a better understanding of the disorder and have become a better parent as a result. I hope to spend my life researching the neurological basis of autism while also helping families like my own navigate the world, and make it a more autism-friendly place.
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Congratulations are in order for Dr. Buchholz who received the Roanoke College Dean’s Exemplary Service Award last week.
The annual Dean’s awards are granted based on nominations from the college community and include awards for exemplary teaching professional life, and service.
“The Dean’s Exemplary Service Award recognizes outstanding faculty service – either at Roanoke College or in the larger community – in ways that advance the mission of the College in seeking to develop students as whole persons and prepare them for lives of purpose and meaning. Professional service may involve many factors, such as the number, quality, range or focus of service activities; honors or awards received from off-campus organizations; and the time invested relative to the time available for service activities.”
The announcement from the Dean last week highlighted the incredible dedication Dr. Buchholz shows to the College through service:
“This year’s Dean’s Exemplary Service Award recipient (…) lives and breathes Roanoke College and models to others [the] pillar of service. He currently serves on —count them–nine different college-wide committees, task forces, and groups, along with being a Faculty Marshal. This doesn’t even count the myriad service opportunities he participates in within his department.”
Dr. Powell, Interim Chair of the Psychology Department, stated: “In each of these endeavors, he is thoughtful – considering the needs of the students and the resources of the college; is reliable – if he says he’s going to do it, he does it in an exceptionally timely manner; and is diligent – ensuring all facets are accounted for and completed appropriately.”
Another colleague commented: “I have also observed (…) him being a stabilizing agent – consistently working to consider, respect, and understand various perspectives on a range of issues, and modeling such behavior not only to students, but also to junior faculty who are themselves striving to serve students.”
The psychology department is proud to have Dr. Buchholz on our faculty. His dedication has impacted countless colleagues and students and we can’t thank him enough. Congratulations, Dr. Buchholz, and thank you for your service to our community!
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Huge congratulations to senior Devin Brown who successfully defended her honors project on Tuesday April 11th!
Devin’s project was titled The Pen is Mightier than the Brain: the Cognitive and Social Psychology Behind the Handwriting Legibility Effect. During the defense, Devin’s project advisor Dr. Carter was joined by committee members Dr. Kennedy-Metz and Dr. Brenzovich.
Below is the abstract from Devin’s paper:
“The handwriting legibility effect suggests that the quality of handwriting can affect the grades that are assigned to student papers. There are both cognitive and personality based theories that give a basis for why this occurs, but there is a lack of cohesive research testing subcomponents of these theories. This research is a controlled experiment designed to fill this gap in the current literature. To understand how handwriting quality contributes to evaluator perception of author competency, warmth, and similarity, these personality components were considered. For cognitive components, effort to read the essay, truthfulness of the answer, and complexity of the argument were studied. All of these were affected by the quality of handwriting the participants were exposed to except complexity. This research can be used in future studies to find and apply practical solutions to bring more equality in classroom settings for students that may have worse handwriting for a number of reasons. “
Congratulations, Devin!
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On Tuesday April 11th, three students from Dr. Kennedy-Metz’s psychophysiology research seminar went head-to-head in The Nutshell Games. Students had 90 second to communicate their current research project “in a nutshell” to a diverse audience of students and faculty from a variety of disciplines.
Undergraduate research is a key part of the Psychology Department’s mission. Every psychology major will conduct research in their senior seminar and more than 1 in 3 students are involved in a research lab each year.
Dr. Kennedy-Metz had a mission to teach her seminar students the importance of science communication through a fun and challenging lesson. I spoke with her about how the nutshell games came to be.
“I’ve always felt that the more high-profile (and potentially impactful) someone’s research becomes, the worse they are at communicating why it’s so important to the world. Science communication is an essential skill that often doesn’t come naturally to us, and, to make matters worse, is chronically under-trained. So, I felt a responsibility to emphasize the importance of science communication to students at an early stage in their career. ”
“I invited Dr. Patty Raun, Director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science, to lead an improv day in my Research Seminar class, encouraging students to step outside of their comfort zone, embrace vulnerability, and communicate freely and meaningfully.”
“The goal of the subsequent Nutshell Games competition was for students to put this training to the test, and see how well they could communicate their semester-long projects in succinct, accessible terms to a non-specialist audience. They had 90 seconds to share their research and convey its importance to the larger community, all while being judged by staff and faculty from 5+ departments across campus (including Chemistry, Psychology, Fine Arts, Music, Public Health, and Health and Human Performance).”
Dr. Kennedy-Metz invited students, faculty, and staff from a variety of backgrounds to simulate the real-world challenge of communicating science to people from a variety of backgrounds.
“One of my goals in gathering such a diverse group of staff and faculty was to showcase how difficult it is to distill a body of work and still communicate it effectively to audience members with such diverse backgrounds, along with the relevance and importance of doing so. In the future, I hope to expand the scope of the Nutshell Games at Roanoke College to include competitors from across departments.”
We can’t wait to see how this competition grows in future years!
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Gabrielle Lirosi ’24 is spending a semester participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS). Gabrielle originally hails from Jackson, New Jersey and is a current junior at Roanoke College. She majors in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and a concentration in Crime, Deviance, and Social Control.
I interviewed Gabrielle to learn more about what she’s doing during her semester away!
This spring, Gabrielle is working for Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) as a Post-Release Intern. OAR works to “create a community where those impacted by the legal system enjoy equal civil and human rights.” Gabrielle’s team specifically works with people who have recently been released from incarceration to help them transition back into the community.
Describing her work, Gabrielle says, “some days I am booked with appointments working with our participants to find housing, arrange community service, build job applications, practice interviews, and so much more!” Her team communicates with probation/parole officers, group home mentors, and family members of participants to help build their support system. Gabrielle also frequently attends court to stay up-to-date with participants and share OAR resources with recently-released individuals.
Positively impacting people’s lives while gaining high-level professional experience is an average day for an LCWS student. This semester, Gabrielle has been assigned the designated point-person for a large project in which OAR is assessing their recidivism rates.
Gabrielle is putting her psychology background to work in the professional world! She says psychology students must consider participating in LCWS.
“So many focus on DC as the capital only seeing politics and ignoring the social sciences that reside in such a complex society! I’ve applied endless amounts of psychology work into analyzing the culture of DC and understanding my work at OAR! There are ample opportunities for any major, including psychology.”
According to Gabrielle, the networking and mentoring opportunities available for all students in D.C. are invaluable.
When she isn’t in class or working at OAR, Gabrielle is soaking up the culture of the nation’s capital! She loves making spontaneous plans with her roommates (pictured above). “There has never been a dull moment exploring the city,” she says, but it’s easy to find peace and quiet in one of D.C.’s many parks.
When I asked Gabrielle what her favorite memory from the semester so far is, she said, “seeing the cherry blossoms at sunrise was surreal, they are a token of DC and are in peak bloom right now.” But the famous cherry blossoms are tied with the interactive art of the Artech House for most memorable to Gabrielle.
Want to learn more about LCWS? Visit https://www.washingtonsemester.org/ or contact Dr. Todd Peppers (peppers@roanoke.edu) for more information!
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On Saturday March 18th, Roanoke College students, faculty, and staff gathered at the Cregger Center for the annual President’s Ball. The college community had a blast dressing up and dancing. This year’s event was notable as the first President’s Ball during the term of President Frank Shushok.
Many psychology students were spotted enjoying the evening. Enjoy these pictures of #PsychRC at Roanoke’s biggest night of the year!
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Megan Onofrei ’24 is spending her semester in the U.S. capital by participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS) program. A junior from Mesa, Arizona, Onofrei majors in Political Science with a minor in Psychology. Outside of the classroom, she plays defense for Roanoke College Women’s Soccer.
The Lutheran College Washington Semester allows Roanoke students to live and study in Washington D.C. while gaining professional experience through an internship. Onofrei is currently interning at the Normandy Group, a government relations firm.
Onofrei describes her internship as “well organized but also flexible and highly interactive.” Interning at the Normandy Group, Onofrei is “involved in all aspects of the firm’s responsibilities” but she notes that “I also retain the opportunity to attend Congressional hearings or networking events throughout the day that are related to the clients and projects that I am a part of.” This keeps her days “exciting and busy!”
Onofrei’s time in D.C. has been saturated with politics, but her psychology studies have been relevant throughout. She says,
“the concepts that I have learned about in Social Psychology apply directly to the interactions that I have with work colleagues or other professionals. On a larger scale, I have seen the reality of psychological phenomena that is a driver for certain decisions made by Congress.”
The Washington semester is open to students from any major, and any type of internship can can be completed for credit! Onofrei says “psychology students should definitely consider participating in the Washington Semester because there is a lot of networking and interpersonal interaction available here!” This experiential learning and career experience will set any student apart as they prepare for graduate school or the workforce.
Professional experiences abound at LCWS! On a recent LCWS field trip, Onofrei and other students toured the Library of Congress, pictured above. Onofrei has also attended hearings of the House Oversight Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee. She says, “I have plans to sit in a Supreme Court Oral Argument later on in the semester, an opportunity that I am extremely excited for!”
Outside of the work day, LCWS provides ample opportunity to explore the nation’s capital. Onofrei has enjoyed exploring monuments and memorials, taking in the architecture of D.C., and hitting up the culinary scene by trying new coffee shops and restaurants. But her favorite recreation so far has been visiting D.C. suburbs like Alexandria and Georgetown, “it is very relaxing to walk along these long brick-lined streets, full of shops and beautiful architecture.”
Want to learn more about LCWS? Visit https://www.washingtonsemester.org/ or contact Dr. Todd Peppers (peppers@roanoke.edu) for more information!
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Last week, two Psychology majors were elected to join Phi Beta Kappa, the country’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Seniors Allyson Herriges and Caroline Powell were recognized for outstanding achievement in the liberal arts and sciences.
To be eligible for membership in PBK, college students must complete a wide berth of coursework beyond requirements for their major, study a language and math or statistics, and be determined to have good moral character. Read more details about membership requirements here!
Phi Beta Kappa nominees from the 2022/2023 school year will be inducted at a formal ceremony on May 5th 2023, the day before commencement.
Congratulations Allyson and Caroline! The psychology department is proud to recognize your achievement and wishes you the best of luck after graduation.
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Attention upcoming graduates and recent alumni! If you are seeking employment that would lead towards licensure and are enthusiastic about working with children and families, Strategic Therapy Associates has position openings you may be eligible for.
Strategic Therapy Associates provides family therapy services to at-risk children and their families across Central and Southwest Virginia. We have offices in Lynchburg, Farmville Richmond, Danville, Halifax, Martinsville, Roanoke, Lexington and Wytheville, Virginia. They are seeking candidates who have completed or will soon complete a master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work or Marriage & Family Therapy. All clinicians offered employment must be able to register as a Resident in Counseling, Resident in Marriage & Family Therapy or Supervisee in Social Work with the VA Board of Health Professionals to receive clinical supervision towards professional licensure as an LPC, LMFT or LCSW.
They use a Strategic Family Therapy systems approach in our work with clients and are seeking therapists who are interested in learning solution-focused interventions. Applicants should be interested in working with at-risk children and families in their homes where they will learn how to uncover the family’s strengths and abilities to solve their own problems, where our therapist motivates clients to implement positive changes. All therapists receive extensive training and weekly supervision.
Here is a link to the company page and a list of open positions:
Looking for something to do with your summer? You can get paid while conducting research and building a competitive CV for grad school applications! The University of Missouri is hosting a Paid Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) this summer. Read on for details about the program and how to apply!
Scientific Study of Interpersonal Relationships Across the Lifespan
The scientific study of interpersonal relationships over the lifespan is important to our broader understanding of the human experience. These relationships begin with our earliest interactions and continue well into later life, and through them we learn how to communicate with, trust, and support others, as well as handle conflicts and negative interactions. These relationships are also studied through a variety of different social and behavioral science disciplines, including psychology, human development, family sciences, and interpersonal communication. Increasing interdisciplinary insights into how close relationships and human social networks function and impact well-being across the lifespan is important to consider in training the next generation of scholars.
The University of Missouri (MU) is hosting a new National Science Foundation REU Site* centered on the scientific theme of Close Relationships. This nine-week on-campus summer program (8 students per summer) is centered on the interdisciplinary, lifespan developmental, and diverse nature of the scientific study of close relationships. This REU site will take advantage of the collaborative and interactive research environment fostered by the Family and Relationships Research Network of Missouri (FARR-net) at MU. Each undergraduate will be mentored by a primary FARR-net-affiliated faculty member from the departments of Communication, Human Development & Family Sciences, or Psychological Sciences, to design a project related to one or more primary close relationships (i.e., parent-child, sibling, friends, romantic/marital partners) from a developmentally-informed perspective.
Who should apply?
Rising sophomore, junior, or senior undergraduates with interests in close relationships research and graduate study in any relevant social and behavioral science degree program from across the U.S. are eligible for the program. We are particularly interested in reviewing applications from students who may not have strong research opportunities at their current institutions, as well as students who are either first-generation college students or students with minoritized identities.
How should students apply?
Applicants must complete an online application at the link below by Friday, March 31, 2023, as well as submit a CV or resume, an unofficial transcript, a one-page (250 words) description of the student’s educational and career goals, and one letter of recommendation (ideally from a faculty member at their current institution).
Application website: https://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/interpersonal-relationships-summer-research-program/
What does the program include?
The REU program site will cover admitted students’ travel to and from the University of Missouri, as well as campus lodging and meals for the entire 9 week program (Tue 5/30 – Fri 7/28, 2023). Students will also earn a stipend of $600 per week ($5400 over the course of the summer) while participating approximately 40 hours per week in: 1) research with an individual faculty member in their area of expertise, 2) participating in weekly seminars on close relationships, as well as other areas of professional development (e.g., graduate school application preparation, competitive fellowship funding), 3) opportunities to present the research conducted, and 4) social programs sponsored by the MU Office of Undergraduate Research along with students from other on-campus summer research experiences.
QUESTIONS? Contact program coordinator, Dr. Nicole Campione-Barr, campionebarrn@umsystem.edu
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This year, Roanoke College has expanded their academic catalog by launching a new concentration in Disability Studies.
“the concentration was designed with an interdisciplinary approach that reflects the truth that disabilities are woven into every aspect of society.” –Roanoke College
The interdisciplinary team of faculty directing the concentration include Dr. Teresa Milbrodt, Assistant Professor of English & Communication Studies; Mrs. Frances McCutcheon, Lecturer in Biology; and Dr. Andréa Burchfield, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology.
Required courses for the concentration focus on disability theory, the lived experience of people with disabilities, elective units, and a capstone consisting of an internship or independent study.
Dr. Burchfield shares that Disability Studies “prepares students for careers in the human services where they are likely to encounter people with disabilities.” Students who aim to attend graduate programs for special education, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and applied behavior analysis will especially benefit from completing the concentration.
The concentration is also aimed at providing students with disabilities at Roanoke College a means to “better understand themselves, their disability communities, and what to expect from the world at large, while also deepening their support network here on campus.”
Prior to teaching at Roanoke College, Dr. Burchfield worked in the field by providing behavior therapy, disability education and consultation, and disability accommodation training. Her past research focused on children with autism.
She says,
“I’m motivated to educate students about disabilities after years of witnessing the systemic isolation, negative stigmas, and obstacles to accessing services that people with disabilities face. People without disabilities lack a general awareness about the challenges the disability community faces; I’d like to reduce that gap in awareness.”
Through disability studies, Dr. Burchfield hopes that students will create “positive changes for people with disabilities on campus and in their communities” and that current and prospective Roanoke students with disabilities will benefit from a stronger sense of community and belonging on campus.
The Psychology Department is excited that this valuable field of study is now represented on campus.
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Psychology students are invited to attend the lecture titled “Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in the Era of Big Data” hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. On February 9th at 5:30pm, Damien Fair, PA-C, Ph.D. will be speaking on this topic.
The lecture will be broadcast on Zoom and is free to attend! Click here to join the webinar.
Read on, or visit the event page for more details!
“Developmental cognitive neuroscience is being pulled in new directions by network science and big data. Brain imaging (e.g. functional MRI, functional connectivity MRI), analytical advances (e.g. graph theory, machine learning), and access to large computing resources have empowered us to collect and process neuro-behavioral data faster and in larger populations than ever before. The clinical and translational potential from these advances is unparalleled, as a better understanding of complex human brain function is best grounded in the onset of these functions during human development. Here Dr. Fair examines the state of developmental cognitive neuroscience in the era of networks and ‘big data’ and highlight the solid footing we can take forward into future discovery and real world applications.”
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Job opportunity available at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carillion for a full-time research assistant to support projects in the labs of Dr. Pearl Chiu and Dr. Brooks King-Casas. More information below
Our very own Dr. Powell recently appeared as an expert commentator on ghosting in relationships in the Swiss docuseries “La science das coeurs brises” or “The science of broken hearts.” You can read more about Dr. Powell’s research in ghosting and her appearance in this docuseries in this article.
On Thursday December 8th, the Roanoke College community gathered to see psychology students present their latest research and internship experiences. This event is held at the end of every semester and always draws a crowd. As usual, Fintel library was packed with students, staff, and faculty alike to celebrate the hard work of driven psychology students.
Scroll through the photos below to see how our students enhance their learning beyond the classroom!
Psychology students love research! Senior seminar, honors in the major, and independent studies are just a few of many ways students conduct research under the supervision of faculty. These experiences are all presented at the poster session as seen in the pictures below.
This semester, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand taught an Honors-260 course titled The Psychology of Aggression. For their final project, students in the class worked in groups to create informational brochures or flyers summarizing practical applications of the topic they studied throughout the semester. In this course, students from a variety of academic backgrounds learned about the discipline of psychology and its applications.
Many students also shared the workplace experience they gained through internships during the summer or school year. A broad range of internships qualify for academic credit and prepare students for the workforce after graduation.
Get Connected to RC psychology!
Come have some pizza and hear about the latest research and internships conducted by psychology students in the Library on December 8th from 12-1 pm!
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Kiah Coflin (’19) recently had her Honors in the Major project published in the Journal of Couple and Family Psychology. The article, titled “Comparison of emerging adults’ bid responses based on their gender and attachment” examines how individual differences in bid responses (i.e. turning toward, turning away, and turning against) effect relationship quality and duration.
Kiah completed this project under Dr. Darcey N. Powell, who she credits with encouraging her to become involved in research. She __ that the experiences that she gained from research – including presenting at research conferences, May Term, and the Honors in the major process were both fun and useful for her future beyond Roanoke
“It was an incredibly fun and enlightening time that shaped my undergraduate career, and certainly helped as I continued on into graduate school for my Masters.” – Kiah Coflin ’19
After graduation, Dr. Powell continued to support her through the publication process, as they worked together to edit and create manuscripts and submit for publication at various journals. Kiah graduated from Boston College with her Masters in School Counseling in Spring 2021, and has been working as a School Adjustment Counselor with hopes to continue to grow in the profession.
“I’m continually in awe of the opportunities Roanoke College has been able to provide myself and fellow graduates, and consider myself lucky to continue to have the support and guidance of the Psychology Department years beyond my leaving campus.” – Kiah Coflin ’19
Here’s the abstract for the paper:
This project explored individual differences in bid responses, focusing specifically on participant gender and attachment. Bid responses (i.e., turning toward, turning away, and turning against) have been demonstrated to predict relationship quality and duration. However, to date, individual differences have not been explored. A pilot study of college-enrolled emerging adults (N = 51) demonstrated variability in responses to the created vignettes about hypothetical interactions with a romantic partner. Participants in the main study (N = 172) were emerging adults recruited from Prolific who responded to the finalized vignettes, as well as attachment and demographic questions. Turning toward was the most endorsed response type, and participants’ responses did not differ based on their gender. Bid responses did differ based on their romantic attachment, but not on their friend or family attachments. The results reiterate that practitioners should consider clients’ romantic attachment when discussing their interactions in romantic relationships and suggest additional research examining individual differences in bid responses is warranted.
Citation is: Coflin, K., & Powell, D. N. (2022). Comparison of emerging adults’ bid responses based on their gender and attachment. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000236
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Stephanie Walsh ’14 was sworn in as a police officer in Vinton and was recently highlighted in Vinton’s weekly newspaper, which you can read here. Congratulations Stephanie!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to all Roanoke College students who have been elected into Phi Beta Kappa. PBK is the oldest honors society in the country and recognizes stellar students in the liberal arts and sciences who are championed in free thought. PBK is America’s most prestigious honors society, and as such, serves as the forefront of recognition in liberal arts education. The Psychology Department would like to say a special congratulations to this year’s juniors and seniors who have been selected to join PBK:
Devin Brown Edmond Dixon Emma Kalinski Skyler Pokorny Kristi Rolf Molly Willingham Sydney Willingham
The Psychology Department is proud of all of your hard work this semester and previous semesters! Your hard work during your college years has paid off tremendously, and for that we commend you.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts highlighting each student!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
You may recognize the acronym APA as the citation style psychology students use to write papers. But who or what is APA and what do they do? This post is APA 101: a beginner’s guide. The American Psychological Association has a wealth of resources you should be taking advantage of as a student and professional. Read on and click the underlined links throughout this post to explore how APA can serve you!
Background
The American Psychological Association is a professional organization representing the field of psychology in the United States. Founded in 1892, today’s APA has more than 13,000 members who are professionals and students connected with the study and practice of psychology (source).
(Important note: APA could also stand for the American Psychiatric Association, a similar group which focusses on the related field of psychiatry. Try not to mix them up!)
Let’s start with the basics for college students: citations. As a student, you will use APA style for papers and projects for class. If you conduct research in undergrad, graduate school, or during your career, you will publish your findings using APA guidelines. All current American psychology research is published and presented in APA format, so it is important to understand it so you can read the latest findings in the field.
But APA citations aren’t just standard in psychology. This style is also widely used in other social sciences as well as the fields of engineering, nursing, and business.
Luckily the APA’s website has a guide for using this style. This page features sample papers, helpful tips, and instructions for formatting your work and citing your sources. Bookmark the guide so you can find it for your next project!
Are you an undergraduate student who loves psychology but is looking for direction? Click here to find the latest edition of Psychology Student Network (PSN), the APA’s publication just for undergraduates.
PSN articles discuss topics such as available jobs with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, undergraduate research, and tips for applying to grad school. Each bi-annual publication offers fresh content to guide you throughout your journey as a psychology student.
It’s no secret that many psychology careers require a graduate degree. If you are planning to attend graduate school, visit APA’s grad school page for information about finding and applying to graduate programs, and how to succeed once you get there.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the graduate program search tool as you prepare for the next step in your education.
If the student chapter of your life is coming to an end, APA is there to guide you through your career.
Start here with the career options guide to learn about potential careers in psychology. Then, read APA’s job search tips to guide you before diving into the job search tool to locate current job openings nationwide.
Last but not least, on to the fun stuff! APA has a number of resources to satisfy your curiosity about all the current topics in psychology.
Speaking of Psychology is a podcast hosted by Kim Mills, the APA’s senior director of strategic external communications and public affairs. Each episode, Mills interviews psychology researchers and practitioners to highlight new research and practices in the field. You can listen to the podcast on APA’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Stitcher.
To learn about the most pressing topics that connect psychology to everyday life, check out this hub of current issues featuring articles about the biggest themes in the field today.
Finally, you can read the freshest scholarly papers on APA’s current research page. Here you can stay current on the latest findings in psychology.
The biggest takeaway from this post? You should visit the APA website! Whether you are a student, researcher, professional or just someone who thinks psychology is cool, there’s something for everyone at APA
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How does a Roanoke College psychology student spend spend her summer? This year, senior Logan Pasley chose to intern at Youth Connect of Virginia, serving as a Mentor and Life Skills Provider.
Pasley originally hails from Penhook, Virginia and studies psychology with a minor in sociology at Roanoke. She recently began interning with Youth Connect in her hometown, an opportunity she pursued because “I have always wanted to work with children.” Additionally, Pasley’s goal was to learn more about the foster care system and how it can be improved.
Pasley works remotely for Youth Connect in a paid position while earning course credit, a great example of the wide variety of internship opportunities for psychology majors.
As Mentor and Life Skills Provider, Pasley develops a one-on-one relationship with young clients. When meeting a new client, she learns about their background and uses the Casey Life skills assessment to evaluate “life skills in daily living, self-care, relationships, communication, respect, education, work, etc.” Pasley uses this information to design and implement a six-month plan of action for each client.
Pasley’s work with clients is very hands-on. Each session, her job is “to plan a day in which the client is exposed to activities in the community. I allow my clients to choose a specific goal or task to get accomplished throughout the day and then take them to the most appropriate location to accomplish this goal.”
This work allowed Pasley to develop important skills. She says,
“I learned a way of communicating with individuals who struggle with trauma, mental illness, and grueling circumstances.”
After a full summer of working with Youth Connect, Pasley took the time to reflect on her growth and the impact she’s had on her clients. In what she describes as the most meaningful moment from her internship, Pasley’s was reunited with the first client she ever worked with. She remembers,
“the client’s face lit up when I walked into the room. Her DSS [Department of Social Services] worker added that the client found her voice through me and rediscovered her purpose.”
After her experience working with clients one-on-one, Pasley now wants to turn her attention to the legal system, focusing on “the structural issues that affect every individual involved with the legal system.” She says a change is overdue and is passionate about addressing unseen issues.
We can’t wait to see how Logan Pasley continues to change lives at Youth Connect and beyond!
Are you interested in completing your own internship as a psychology student? Visit the department’s internship page or contact Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand at findely@roanoke.edu.
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Are you a current student interested in graduate school?
The College of William and Mary will be holding a Diversity Open House for their Masters Program in Psychology over Zoom. The Masters Program in Psychology is a 2-year research-focused program designed to help prepare students for admission to Ph.D programs. All Roanoke psychology students are encouraged to attend to learn more about the program.
The Open House which will be held on October 25th at 6:00pm EST. Click here to RSVP!
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The Roanoke College psychology department is always proud to recognize the work of our fantastic students. Today we are highlighting Avery Jackson who completed an internship this summer at Children and Family Associates in Roanoke, VA.
Avery is a senior from Yarmouth, Maine who is double majoring in Communications and Psychology. She shares that she was motivated to pursue this internship because “I knew I wanted to have a hand on experience with a counselor.”
While interning at Children and Family Associates, Avery was able to observe counseling sessions and discuss her questions and comments with the counselor afterwards. She shares what a typical day in her internship looked like: ” an average day would involve me going in at noon to debrief with my supervisor on the previous day. I would then sit in on the sessions each hour unless the client requested for me to not be present.”
This direct experience paid off since Avery says, “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work with children, but after this experience I know that I want to pursue this career.”
I asked Avery to reflect on a meaningful moment from her experience. She shares that the most impactful memory occurred as she was wrapping up her internship:
“My supervisor pushed me to fill out the report for a new client. After meeting with this new client, my supervisor asked me what I would diagnose this patient with. I replied with what I thought the diagnoses would be and I remember a huge smile coming across her face. She told me she was so impressed and proud of me. She pushed and encouraged me the whole summer and made me realize that this is what I want to do, and I can do it.“
Avery Jackson ’23
Avery’s work is an exciting example of the benefits of completing internships as a psychology student. We can’t wait to see what Avery does in the future and how her internship experience guides her career!
Psychology students who are interested in completing an internship can contact the department’s Internship Coordinator, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand (findley@roanoke.edu) for more information.
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Calling all Seniors!
PLACE (Center for Purpose, Life, and Career Exploration) is hosting a Senior Series on Wednesday evenings to prepare Roanoke students for the job search and life as a recent college graduate.
Senior Series events are taking place on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:00pm. The sessions cover a variety of topics relating to professional development. Psychology students who are planning to entering the job market immediately after graduation will especially benefit from these events!
There are three topics remaining in the series:
Students can register to attend each event on Handshake or email Amy Foster (foster@roanoke.edu) for more information.
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The psychology department is excited to welcome a new faculty member this year!
Dr. Lauren Kennedy-Metz graduated from Roanoke College with a B.S. in Psychology, a Creative Writing minor, and a Neuroscience concentration. She then went down the road to Blacksburg where she completed a PhD in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health with a concentration in Neuroscience at Virginia Tech.
This year Dr. Kennedy-Metz has returned to her alma mater where she is currently teaching Introduction to Psychology and Cognitive Psychology, as well as serving as the faculty advisor for Psi Chi and RCPA.
When asked what brought her back to Roanoke, Dr. Kennedy-Metz shared that the Roanoke College Psychology Department was her “ideal scenario” for a work environment. She says the department is “where I learned the most about myself, my interests, my strengths as a student and as a human.” She adds that “it’s where I was afforded the opportunities to thrive through the encouragement of lifelong faculty members.” In addition, this native New-Englander shared that “the Roanoke area has always felt like home.”
Dr. Kennedy-Metz brings a unique research background to the department. She summarizes her work as follows:
“My research interests include characterizing psychophysiological indicators of acute stress and developing biofeedback-based approaches to stress management interventions. Most importantly, I’m interested in taking a tailored approach to both of these things within specific high-stress populations both on campus and beyond (e.g., students, student-athletes, police officers, healthcare workers, kitchen staff, etc.).”
Dr. Kennedy-Metz says she became interested in this topic because the experience of stress is very relatable, but people are often left in the dark about how to respond to it appropriately. However, properly responding to stress is a critical topic, especially for the populations mentioned above.
Speaking to current psychology students, Dr. Kennedy-Metz encourages you to “get involved in things that interest them early on.” She recommends exploring research, clubs, club sports, internships, study abroad and anything else that catches your eye. When trying new things, Dr. Kennedy-Metz says, “worst case you learn that it isn’t for you, and you move on!” She closes with this sage advice. “If you push yourself outside of your comfort zone and end up finding a niche you love, you might look back one day and wonder how different things may have been if you hadn’t taken that first step.”
Be sure to say hi to Dr. Kennedy-Metz when you see her around on the 5th floor of Life Science.
Welcome back to Roanoke, Dr. Kennedy-Metz!
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Tonight – Friday, September 23, at 7:00p, the Black Student Alliance is hosting a Faculty/Staff vs Students Basketball game in Bast Gym. Dr. Nichols, chair of the Psychology Department, will be playing (loosely defined). It would be great to see support from the Psychology department for all participants!
Black Student Alliance presents Faculty/Staff vs Students Basketball Tournament
7:00 p.m.
Bast Center, Gym
Let’s boost our school spirit and morale as faculty and staff take on students in a basketball tournament!
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Mark your calendars!
This year’s Salem-Roanoke Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention is taking place on Saturday October 1st. The annual event is hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to raise awareness and support for suicide prevention.
RCPA and Psi Chi are joining the Roanoke community by walking as a team. The event begins at 10am at the Cregger Center right here on campus. All psychology students and faculty are encouraged to sign up to walk with the team or donate to AFSP at the link below:
https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.team&teamID=305370
We hope to see you there.
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Once again, the Princeton Review has rated Roanoke College as one of its Great Schools for Psychology Majors (and some other great things too.) The full story can be found here:
https://www.roanoke.edu/about/news/princeton_review_best_388_colleges
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
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Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand was featured on a recent story on WDBJ about classroom disruptions as students return to schools:
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
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Pie-A-Professor is back! Roanoke College Psychology student organizations are proud to present PIE-A-PROF 2022.
On Monday, April 25th, stop by the front patio of Colket to take part in this annual fundraiser. As usual, the proceeds from this event will go to the Bradley Free Clinic Behavioral Health Services.
You can use this link or scan the QR code pictured above to purchase a pie for only $3.00!
This event will be from 4:00PM to 5:00PM. We hope to see you stop by!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to all Roanoke College students who have been elected into Phi Beta Kappa during their undergrad years. PBK recognized and celebrates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and championed freedom of thought. As America’s most prestigious academic honor society, PBK is uniquely equipped to advocate for the value and benefits of liberal arts and sciences education.
This semester, Roanoke College held its election for new junior and senior members, and the Psychology Department is happy to report that the following Psych majors were elected:
Alice Chandler
Maya Lamprinakos
Carey Linkous
Angela Ross
Anne Schoelkopf
We are so proud of the students above and of the additional Psychology majors that have been elected in prior semesters. You are all doing a great job at representing your college and our department. Thank you!
We look forward to celebrating with you at the formal initiation ceremony, which will take place at 2:30pm in Antrim Chapel on Friday, May 6th, 2022. If you are a student recently elected into PBK, please check your email for a link to RSVP for the initiation ceremony.
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
The annual L. Starling Reid Psychology Research Conference at the University of Virginia highlights empirical research conducted by undergraduate scholars. Registration is free!
Presentation formats are research talks (15 minutes) or posters. The 16th Annual Reid Conference (Virtual Format) is scheduled for:
Friday, April 15th (this Friday!)
8:30 am – 4:45 PM
You can register here. Or by copying and pasting this link: https://psychology.as.virginia.edu/reid-conference
All conference guests and presenters are required to register prior to the conference. After you register you will receive a zoom meeting link just for you. If someone you know also needs a link, please ask them to register to obtain a link (rather than sharing your link). This enables UVA to communicate with everyone who attends.
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Florida International University’s Summer Treatment Program: Summer positions are available for Counselors, Research Assistants, Teachers, and Classroom Aides.
From William Pelham, director of the center:
Students who have participated in the program have uniformly viewed the experience as an extremely demanding one, but one that makes a great contribution to their professional development. The experience and recommendations gained in our program have helped many of our undergraduates continue in graduate careers in the helping professions. The experience is also quite useful for undergraduate students interested in clinical research in child psychopathology, pharmacology, and psychotherapy.
Position descriptions, application forms, and instructions are available at https://ccf.fiu.edu/summer-programs/index.html.
REMINDER that summer opportunities like this one can also count for internship credit!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Ben Campbell, class of 2022, completed a project titled Effects of Elicited Jealousy on Threatened Masculinity and Relational Aggression in Emerging Adult Men. This project was supervised by Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand and Ben received a grant for his research from Psi Chi!
Below is the abstract so you can learn more about the study and all of the great work Ben did!
“This paper is a two-study investigation of the effects of jealousy on threatened masculinity and relational aggression use in emerging adult men (Study 1, age 18-25, N = 151;Study 2, N = 163). The project aimed to expand on previous literature of precarious manhood theory (Vandello et al., 2008) and jealousy (DeSteno et al., 2006), but examining relational aggression instead of overt forms. The goal of Study 1 was to see if friendship jealousy with a friendship dyad affected felt masculinity and relational aggression use. Study 2 aimed to expand on findings from Study 1, and investigate if there were also differences based on friend group size (i.e., friendship dyad vs friend group). A jealousy manipulation was created to elicit feelings of friendship jealousy on feelings of threatened masculinity and relational aggression. Results from Study 1 found that participants in the jealousy condition reported feeling less masculine, used more relational aggression towards their peer, and also felt several negative emotions(anger, distress, discomfort, threatened). Study 2 findings replicated those of Study 1, but also found that relational aggression was particularly high for those who felt jealousy within the context of a friendship group, rather than friendship dyad, and threatened masculinity mediated the effect of jealousy on relational aggression use. This project provides evidence that men feeling jealousy towards a friend, or group of friends, may result in an increased threat to their masculinity, and cause them to be more relationally aggressive towards their friend(s).”
I asked Ben about his experience doing this project and he said,
“This experience has been amazing. I worked on this project for over a year, so being able to present the final product felt incredible. I’m so happy to have had such a supportive group of faculty and friends to show interest in and listen to the findings and importance of my study!”
Ben, your future is bright and we cannot wait to see what is in store for you!
Are you currently searching, or are interested in learning more about a job or internship?
If so, then make sure to come out to the Job and Internship fair, hosted by the PLACE. This event will occur tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1st, from 4:30pm – 6:30pm in the Wortmann Ballroom.
All students are encouraged to attend. Professional dress is NOT required as we realize that some students may be coming from class, lab or practice. There will be over 30 prospective employers and internship supervisors on campus and ready to answer questions. Some businesses will have internships open each semester, so even students not looking for an immediate placement can still come and explore.
If you have questions, or would like more details, please feel free to visit the PLACE’s website: https://www.roanoke.edu/place
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to Taylor Kracht. Her honors in the major project was recently published in the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research. The article, titled “Media Consumption: Association With Implicit Theories of Romantic Relationships”, examines the influence of romantic reality media on a specific set of romantic beliefs (i.e., individuals’ implicit theories of relationships) using an experimental procedure.
Taylor completed this project under the mentorship of Dr. Darcey N. Powell and graduated from Roanoke in 2018. After graduation, she went on to earn her masters degree in Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling from William and Mary. Taylor has worked on other research projects while she was in Dr. Powell’s research lab and has been published as a co-author before, but this is her only first author publication.
“Getting this project published means a lot to me. I worked really hard my senior year creating the idea, developing the experiment, and then bringing it to fruition. Then the process of getting it published was extensive, and at many times, seemed defeating. Pushing through all the hardships of the process and getting it officially published is an accomplishment I will always treasure. I have a greater appreciation for all publications and the hard work it takes to succeed with it.” -Taylor Kracht
After graduating with her masters degree, Taylor moved to Charlotte NC and started working at a private practice, L&B Counseling, as a Mental Health Counselor. She works with a range of clients from 13 years old to 68 years old. She generally work with those who have symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues.
“I am very happy in my position, I get to work with both individuals and couples (my passion), and we have the best workplace team environment. In my personal life, I live with my boyfriend (Jack Doriss, who also went to Roanoke), and our two dogs Murphy (chocolate lab) and Arlo (golden retriever).”
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
The Roanoke College Psychology Department hosted our biannual poster session in Fintel Library in December of 2021. This event occurs at the end of every semester to allow students within the psychology department to present on their class projects, independent studies, and completed internship experiences.
Thank you to everyone who attended, and to those who presented. The department is proud of your hard work and grateful to have dedicated students representing Roanoke College Psychology!
Faculty and students got the opportunity to learn about the semester-long research conducted by psychology students.
Congratulations to the presenters on their hard work and success!
Researchers discussed future directions and presentations for their work.
Thank you to everyone who attended, and to those who presented! Congratulations on another successful semester!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Recent Graduate Samuel Paitsel has carried on a long-lasting family legacy at Roanoke College. Graduating in December 2020, Samuel followed in his family’s footsteps and became the sixth generation in his family to graduate from the school. Samuel studied psychology over his four years at Roanoke College, and is currently working as a registered behavior technician (RBT) at Therapeutic Alliance in Roanoke, Virginia. Reflecting on his time at Roanoke College, Samuel commented,
“The professors made me feel at home, and I always felt cared about,” Paitsel says. “When I was doing rough, I knew I had a great support system to rally behind me. I also enjoyed how tight- knit the community was; you couldn’t go a day without seeing a friendly face.”
Along with work, Samuel is training as a qualified mental health professional, focusing on children under 18 years old.
Samuel was recently highlighted in the Roanoke College news letter.
We wish Samuel a successful future in his career path!
Psychology faculty member Dr. Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand has recently had TWO publications. Her recent work is now published in the The Journal of Genetic Psychology and Emerging Adulthood. The psychology department extends our congratulations as we celebrate Dr. FVN’s recent accomplishments. Read about her publications below.
Abstract: “Research on interpersonal rejection is voluminous, but less is known about perceived rejection in relation to social goals among peers during adolescence, especially while also considering factors that may moderate these associations. In a correlational design, we surveyed a diverse sample of middle school students to examine concurrent (Study 1; N = 269) and short-term longitudinal (Study 2; N = 321) links between rejection and adolescent communal (affiliation, closeness) and agentic (status, influence) goals, and narcissism and gender as moderators in the associations between rejection and social goals. Rejection was negatively related to (Study 1) and predicted decreases in (Study 2) communal goals. Narcissism was positively related to and predicted increases in agentic goals, and moderated the association between rejection and agentic goals (in both studies). One moderated effect of gender was found: perceived rejection predicted decreases in agentic goals for girls, but increases in agentic goals for boys. Our findings mostly align with existing research on interpersonal rejection in youth, and extend this literature by demonstrating that perceived rejection is meaningfully related to changes in trait-like social goals among peers, suggesting it may alter not only situation-specific cognitions, but also globalized goals, or motivations for peer interaction. The findings also call for further research on individual differences in associations between rejection and social goals, along with other outcomes.”
Abstract: “Status among peers likely continues to play a role in social functioning and well-being beyond adolescence. This study examined how emerging adults in tertiary education defined popularity, and their beliefs regarding aggressive and prosocial behaviors affording status. The role of status motivation, own status, and gender in these definitions and beliefs were explored. Emerging adults primarily associated popularity with being central, liked, and respected. Gender prototypical features (attractiveness and likeability for women; power and centrality for men) were associated with high popularity. Compared to adolescence, popularity in emerging adulthood was associated more with likeability and less with attractiveness, power, fitting in, or antisocial behavior. Prosocial behavior, openness, extraversion, and dominance were identified as the most important ways to acquire popularity. The findings indicate that popularity is relevant to emerging adults and offer several directions for future research in order to benefit the social well-being of emerging adults in tertiary education.”
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Research Coordinator Position in the JK Lifespan Development lab, Virginia Tech
Applications are invited for a full-time research coordinator (lab manager) position in the JK Lifespan Development lab of Dr. Jungmeen Kim-Spoon, in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech (https://support.psyc.vt.edu/labs/jklifespan). Projects in the lab combine developmental psychopathology and decision neuroscience to investigate brain function, emotion, cognition and personality processes, decision making and health behaviors. We use a variety of methods including structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, behavioral tasks, interviews, and questionnaires. This is an excellent opportunity for a personable, motivated, and detail-oriented person seeking further research experience before applying to graduate school.
Primary data collection responsibilities will include: recruiting young adults and family members; scheduling visits; obtaining behavioral assessments and fMRI scanning; and oversight of data collection. Primary data management responsibilities include: management and oversight of participant databases, entering data, ensuring data reliability and completeness, and preparing data for analysis. Additional key tasks include assisting with participant tracking and retention, preparation of IRB materials, and training graduate and undergraduate students on study procedures. Training for all aspects of the position, including MRI certification, will be provided. Flexible scheduling is required (e.g., evenings, weekends, and some holidays will be required).
Desired qualifications include: 1) BA/BS in psychology, neuroscience, or related fields; 2) undergraduate or post-baccalaureate research experience, including participant recruitment and data collection; 3) demonstrated organizational and time management skills, leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and attention to detail. Experience in the administration of standard psychological assessments (including self-report, structured interviews, and behavioral tasks) and a basic understanding of data management or analysis with corresponding data (e.g., SPSS, Excel, etc.) will be considered a strength.
Required application materials: Cover letter including statement of interest, CV/Resume, list of two references. Two letters of recommendation will be required prior to final consideration.
Expected start date is early March 2022. Graduating seniors are eligible to apply if they can start working part-time (10-20 hours/week) during the Spring 2022 semester to be hired before transitioning to a full-time position upon graduation. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and on a rolling basis and will end when the position is filled. Salary will be commensurate with experience.
Virginia Tech is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Apply at: www.jobs.vt.edu, Job # to search: [518893].
Pre-submission inquiries may be emailed to: Kathryn Tarnai, ktarnai@vt.edu (Research Coordinator for JK Lifespan Development Lab).
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
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Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
When you should study and helpful tips ?
Resources:
Take Care of Yourself
Good Luck !
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
When? Thursday, November 18th from 4:30pm-5:30pm
Where? Life Science Room 502
This event is for anyone who is planning to major in Psychology, recently declared their major in the Psych Department, or is a psychology major and has not been able to attend this event previously.
This meeting will be very informative because we will be discussing topics such as requirements for a degree in Psychology, internship opportunities, concentrations within the major, research, and studying abroad.
If you are not sure what direction you want to go with your degree, that is okay! We are going to be talking about the many different options there are.
P.S. When you attend this event you get to sign the major’s board!
The Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health (CRMH) Counseling department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has extended an invitation to students who may be interested in pursuing a degree in counseling to come to one of their upcoming Information Sessions on the following dates:
Wednesday 11/17 12:00 pm-1:00 pm ET
Monday 12/16 11:30am-12:30pm ET
Tuesday 01/11 12:00 pm-1:00pm ET
Friday 02/11 4:00pm-5:00pm ET
In addition to their website, which can be found here, the Information Sessions are a good way to find out more about the CRMH program from a faculty member, ask questions about the program and application process, and meet with current students to hear about the program from their perspective. Interested students may RSVP to any of the above dates at CRMHinfo@med.unc.edu to receive the Zoom link for the Information Session.
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Go Check out the Family and Wellness Initiative! This is a local, non-profit organization in the Roanoke area. They focus on establishing healthy, strong, and supportive family environments within the Roanoke community. They offer parenting workshops for ages 0-5 and 5-12, free community events, health advice for children (e.g., nutrition, active lifestyles, and mind and body wellness), school connections, parenting tips, and how parents can healthily learn and get involved in youth culture with their children. They are supported by Blue Ridge Behavioral Health, Prevention, and Wellness Services, and funded by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
If you are interested in learning more about the Family and Wellness Initiative, you can find them at https://www.familywellnessinitiative.com/. Also make sure to follow their blog at https://www.familywellnessinitiative.com/blog!
If research in the field interests you, there are many ways to get involved here at Roanoke!
Also check out the Psychology Blog: http://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Roanoke College offers so many amazing psychology courses for their students. Anyone can find a topic that peaks their interest; from Intro to Psychology to Principles of Neuroscience we have it all!
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Want to learn all about memory, attention, language, and how we solve problems? If so, you should consider taking Cognitive Psychology. If you want to go further with these topics consider enrolling in Human Memory, 342 Learning, Creative Thinking and Problem- Solving, or Topics in Cognitive Psychology.
Developmental Psychology goes in depth about each life period- discussing cognitive abilities, social setting, work/school situations, health, common obstacles faced, etc . If one specific age range of this class interests you, you can dive deeper by enrolling in Child Development, Adolescent development, or Adult Development and Aging.
Social psychology focuses on relationships and interactions between people. Biological Psychology teaches us that the brain has an impact on our behavior, decision making, etc. This class discusses the research that has explained how different parts of the brain are responsible for different tasks.
Research Methods in Psychology gives students an understanding of how research is conducted, different types of studies, safety of participants, and examining the reliability and validity of a study.
Similar to a statistics class, Quantitative Methods in Psychology interprets data that measures behavior and uses computer programs to discover trends, standard error, median, mean, etc.
Clinical Psychology discusses the history of clinical psychology and the diagnosis of psychological disorders and how to treat them.
These are just some of the courses offered in our Psychology department for a full list and more details you can visit https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology/course_information/psychology_course_descriptions
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to Dr. Darcey Powell and alumni Stephanie Gaines (class of 2017) on their recent publication by Psi Chi. The publication is based on one of Gaines’s projects that took place in Dr. Powell’s lab during her time at Roanoke College. More information about the information can be found here, but you can read the abstract below:
Emerging adulthood is a time of great transition, including but not limited to the commencement of “adult roles” and responsibilities. The present study examined emerging adults’ (EAs’) perceptions of transitional (i.e., cohabitating, marriage, parenting) and gradual (i.e., religious beliefs, political beliefs, managing own health) roles. Participants were recruited from a small liberal arts college (N = 88) and from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform (N = 181). They were surveyed on the age at which they anticipated or reported achieving the examined roles and their current self-efficacy for the roles. Female EAs reported intending to or achieving the transitional roles at a significantly later age than female EAs of the late 20th century (ps ≤ .001, ds 0.77–0.95). Additionally, female EAs anticipated role achievement for cohabitating, marriage, parenting, and religious beliefs at later ages than male EAs (ps < .05, gs 0.33–1.33). Moreover, male and female EAs differed in a few role-specific self-efficacies if they had not yet achieved the desired adult role (e.g., marriage, parenting; ps < .05, gs 0.62–0.98), but did not differ if they had already achieved the role. Lastly, the difference between EAs’ age and their role achievement largely did not predict their role-specific self-efficacies. The results provide additional insight into EAs’ expectations and current perceptions of themselves and may be useful to individuals who work regularly with EAs who are apprehensive about the extent to which they are “on time” and “ready” to engage in the examined transitional and gradual roles.
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
The only thing scarier than Halloween this month is mid-terms. Have you started (even thinking) about studying yet? Whether you have a color-coded plan or this is the first time you’re realizing mid-terms are a thing, here are some tips and tricks to stay calm, stay smart, and ultimately ace your quickly approaching mid-terms week. Remember, you’ve got this!
Have you ever really used the school’s academic resources? Please do! In addition to going to your professors’ office hours, students should check out the Goode-Pasfield Center for Learning and Teaching, which is located in the Fintel Library and is the focal point for academic counseling and academic support on campus. The staff will assist you in identifying your academic strengths and weaknesses, designing an individual study program, and resolving your academic concerns. The Center coordinates academic advising for undeclared students, the Writing Center, the Subject Tutoring Program, the RC Success Program, and Accessible Education Services. Dr. Sue Brown directs the Academic Services. Dr Sandee McGlaun directs the Writing Center. Check out this site for instructions on how to make your own study schedule.
We all know that awful feeling of sitting in your dorm room and staring at assignments for too long. It is exhausting and drain us of the little motivation we have left at this point during the semester. Try switching up your study location (the library, an open classroom, off-campus coffee shops, etc.) to add some variety into your routine.
If the way you’re studying is the problem, try using an online learning tool or asking a friend to quiz you so you get a break from reviewing your notes. In fact, ask a couple of friends if they would like to get together and set up a study session. You can work on similar tasks or completely different ones – but having someone else there may help keep you accountable for the work you’re meant to be doing.
Feelings of anxiety and stress are almost unavoidable for college students as a busy week approaches, but there are plenty of things you can do for yourself that will help you remain calm and, ultimately, perform better. The main thing is to get some sleep. You might be tempted to pull an all-nighter, but a good night’s sleep is key to your success. An extra hour of sleep will take you wayyyy farther than an extra hour of cramming for an exam. Next, remind yourself that you can do this. You were smart enough to make it this far, and you are smart enough to make it through mid-terms. Remember to use your support network: friends, family, and faculty and staff are here to help you make it through stressful times.
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
On December 13th at 4 pm UVA will be having a virtual open house about their applied developmental science graduate program!
To learn more about this program go to: https://education.virginia.edu/academics/educational-psychology-applied-developmental-science
This meeting is an amazing opportunity to ask questions, learn more about what a graduate program entails, and hear other people’s thoughts and perspectives!
To register go to: https://virginia.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMtf-qvqjgvHNfmUovnid98ylltkv-Jygws
We hope to see your faces on zoom!
Thinking of ways to gain more knowledge on important issues and topics outside of the classroom? Say less. Roanoke College offers many amazing events each week for all students and faculty to attend!
This week, Oct 4-9, Roanoke is holding several Zoom, and in-person events and talks. On Tuesday, Oct 5, there will be an Elderscholar Program, “What’s in a statue? Notes on the Roanoke Country confederate memorial” led by Dr. Robert Willingham from 12 PM – 1:15 PM. On Wednesday from 12 PM – 1:15 PM, the Eldershcolar Program will be hosting another talk, “Writing Your Story” by Ms. Mary Crockett Hill. Also on Wednesday from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, there will be an informative talk on Covid-19 titled “Ask the Epidemiologist.” Alumni Ashley Briggs ‘13 and her colleagues will host a Zoom discussion on the impact and experiences throughout the pandemic.
These are just a few examples of upcoming events. For more information, visit https://www.roanoke.edu/events.
Get out and learn!
APA recently uploaded an article about “The superpowers of the psychology major” (read more at:https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/superpowers-psychology-major ). Author, Dr. Stephen Chew, writes that there are 6 “superpowers” that are learned in a psychology degree. Psychology students are taught: how to learn effectively, manage stress and anxiety, become efficient with completing complex tasks, understand personality traits and differences in people, scientific literacy, and knowledge on biases and prejudices. All of these skills can be effectively applied to almost every aspect of life. Whether that be one’s professional life, family life, home life, social life, etc.
Now it’s time to focus on how YOU can get involved in psychology and achieve these superpowers. This upcoming Spring semester (2022), there will be a total of 11 psychology courses being offered! If you are new to the discipline and need an INQ260, consider taking INQ 260PY – Psyc of Agression. Or enroll in Psyc 101-Intro Psych, which will have multiple time slots. Intro Psyc will teach you the basics of psychology, and help you explore all of the different areas of study. If you have already taken the intro course, the department offers several courses on specific areas of the discipline including: developmental psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, adolescent psychology, research methods, quantitative methods, history of psychology, psychology and the law, and research seminars in social development and neuroscience. There are also opportunities to get involved in research with professors!
If any of these opportunities sound interesting to you, reach out to one of the Psychology Department faculty and/or add one or more of the classes to your Spring schedule. You, too, can achieve the special superpowers of a psychology student!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
This month is Suicide Prevention month. Roanoke College has decided to organize a walk to spread awareness, show support, and hopefully raise money to help reduce suicide rates.
The walk is on campus from 10-12 and anyone is welcome to participate.
If you want more information or are able to donate please go to https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=281966
I hope to see you guys there!
Meet Dr. Eyad Naseralla!
Dr. Naseralla is a first year professor of psychology here at Roanoke College. Dr. Naseralla completed his undergraduate degree at Texas Tech University, and his PhD at St. Louis University. His research investigates perceptions of victims, focusing on victims of sexual violence. When asked about his research, Dr. Naseralla explained, “What I like to do is find things that are common, but also overlooked. Things like reporting. Sexual assault is really underreported, so looking at that and seeing how people respond to that.”
When discussing his research further, Dr. Naseralla gave us his two key takeaways as a researcher, “The two biggest takeaways as a researcher are not to get too caught up with things, I think that sometimes it is better to keep things moving. The second biggest thing is that it’s super important to be conscientious….Being organized and managing your time well. That is really key to doing the things that you love to do.”
Dr. Naseralla is currently teaching two Psych-101 courses, as well as Psych-319: Psychology and Law. When asked what his favorite part of teaching at Roanoke College was so far, Dr. Naseralla responded with, “The fact that the students here are extremely eager. The smaller classes make things feel more personal. It feels like there is more of a relationship there, and students are really eager to learn and participate. I really enjoy that.”
We are very excited to have Dr. Naseralla with us at Roanoke College this year!
This is a great opportunity for all Roanoke students! At this panel you can ask any questions you have in regards to graduate school. This event takes place tomorrow (9/28) from 12-1 in life science 502! Bonus- there will be pizza for everyone! I hope to see you there!
The Psychology Department fondly remembers Dominique Bowers, a 2015 graduate who transferred to Roanoke College in 2014 to complete her Psychology degree. She was well liked and respected by her faculty, clearly working hard on her classes while raising young children. She died August 13, 2021, in Warner Robins, Georgia.
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/22095376/dominique-sade-bowers
Hey new (or not-so-new) students! Have you been debating joining the Psychology Department at Roanoke College? Or maybe just wanting to know more about our programs? You’re in the right spot! Below are the basics about the department and different programs we offer. More information can always be found online or acquired through professors and student assistant staff. Let us know your questions!
Note: The requirements listed below are for students declaring the Psychology Major anytime after 8-11-2021. To see OLD requirements for those declaring the major prior to this date, please refer to our website.
The psychology major is a bachelor of science and requires the completion of 12 units. These units include core (general and methods) classes, one class from each of the 4 domains of psychology, and three elective classes.
Psychology intersects with many other areas of study in a variety of ways because of its focus on people. A minor in psychology can be a useful addition to any major with the selection of courses tailored to fit what is most relevant to the student. The minor in psychology requires the completion of 6 units.
The Concentration in Human Development exposes students to the broader life-span perspective and allows them to focus on the stages (e.g., childhood, adolescence, adulthood) and the topics most applicable to their personal or professional goals. The concentration requires six units and the faculty coordinator is Dr. Powell.
A concentration in neuroscience will offer students an opportunity to learn about theory and research on the brain and nervous system from a number of perspectives. Students will come to understand how developments in biology, psychology, chemistry and related fields alter knowledge and research techniques in the other fields. The faculty coordinator is Dr. Nichols.
Ready to declare? You can do so online here… or you can find a list of our amazing faculty members on this page. Contact one of them to find out more information on whichever program you may be interested in. And make sure to check out the spreadsheets with course information – you may be surprised by how diverse and interesting the Psychology Department’s curriculum can be. We can’t wait to have you!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Meet Dr. Andrea Burchfield!
We are excited for her to join our psychology team this year 🙂
Dr. Burchfield gives us a little background information about herself when she writes, “I grew up in Northern Virginia before finding my home in the Roanoke Valley. I earned a BS in Psychology from Radford University in 2006, and then worked as an ABA Therapist with the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center before returning to school. I earned a MA (2012) and PhD (2018) in Psychology from George Mason University, where my research focused on the effects of a mindfulness-based program for parents of children with autism.
I enjoy bringing my clinical experiences into the classroom through sharing relatable stories, exposing students to the practice of mindful meditation, and by using the science of behaviorism to teach course material effectively. My favorite thing about teaching is building relationships with students, and watching them learn and succeed. Therefore, I’m passionate about discovering ways to enhance access to connections, education, and opportunities on campus, particularly for students with disabilities.”
We are lucky to have her here at Roanoke College!
Claire McDonald and Ben Campbell, both psychology seniors at Roanoke College, were recently featured on Roanoke’s website for their research experience. You can check out the full page here.
Claire wasn’t sure what degree she wanted to pursue when she first came to Roanoke College. But during the fall semester of her sophomore year, she enrolled in a developmental psychology class, taught by Dr. Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand, assistant professor of psychology. She loved the class and, consequently, found her major.
In the spring of her sophomore year, McDonald joined a lab managed by Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand, which focused on adolescent and young adult peer relationships. This sparked her interest in research within psychology. This fall, Claire plans to work as a research intern at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem. She hopes to apply to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology with a specific interest in research related to dementia and cognitive impairment in older adults — experience Claire said she hopes to gain at the VA Medical Center. But she’s not the only psychology student that has recently made big steps in their research experience…
“Research has played a huge role in my college career and in my development as a student. It has been the most crucial and beneficial part of my college experience.”
Ben Campbell, Class of 2022
Ben Campbell has used his interest in relational aggression, peer social dynamics and gender to formulate a study. He used the study to apply for the College’s Summer Scholars Program and received the prestigious award, enabling him to carry a project titled “Effects of elicited jealousy on masculinity and relational aggression in men.” You can check out more info on his research journey in our previous blog post, found here.
In recent years, approximately 30 students each semester have been involved in research. The experiences are important not just for information discovery, but also for deepened learning, enhanced training on specific topics or methods, and the development of skills that graduate training programs and employers in careers utilizing psychology look for and highly value. As a research assistant, students also develop professional and mentoring relationships with their faculty mentor, and refine critical thinking and statistical reasoning skills.
“The experience to contribute to a discipline in a larger way is a special opportunity,” Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand said. “Apart from the professional skills developed, the research experiences students at Roanoke are involved in also contribute to the sense of community we have in the department.”
Research is the bedrock of the student experience in Roanoke College’s psychology department, which brought the College its seventh consecutive “Great Schools for Psychology Majors” recognition in The Princeton Review’s annual “Best Colleges” guidebook, released on Aug. 31.
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Ben was just granted funding from Psi Chi, the International Honors Society in Psychology, for his research!
Benjamin Campbell ‘22 was recently a part of our Summer Scholars program here at Roanoke, during which he conducted a study that was built from previous work he completed in the Social Development Lab. Ben’s project is titled “Effects of Peer-Elicited Jealousy on Relational Aggression in Men: The Roles of Contingent and Threatened Masculinity”. He worked very hard on this project, supervised by Dr. Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand. Leading up to the summer, they applied for and were successfully granted $1,118 to fund this and subsequent studies including Ben’s Honors in the Major Project.
Project Abstract:
I asked Ben to give a summary of his research and he wrote,
“So, this summer I conducted a research project as a Summer Scholar at Roanoke. The study looked at how jealousy affects threatened masculinity and relational aggression use in men. In other words, does feeling jealous in a friendship context with other men also produce feeling less masculine, and thus result in using relational aggression? My results found that following jealousy provoked by male peers, men felt less masculine and used more relational aggression relative to men who were not in the jealousy condition. But, some effects did not emerge as expected. I applied for funding from the “Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant” and was awarded it. So, I got funding to continue my project. In my honors in the major, I plan on expanding on the summer project and potentially investigating other variables that may play into the effects I found this summer. Overall, I thought the summer scholars experience was great, and the funding from Psi Chi is amazing.”
Congratulations again to Benjamin Campbell, keep up the great work and we are excited for what your future has in store.
https://www.roanoke.edu/about/news/princeton_review_best_387
Some exciting news for our department! The success comes from the hard work and commitment of our faculty and students.
In the article you can read what Dr. Powell and some of our students have to say about our department and Roanoke College as a whole.
When? This Friday ! (September 3rd from 11:45-1:15)
Where? Courtyard between Life Science and Trexler!
Please join your fellow Psychology students and faculty at a Welcome Back social on Friday, 9/3! We will meet in the courtyard area between Life Science and Trexler between 11:45a and 1:15p. Snacks and drinks will be provided, plus you can purchase an RC Psychology shirt! All students are welcome – majors, minors, concentrators, students currently in psychology classes, and students who may potentially take psychology classes in the future! Hope to see you there!
Get connected:
Instagram & Twitter: #PsychRC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Congratulations to Vanessa Pearson ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major Project titled, “Influences on Paternity Leave” on May 17th. Her research mentor, Dr. Darcey N. Powell, was joined by committee members, Dr. Danielle Findley Van-Nostrand and Dr. David Nichols to oversee her defense. Her project abstract is pasted below.
Project Abstract:
The overall purpose of this study was to understand the factors that are involved when a father is deciding whether or not to take paternity leave with the birth/adoption of a child. The research was centered around two groups of participants. Study 1 sampled fathers with a child under the age of five. Study 2 sampled prospective fathers – men who are not yet fathers but may be at some point in the future. Participants completed an online survey that asked about their demographics, desired days off, and willingness to take certain types of leave. Most of the hypotheses were not significant or unable to be tested due to sample limitations. For example, several social-demographic factors were not associated with the number of days or types of leave one would take. Even though the findings were not significant, this could mean that the proportion of men who are taking or plan to take paternity leave are increasing and the factors that are holding them back are decreasing. Additionally, while fathers were more likely to know about FMLA than prospective fathers, a majority in both samples believed the US did not have an acceptable leave policy.
Congratulations again to Vanessa Pearson ’21 on a successful defense! We look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
Over the next few days, we will be highlighting the Psychology Department graduating seniors! This post will highlight 5 seniors: Maggie Lewis, Lauren Powell, Destinee Sinclair, Mason Wheeler, and Allison Tice.
Maggie Lewis
Maggie will be working full time as a Recovery Advocate at an inpatient psychiatric facility in my home state.
Maggies favorite memory was completing mock clinical assessments in Dr. Hilton’s Clinical Psych course.
Lauren Powell
After graduation, Lauren is continuing her education at the University of Lynchburg where she will obtain her M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling!
Laurens states: “My favorite memory of the psychology department is doing research with Dr. Buchholz over the course of four years as a part of the research fellows program!”
Destinee Sinclair
Destinee will be attending East Carolina University pursuing a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.
Mason Wheeler
Mason plans to pursue her PhD at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, studying Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health.
Allison Tice
Allison will be attending Virginia Tech (Roanoke Higher-Ed Center) to receive her Masters of Arts in Counselor Education. She plans to then potentially pursue a PhD and hopefully open her own counseling practice.
When asked about her favorite memory she stated “I love pie-a-prof! Always such a fun event!”
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Over the next few days, we will be highlighting the Psychology Department graduating seniors! This post will highlight 5 seniors: Carolynn Bructo, Katherine Caldwell, Alyssa Mattson, Grace Page, and Vanessa Pearson.
Carolynn Bructo
Carolynn plans to go back home to Columbus, Ohio, where she will take a gap year and then apply to Ohio State’s School Psychology program.
Katherine Caldwell
Katherine plans on working until going to graduate school to get her masters. She plans to become a marriage and family counselor in the future.
Alyssa Mattson
Alyssa will be taking an IL course as she resumes her LSAT studies and completes her research practicum. She plans to apply to law schools and resume her job search following her move to Washington, D.C.
Grace Page
Grace will be a part of Liberty University’s Marriage and Family Counseling Master’s program while also working full-time for a local non-profit organization.
Vanessa Pearson
After graduation, Vanessa will be teaching elementary school in Franklin County and will soon start a graduate school program on school counseling.
Vanessa states: “My favorite psychology related memory is from Dr. FVN’s introduction to psychology class. During the lesson on conformity. We started the class standing up in order to see if anyone would come in late and see if they would sit down or stand up just because everyone else was. It was a fun activity to begin the lesson.”
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to Curt Kingery ’21 for the successful defense of his Honors in the Major Project entitled “Tradeoffs In Designing Ideal Leaders: Does Political Ideology Predict Preferences for Dominant and Prestigious Leaders?” His supervisor, Dr. Lindsey Osterman was joined by committee members, Dr. Danielle Findley Van-Nostrand and Dr. Stacy Wetmore to oversee his defense.
Project Abstract:
Politicians rise to positions of significant influence through different displays of leadership behavior. Two distinct patterns for climbing social hierarchies, and obtaining leadership roles, have emerged from recent research: dominance-oriented and prestige-oriented strategies. These represent profoundly different navigation tactics that accomplish a singular goal, which is to ascend status hierarchies. Which strategy most effectively gains status depends heavily on contextual factors (such as environmental instability and perceptions of intergroup conflict) and the characteristics and needs of followers. Political candidates’ abilities to display cues consistent with one of these orientations, in the appropriate contexts, will impact perceptions of them by potential supporters who are critical to their political success. Evolutionary and social psychological research suggest followership evolved as a strategy to overcome multifarious cooperation and coordination problems from social group-living. Hence, left-leaning or right-leaning political followers’ preconceptions about the world may predispose them to defer status to qualitatively different leaders. In Study 1, we investigated whether or not political orientation reliably predicted a preference for traits associated with dominance or prestige-oriented leader. Participants designed ideal leaders, purchasing various characteristics with 3 different budgets. The different budgets unveiled trade-offs made under constraints. In Study 2, we replicated findings from the first study, and extended the understanding of circumstantial triggers for different leader orientations by assessing the role of—self-perceived—socioeconomic (in)security and pathogenic vulnerability on revealed preferences for an ideal leader.
Congratulations again to Curt Kingery ’21 on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to Kaillee Philleo ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major Project entitled “The Effect of Transitions on Parasocial Relationships: An Examination of Surrogate Use in College Freshmen During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Her supervisor, Dr. Lindsey Osterman was joined by committee members, Dr. Todd Peppers and Dr. Stacy Wetmore to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract:
During the COVID-19 pandemic and with the increasing amount of time people spend interacting with media figures through online or broadcast platforms, an interest in examining parasocial relationships has become more popular. Specifically, little research has been conducted on parasocial relationships and their role during a period of transition. For that reason, this study set out to examine the role of surrogates within first-year college students. Specifically, we were interested in examining what interactions existed between engagement in activities (e.g., parasocial, social, and nonsocial), campus connectedness, loneliness, and closeness. While focusing on first-year college students, we also took into consideration the current pandemic and the state of the college during the time of this study. Results echoed previous research findings in that loneliness was found to be correlated with parasocial interactions. Moreover, we found partial support for our hypotheses through the findings that (1) loneliness mediated relationships between campus connectedness and parasocial and social activities, as well as (2) social activities mediated the relationship between campus connectedness and loneliness. Moreover, even though our moderation analyses did not result in significant main interactions, parasocial surrogate use was suggested within our data set. While some clear limitations were present within this study, we offered ways in which future research could continue to examine these variables.
Congratulations again to Kaillee Philleo ’21 on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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Blog:https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to the Class of 2021! With graduation being less than 24 hours away, we want to invite, family, friends, community members, faculty, staff, alum and anyone else to join us in celebrating our 2021 Psychology Department graduates.
Using this link you may record a video, upload an image, leave a message or select some options for gifts to share with our 2021 graduates.
As a member of the class of 2021, I speak on behalf of all other 2021 graduates in thanking the entire psychology department for guiding us and being there for us these past four years. We certainly would not have gotten to where we are today without you all and thank each of you for all of your support throughout these last four years.
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Congratulations to Grace Page ’21 for the successful defense of here Honors in the Major and Honors Distinction Project titled, “Examining marriage: A comparison of perceptions based on religious affiliation and religiosity” (abstract below). Her supervisor, Dr. Darcey N. Powell, was joined by her committee members, Drs. Travis Carter and Kristi Hoffman, to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract:
Relationships are oftentimes formed based on the similarities two individuals have in dating relationships; for example, individuals may look for similarities in religion and religious values as a way to choose a partner or to determine the dynamics of their relationships. Furthermore, research has indicated that there is a positive correlation between the similarity of partners’ religious influences and the quality of their relationship. Many religious individuals may often be misunderstood, however, due to existing religious stereotypes. Participants (N = 256) in this study were recruited to take an online survey through Prolific. Using six different beliefs/behaviors, this study examined participants’ self-reports of beliefs and behaviors, whether participants’ reported beliefs aligned with their behaviors, and if participants accurately perceived the beliefs of other religions/worldview’s beliefs. Results indicated that individuals of certain religions/worldviews shared similarities and differences in their beliefs and behaviors. Additionally, two thirds of the behaviors examined aligned with participants’ beliefs and, typically, participants did not accurately perceive the beliefs of others overall.
Congrats, again, to Grace Page ’21 on a successful defense! We look forward to seeing all that you accomplish in the future!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Over the next few days, we will be highlighting the Psychology Department graduating seniors! This post will highlight 4 seniors: Kaillee Philleo, Celine Taylor, Kelsey Markle, and Melissa Deshaw!
Congratulations! After her graduation, Kaillee plans to move to NYC to pursue her Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology. When asked about her favorite psychology-related memory, she couldn’t pick just one, so she gave three! 1. defending her Honors in the major project 2. presenting at SPSP in New Orleans, and 3. work
as a student assistant and “being able to enjoy the April Fools day pranks, share memes with the department, and enjoy all of Ellen’s lovely treats during the holidays”.
Celine plans on taking a gap year so she can gain more experience through an internship! Then, she is looking to apply to master programs that involve either mental health counseling or applied developmental
psychology. Her favorite classes in the psych department were the ones that Dr. Powell taught. “She has been such a positive influence and has helped me figure out the track I want to take with psychology due to her passion for her field. The human development concentration has been a great experience and I appreciate all the help she has given me over the past four years!” Congrats!
Congratudlations Kelsey! We are so excited to hear that you will be starting to work in the Roanoke area as a Case Manager for Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare! Wishing you the best.
After her graduation, Melissa plans to go to graduate school for school psychology! We are very proud of you and cannot wait to see what the future holds! Congrats.
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Congratulations to Carly Schepacarter ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major and Honors Distinction Project entitled “Art for Healing: Experiencing Art Improves Emotion after a Negative Event”. Her supervisor, Dr. Travis Carter was joined by committee members, Ms. Katherine Shortridge, Dr. Darcey Powell, and Mr. Wes Brusseauto to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract:
Existing research suggests that making art has benefits for mental health, but can other interactions with art still help people (Henderson et al., 2007)? This project endeavors to address the relationship that individuals have with art, and determine if varied interactions with art can improve one’s emotional state—especially for participants primed to recall a negative life experience. Participants in the first study were primed to recall negative memories prior to completing an art rating task, the Discrete Emotions Questionnaire (DEQ; Harmon-Jones et al., 2016), and an art experience questionnaire. The second study primed participants with the same negative writing task prior to their completion of either art or non-art task. Ultimately, interacting with art evoked more positive emotions in both studies. The results of the research studies and a literature review were used to create works of art for a family services center in Salem, VA.
Congratulations again to Carly Schepacarter ’21 on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Kara Lissy ’11 recently published her book “Adult Children of Alcoholic Parents: An Evidence-Based Workbook to Heal Your Past.”
Lissy ’11 received her bachelor’s in Psychology at Roanoke and studied closely under the late Dr. Curt Camac and his wife Dr. Mary Camac, as well as completed her senior thesis relating to alcoholism under the supervision of Dr. Angela Allen.
This book is a workbook that is designed to walk people who grew up with alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional parents through healing and recovery using vignetted, psychoeducation, and evidence-based exercises.
Book Description
“Your healing is in your hands with this evidence-based workbook for adult children of alcoholics
As the child of a parent or caregiver with an alcohol use disorder, you may still feel the impact of your experiences. Take the next steps on your healing journey with this workbook full of therapeutic techniques, journal prompts, quizzes, and other short exercises and activities to empower adult children of alcoholics. The self-guided approach allows you to work at your own pace as you examine how your experiences have shaped you, learn coping skills, grow in self-love, and build healthy relationships free from the harmful patterns you’ve experienced.
Discover evidence-based techniques to help you heal in this workbook for adult children of alcoholics.”
If you are interested in purchasing this book, check it out here, and congratulations again Kara Lissy ’11 for this amazing accomplishment!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to Sydney Caulder ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major Project entitled “Exploring Sensation Seeking and Psychopathy Factors: Associations with Risk-Taking Behaviors and Aggression”. Her supervisor, Dr. Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand was joined by committee members, Dr. Lindsey Osterman and Dr. Dane Hilton to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract:
Previous research has established a link between sensation seeking behaviors, aggression, risk-taking, and psychopathic personality. The links between both sensation seeking, psychopathy, and risk-taking are well-established, but literature on factors that might mitigate these associations (when healthier coping mechanisms are implemented) is limited. The current study examined associations between sensation seeking, psychopathy, risk-taking and aggression and aimed to extend this research by exploring whether activities that would fulfill sensation seeking tendencies in a safer way may buffer against risk-taking and aggression. Several moderation analyses were conducted to explore the effect of recreational risk-taking on outcomes of aggression and maladaptive risk-taking with predictors of sensation seeking and psychopathy. Correlations replicated previously established associations between these constructs, but the results of many of the moderation analyses were insignificant. However, recreational risk-taking moderated the association between sensation seeking and maladaptive risk-taking, but not as expected. Findings may serve as a good starting point to attempting to understand less maladaptive risk-taking mechanisms.
Congratulations again to Sydney Caulder on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Congratulations to Carolynn Bructo ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major Project! Her project was titled “STEM Students’ Perceptions of Changes in Motivation and Identity During a Global Pandemic: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective”. Her supervisor, Dr. Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand was joined by committee members, Dr. Darcey Powell and Dr. Matthew Fleenor to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract:
Student persistence in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) particularly deserves close attention given the alarming attrition rates from such programs. Education and academic achievement are vital pathways to personal and professional success, and the importance of promoting STEM students’ success to enter this field is arguably more evident yet challenging amid a global pandemic. In this study, we aimed to use self-determination theory (SDT), an established theoretical framework in educational psychology that states that individuals’ internal motivation strongly corresponds with the satisfaction of three specific psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), to understand better the perceptions of emerging adults’ satisfaction of these needs during an ongoing global pandemic, and how these needs along with science identity relate to intrinsic motivation, achievement, and intention to persist in STEM. We examined STEM students’ satisfaction levels of both general and domain-specific needs using an online survey (N = 60). As hypothesized, students perceived their domain-specific needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness satisfaction to decrease from pre-pandemic to currently. There was mixed support for other hypotheses. Perceived satisfaction in autonomy, across all measures, was significantly positively related to intrinsic motivation. Students’ perceived satisfaction of competence, autonomy, and relatedness in basic and domain-specific measures were significantly associated with amotivation. Science identity was the most significant predictor of intention to leave STEM. Finally, academic achievement was negatively related to perceived autonomy satisfaction. We hope the results from this study can help us better understand how to promote the success of these students.
Congratulations again to Carolynn Bructo on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Twitter: @RC_Psychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
Carolynn Bructo, Rachel Freshwater, Kaillee Philleo, and Carly Schepacarter (Advisor: Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand)
Background Information
We know from previous research that meditation can provide positive outcomes for the individual, such as more prosocial behaviors, but can separate forms of meditation impact our self-reported feelings of compassion, self-compassion, and self-efficacy (Condon et al., 2013)? We wanted to test this theory with mindfulness meditation that focused on the self, and compassion meditation intended to focus on others. Additionally, a large body of work recognizes the impact of meditation in longitudinal studies but lacks work on more immediate influences of meditation behavior. Through this research, our goal was to address the connection between different types of meditation performed the same day on various self-report scales about understanding the self and reacting to other people. We believed that participants who were asked to perform compassion meditation would report higher levels of compassion than those in the mindfulness meditation and control groups. We also believed that participants who performed mindfulness meditation would report higher levels of self-compassion and self-efficacy than the compassion meditation and control groups.
Methods
113 participants were recruited through Roanoke College’s SONA system in the psychology department and received 1 SONA credit for participating in all parts of the study. Participants then completed a survey in which they were randomly assigned into a group to practice compassion meditation, mindfulness meditation, or listen to a set of random facts for a control group. All of these presented as videos with a dark screen and were three minutes long. All participants then completed questionnaires to test their self-efficacy, compassion, state and trait-based self-compassion, and demographics following their interaction with the videos.
Results and Discussion
The compassion measure proved to be the only statistically significant result of the research. Participants who completed the mindfulness meditation had higher reported levels of compassion than the control group. This may have been true because the mindfulness video encouraged participants to be aware of how they were feeling in the moment, which could have led participants to feel more benefits of meditation than the compassion meditation video, which encouraged a bit more introspection and thoughts of less positive things. When we feel positive, we feel more likely to give, which could have led to this result. We attribute this to our inability to have face-to-face sessions and for experimenters to monitor the behaviors of participants while they were instructed to engage in the various types of meditation. Our meditation conditions did not seem to have an effect on compassion towards self and self-efficacy. Contrary to our expectations, the compassion meditation condition, specifically, did not have any effect on compassion towards others either. These results could indicate that a brief, isolated exposure may not be enough to see the results of increased compassion towards self and others, and self-efficacy.
Reflection
The biggest takeaway is that we likely were unable to find research initially about this topic because there are not strong effects between short-term meditation and social understanding. While instant meditation may quickly reduce stress, compassion (leading to prosocial behaviors) may take time to develop. That being said, our findings were based on a short-term study as well as one specific sample and should be further investigated among larger and more broad sample size. Through this process we learned how to think like researchers, quickly complete a comprehensive literature review, design and carry out a research study, and critically interpret statistical results. We also were able to implement writing strategies and effectively work in a group setting to apply our research knowledge learned throughout the psychology program.
Conclusion
The main finding from our study suggests that college students’ use of a short mindfulness meditation had higher levels of compassion towards others than those in a control group. Those who completed a compassion meditation did not significantly impact their compassion towards others, self-compassion, or self-efficacy.
References
Condon, P., Desbordes, G., Miller, W., & DeSteno, D. (2013). Meditation Increases
Compassionate Responses to Suffering. Psychological Science, 24(10), 2125-2127. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24539409
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Allison Tice, David Casson, Kelsey Markel, and Sydney Brenner (Advisor: Dr. Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand)
During the middle of a global pandemic, one cannot help but wonder about the implications of social isolation and loneliness on emotion regulation. Emotion regulation is the ability to control one’s emotional expression or outlook on a specific situation. As a group, we are interested in this topic after further investigating prior research that discusses the impact of social isolation and loneliness on emotion regulation strategies. Specifically, we looked at the emotion regulation strategies cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Cognitive reappraisal is the ability to change the way an individual can perceive a situation and change their emotions. Expressive suppression is the change in visible emotional state or the ability to change the way one feels about an emotion. For example, someone who is feeling angry might attempt to disguise their anger and display themselves in a happy or content state. We assessed these two strategies to see if cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression was more prevalent in individuals. As a group, we were also very interested to see if there were any gender differences between emotional regulation strategies.
To see any valid relationships between loneliness. social isolation, and emotion regulation, our research team created a survey through software called Qualtrics. In our study, we had 102 total participants who completed the survey. The participants are all Roanoke College students, and many of them are either taking a PSYC-101 or INQ-260 class. The questionnaire consisted of forty-one questions. At the beginning of the survey, we included questions asking about participant’s demographic information and participants’ experiences with COVID-19. The remaining thirty-six questions were taken from three different scales. The University of Los Angeles Loneliness Scale measured participants’ levels of loneliness (Russell, 1996), the Lubben Social Network Scale measured levels of social isolation in participants (“Version of the LSNS”, 2021), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, measured levels of participants’ emotion regulation strategies, specifically expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal (John & Gross, 2004). Using these evidence-supported scales allowed us to study any possible associations between social isolation, loneliness, and emotional regulation strategies.
We predicted that with an increase in social isolation and loneliness, one’s ability to regulate their own emotions using either cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression will be potentially more challenging because difficulties such as feelings of loneliness could be suppressed through expressive suppression which has shown to increase sensitivity regarding the intensity of the emotion exhibited. On the other hand, the negative feelings could also be curbed through cognitive reappraisal which has shown to have benefits associated with positive emotional outcomes as a regulation strategy. We were correct in expecting a higher level of difficulty regulating emotions, as more individuals who had less interaction with family and friends were likely to feel more lonely in general. Expressive suppression is moderately correlated with feelings of loneliness, which indicates that those who experienced the feeling of loneliness were more likely to suppress their emotions. Our hypothesis also suggested that our COVID-19 survey questions would play a role in our results, as well. The analysis of these questions indicates that a negative impact from COVID-19 is associated with higher levels of loneliness. Specifically, regulating emotions can be harder when feelings of loneliness and social isolation are present. Our results also show that the expressive suppression of negative emotions can be utilized to prevent exhibiting negative feelings, even though this method may not be mentally sound or healthy. These findings are important in the sense that it is helpful to understand ways in which social isolation and feelings of loneliness can be exacerbated, but also which strategies and methods can be used to help reduce the severity of negative feelings to more effectively regulate emotions.
We thought that the results were interesting in the way that there were differences between expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal based on gender. A limitation to the study would be the ratio of females to males in this study. With a female dominating sample size, we thought it would be interesting to see if there would be any changes in the results if the ratio of the genders were more equal.
What we hope you, the reader, takes away from our study is that there is a connection between loneliness/social isolation and the ability to regulate one’s emotions. Our analysis of results collected from participants’ answers to the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Lubben Social Network Scale, shows loneliness is moderately correlated with higher levels of expressive suppression. Furthermore, based on the results from our study, those who feel lonely or isolated are more likely to suppress their emotions. Many individuals have felt the lingering impact of COVID-19. The public recognizes that social isolation is necessary to stop the spread, but this does not dismiss the fact that researchers recognize aspects of COVID-19 will have large implications for individuals, both interpersonally and emotionally. We hope that this study also brings forth further research that explores how individuals can remain connected while decreasing feelings of social isolation and loneliness.
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Destinee Sinclair, Katie Caldwell, Megan Karau, and Brianna Webster (Advisor: Danielle Findley Van-Nostrand)
Background Information
Social media is generally perceived as a fun activity to pass time, but there is no denying that social comparisons are abundant and practically unavoidable and can have detrimental consequences to the health and well-being of those who internalize them. Our study focused on young adults’ social comparison orientation via social media and its relation to self-esteem and relationship insecurity. Previous research has found that individuals tend to compare themselves more to others on social media when they spend more time on social media and this might have a negative association with self-esteem and subjective well-being (Vogel et al., 2014). Furthermore, research also indicates that social comparison behavior and increased social media use influences our perceptions of relationship quality and satisfaction (Neyer & Voigt, 2004; Yacoub et al., 2018). It was our purpose to explore and establish distinct relationships between social media use and social comparison behavior, self-esteem, relationship insecurity, and mistrust in an effort to further understand the implications that social media and mechanisms related to social media has on our concept of self and our relationships.
Methods
For the purpose of our study, we specifically focused on social comparison orientation via social media and its relation to self-esteem and relationship insecurity. We hypothesized that our target population of college students spend significant amounts of time on social media, comparing themselves to others, and therefore negatively impacting their relationship quality and self-concepts. In particular, we expected that engaging in upward social comparisons (evaluating others as above or better than you) would be related to problems. To test this theory and measure social media usage and its relationship with self-esteem and relationship quality, we first recruited participants online to participate in our survey which utilized various measures. Regarding our measures of social media usage, we used a subset pulled from the Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes scale. To measure upward and downward comparisons on social media, we used the Scale for Social Comparison Orientation, and for self-esteem we utilized the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. For the last measure in our study, two subscales from the CAT-Personality Disorder Scales Static Form and a 7 item-measure to measure relationship insecurity and mistrust.
Results and Discussion
We expected social media to have a positive relationship with both social comparison measures and have a negative relationship with self-esteem, relationship insecurity, and mistrust. What we found was not as expected, social media use was only mildly positively associated with social comparison orientation; the relationship between social media use and upward/downward social comparisons was not significant. We also found that social media use was positively related to self-esteem but only when controlling for both social comparison measures, but there were no significant relationships shown between social media use and relationship insecurity or mistrust. Next, we looked for the associations of social comparison orientation and upward/downward social comparisons with self-esteem, relationship insecurity, and mistrust. We hypothesized that social comparison behavior would negatively correlate with self-esteem, relationship insecurity, and mistrust, however, what we found was slightly different. We found a negative relationship between self-esteem and both social comparison measures that were moderate in strength but found positive associations between both our social comparison measures and relationship insecurity and our mistrust measure. Our results imply that social media use might be directly related to social media orientation, but that there might be another mechanism about social media use that influences self-esteem, relationship insecurity, and mistrust. This indicates that it is not necessarily social media use that directly impacts our self-esteem, relationship insecurity, and mistrust, but rather the activities we are engaging in, like social comparison, on social media that then become harmful to ourselves and our relationships.
Reflection
This (almost) semester-long project has taught us a lot about the process of completing and finishing out a study. The process of working with different minds was so interesting and honestly added so much to our project. When deciding what we wanted to do, we really bonded over the topic we chose to study. Social media is something that is really big in all of our lives just as much as relationships and the self. When creating the study itself, the process of finding the right questions and specific scales for our study was a little difficult. When creating a study, you want everything to come across the way that you intended it to. The best part of this process was getting our data back and being able to analyze it.
References
Neyer, F. J., & Voigt, D. (2004). Personality and social network effects on romantic relationships: a dyadic approach. European Journal of Personality, 18(4), 279–299. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.519
Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000047
Yacoub, C., Spoede, J., Cutting, R., & Hawley, D. (2018). The Impact of Social Media on Romantic Relationships. Journal of Education and Social Development, 2(2), 53-58. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1490763.
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Congratulations to Morgan Hamilton ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major Project! Her Project was titled “Family Dynamics and Parents’ Perceptions of Adolescent Social Self-Efficacy”. Her project advisor, Dr. Darcey Powell was joined by committee members, Dr. Hilton and Dr. Jackl, to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract: Throughout adolescence, youth experience increasing autonomy in many aspects of their lives, but especially in social functioning. Previous studies focused on shifts prior to and following adolescence, but less research about the effects of family systems on adolescent-aged children exists. The current study examined how parents’ perceptions of their family’s communication, expressions of affection, reactions to their child’s negative emotions, and their child’s coping is associated with perceptions of their child’s social self-efficacy. Parent participants (N = 146) whose eldest children were between 10 and 15 years old were recruited from English-speaking countries to complete an online survey via Prolific. Analyses revealed associations between affection, family communication, and parents’ perceptions of their reactions to adolescents’ negative emotions. Furthermore, associations between coping, affection, and social self-efficacy were found. Lastly, associations between affection, family communication, reactions to adolescent’s negative emotions, and coping were found with social self-efficacy. Examining the impacts of family dynamics on the child outside of the home adds to the literature about family dynamics and gleans further insight for family therapists about the impact of familial dynamics.
Congratulations again to Morgan Hamilton on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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Looking for ways to get more involved this summer? Or looking to build your resume/CV and experience? Then check out Camp Starfish!
Camp Starfish fosters the success and growth of children with emotional, behavioral, and learning problems by providing individualized attention as part of structured, nurturing, and fun group programs.
You may be thinking, well why should I work at Camp Starfish? Working at Camp Starfish
If you are interested in learning more about interning/working at Camp Starfish this summer contact Jessica Eades at (719) 640-9773 or Jessica.eades1257@gmail.com, as well as if you have further questions contact their staffing team at (978) 637-2617 or staffing@campstarfish.org
Moreover, follow their Instagram @campstarfishstaff and check out their website for more information and to apply today!
Learn more about completing an internship for credit at Roanoke College by going to our webpage or by contacting Dr. FVN at findley@roanoke.edu
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Over the next few days, we will be highlighting the Psychology Department graduating seniors! This post will highlight 4 seniors: Kira Hunt, Abbie Joseph, David Casson, and Carly Schepacarter!
Congratulations to Kira! After graduation, she plans to take a gap year working as a teacher’s assistant while home. Then, she plans on applying to graduate programs in preparation to become a Certified Child Life Specialist. Kira’s favorite memory of the Psychology department was attending the psychology reception for alumni weekend. “It was interesting to hear stories from alumni who had the teachers that I had. It’s also really fun to watch the psychology faculty interact with each other.”
Congrats Abbie! After graduation, she will be attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Abbie’s favorite psych-related memory has been the opportunities to gain research experience and being able to carry out her own research study. She is “very thankful for Dr. Powell and all her patience and guidance!”
Congratulations to David! His post graduate plans are to move to Easton, MD for the summer, since his folks have purchased a new house there recently. He will be working a job there over the summer and hopefully gaining resume experience while he plans what to do for a graduate school transition in the near future. David’s favorite memory of the Psychology department was when he took a Drugs and Behavior class with Dr. Allen. “This class was extremely interesting, thought provoking, engaging, and fun all along the way. Learning how varying forms of substances affect different parts of the brain and behavior in unique ways was something I did not think I would learn at Roanoke.”
Congrats Carly! In the fall, Carly will be pursuing her Master’s in Art Therapy degree at George Washington University. She hopes to work part-time in a research lab or human services position as she works toward her degree. Carly’s favorite psych-related memory has been working in Dr. Carter’s research lab for the past 3 years! “Our lab meetings have been the highlight of my week each semester and I always appreciated the support I received from my lab partners and Dr. Carter in my time here.”
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If you are a freshman or sophomore wrapping up this semester thinking, “What am I going to do after I graduate in a few years?” or are wondering, “What should I be doing these next few years to reach my career goals?” then make a note to add PSYC 110 to your Spring 2022 schedule!
PSYC 110 is a P/F course taught each spring that helps students consider their post-graduation pursuits, as well as clarifies for students the resources available to them within the department and across the college. In a typical (i.e., face-to-face) semester, students also shadow a professional in a career of interest to them. In this semester’s remote format, students complete two informational interviews with professionals in careers of interest to them. After completing the interviews, the students created posters summarizing what they learned.
Continue reading for some examples of the posters from this semester’s students.
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Alise Bennett, Savannah Brown, Emily Gabrielian, & Alyssa Mattson (Advisor: Dr. Chris Buchholz)
Background
A little over a year ago, our world was quickly turned upside down once the news broke that we were heading into a global pandemic due to the coronavirus. With the rise of the pandemic, we also saw a rise in beliefs in conspiracy theories related to the coronavirus. COVID-19 skepticism became extremely present across the United States as some people demonstrated that they did not believe in the seriousness of the virus or that the pandemic was a hoax (Latkin et al., 2021). Recent research has demonstrated that COVID-19 skepticism is strongly associated with a decrease in engagement in COVID-19 prevention behaviors, such as isolating at home, social distancing, and wearing a face mask (Latkin et al., 2021).
Additionally, the research conducted on COVID-19 skepticism noted that the skepticism was associated with political conservation because there was a relationship between the sources of news that individuals consumed, the negative attitudes towards government spending on public health, and believing in conspiracy theories (Latkin et al., 2021). This current study aims to examine the relationship between paranoia levels and compliance in COVID-19 guidelines, such as wearing facial coverings and social distancing, in order to better understand the conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus. The possible limitations that may be present throughout this study are that we used a convenience sample from the Roanoke College student population, meaning that our data is not representative of the general population. Additionally, it is possible that when we were analyzing the data that we overlooked certain responses that may have been associated with the objective of the study. Overall, the findings of this study may reveal how paranoia contributes to these greater sociological problems as well as how to effectively address conspiratorial thinking as it affects our daily lives.
Method
Participants. 96 participants were sourced from either INQ-260 Psychology or Psychology 101 classes at Roanoke College. The students were notified about the survey through SONA, a subject pool software, and were given credit for completing the survey thoroughly and fully.
Materials. We used a survey platform called Qualtrics to build and conduct the following survey:
Following the video, all participants were directed to the main survey:
Procedure. The survey was live for a roughly three-week period. The participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (videos). After finishing the video, participants will move on to the questionnaire part of the survey. In this section, participants will answer a series of questions ranging from personality and paranoia to questions regarding COVID-19 prevention practices engaged in. At the end of the survey, participants were given the option to redirect to another survey to enter personal information to receive credit. Following the data collection period, data was analyzed and interpreted by our group.
Results
A 2 x 2 between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of paranoia on compliance with COVID-19 public health guidance. It was predicted that participants who viewed the vaccination video would be more likely to respond positively to questions relating to compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. A second hypothesis suggested that those who score high in paranoia will score low in compliance to COVID-19, given a perceived tendency towards conspiratorial thinking and a resulting mistrust or disbelief in the effectiveness of COVID-19 preventative measures.
Our results indicated that the experimental condition (watching the John Hopkins University on COVID-19 vaccinations) did not significantly improve compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. As shown in Figure 1, those low in paranoia did show increased compliance with COVID-19 preventative measures; however, this difference was not statistically significant.
Figure 1. Experimental condition and paranoia on compliance with COVID-19 public health guidance.
Between both experimental conditions, narcissism and psychopathy were two dark personality traits found to be significant in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. Those scoring high in narcissism were most likely to report low compliance with COVID-19 public health guidance (see Figure 2). Similarly, those high in trait psychopathy had much lower compliance with COVID-19 protective measures (see Figure 3).
Figure 2. Experimental condition and paranoia on compliance with COVID-19 public health guidance.
Figure 3. Psychopathy and paranoia on compliance with COVID-19 public health guidance.
While our main hypotheses could not be confirmed by this study, our exploratory variables yielded results in line with our predictions. One may attribute our findings to the multiple ways in which paranoia might play out given the context of COVID-19. For example, someone scoring high in paranoia may score low in compliance given a mistrust in these guidelines, or high in compliance given anxiety around contracting the virus. Regarding our experimental conditions, perhaps a short video, regardless of context, is not a “strong enough” stimulus to influence how people would respond to survey questions relating to an event such as COVID-19.
In contrast, our findings suggest that individuals high in narcissism and psychopathy are more likely to disregard COVID-19 public health guidance, in line with behaviors generally observed from individuals with these traits. In the case of narcissism, a preoccupation with one’s own interests, regardless of the consequences or harm it may cause others, may explain this relationship. A general disregard for others and their safety may characterize this relationship as applied to psychopathy.
Reflection
After completing this assignment, as a group, we have a better understanding of research methods overall. While we have participated in other experiments, now we more fully grasp how to design an experiment, clean and analyze data, and write formally for research. Essentially, this class allowed for the hands-on application of the knowledge we learned over our college careers. Additionally, we believe that it may be beneficial if this study was replicated in order to see if our results would be significant or stay the same. It is certainly possible that our participants were only completing our survey for credit in their course, which may have resulted in students not taking the time to provide complete answers to our questions.
Conclusion
The main findings of this study indicate that the Roanoke College students that participated in the survey demonstrated that paranoia had an effect on compliance to COVID-19 guidelines; however, this finding was not significant. Additional findings indicate that the relationship between both experimental conditions and the two dark personalities (narcissism and psychopathy) and compliance to COVID-19 guidelines was found to be significant. Moving forward, academic institutions may be interested in expanding upon this study in order to further understand the association between beliefs in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and paranoia in order to see if there is a significant relationship. Additionally, it would be very interesting if academic institutions also conducted future studies on the association between narcissism and psychopathy and beliefs in conspiracy theories about COVID-19.
References
Latkin, C. A., Dayton, L., Moran, M., Strickland, J. C., & Collins, K. (2021). Behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with COVID-19 skepticism in the United States. Current Psychology, 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s12144-020-01211-3.
Luke Harbison, MaryDrew Collier, Hunter Andrews, and Alice Chandler (Advisor: Dr. Buchholz)
Background Information
Why are people inclined to form mosh pits at heavy music concerts (Thrash, Death Metal etc.) but wouldn’t at something like a Barry Manilow concert? Do various genres have respectively different effects on human emotions and behavior? Prior research studies have investigated these questions with findings supporting the supposed answer. Some studies show heavier music made subjects more likely to report negative feelings while other studies demonstrated that songs with negative lyrical content can make people report a higher frequency of aggression (Shafron & Karno, 2013; Anderson & Carnagey, 2003). In this study, we predicted the conditions of aggressive music (Drowning Pool-Bodies) or soft music (Claude DeBussy-Clair De Lune) would produce different results of aggression levels, specifically a greater level when listening to aggressive music compared to soft and no music conditions. Our study specifically focused on state aggression rather than trait aggression, while also taking gender differences into account (male, female) to look for possible interactions. The key aspect of this study revolves around examining participant’s current aggression levels. By examining the participants’ current levels, we should gather results on the immediate effect music has on a person.
Methods
Our study was conducted entirely online. We created a survey on the website Qualtrics and received our participant pool by providing class credit for people in introductory-level psychology courses through a website called SONA. The survey respondents listened to one of three music clips: clip 1 being no music, clip 2 being Clair De Lune by Claude DeBussy, a representation of soft music, and clip 3 being Bodies by Drowning Pool, a representation of aggressive music. Respondents then answered questions related to their current emotional state, particularly how aggressive they felt. Results were put into a Jamovi where it was analyzed. In addition, we also asked respondents to tell us their gender (male and female) so we could look for possible interactions. We had two other gender selections (prefer not to say, non-binary) but they were not used in the analysis.
Results and Discussion
In order to evaluate the effects of gender and music genres on aggression, a 2 (male/female) x 3 (no music, easy listening, and aggressive music) between-subjects analysis of variance was conducted. There were 15 questions related to aggression and 5 related to negative feelings in general. Our analysis found that there was no difference in aggression level across the three groups. We did find a difference between men and women but it was not found to be significantly different. Additionally, we found no interaction between the main groups.
We anticipated that there would be significant findings, but our results show the likelihood of no change in aggression level being present. However, other potential factors are present including the music clips being too short or respondents not paying attention and rushing through the survey. Although females reported higher levels of aggression, this could be affected by other factors that weren’t accounted for. While we did not have any significant findings, this information could benefit future researchers who want to examine aggression and its relationship to music. If this study were to be conducted in the future, we could potentially lengthen music clips and control the setting of where the survey is being taken at. Ultimately, we found no strong evidence that aggressive music poses a difference in state aggression in comparison to no music and soft music.
Figure 1. The effects of music genres on aggression.
Figure 2. The effects of gender on aggression.
Figure 3. The interaction between gender and music genres.
Reflection
Based on this study’s findings, we can conclude that our hypothesis was not supported. In examining the possible reasons for this, we determined there are multiple possibilities. The phenomena of mosh pits may be related to other factors such as drinking and the influence of people being around other people who are all in a highly stimulating environment. Additionally, our study had flaws that could result in missing the real effect that could be present. Our findings do not firmly guarantee that no effect occurs, conducting a different study could potentially identify it. Another important piece of information that we learned was how complex the process of creating a study, getting the study approved, gathering respondents, and compiling data all truly was. Going forward, researchers in the fields of musicology and the behavioral sciences may be able to use our research to examine the phenomena of music genres on behavior even further than us.
References
Anderson C.A., Carnagey N.L. (2003). Exposure to Violent Media: The effects of songs with violent lyrics on aggressive thoughts and feelings. Journal of Personality and social Psychology, 84(5), 960-71. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.960
Shafron, G.R., & Karno, M.P. (2013). Heavy metal music and emotional dysphoria among listeners. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(2), 74-85. doi: 10.1037/a0031722.
Curtis Kingery, Lauren Powell, and Alex Upright (Advisor: Dr. Buchholz)
Background Information
“Genius Grant” award winner Angela Duckworth recently asked, “What is the single most significant choice a human being can make in their life?” Distinguished Psychology researcher David Buss responded, “The selection of a long-term mate.” Since he is esteemed for research in human mating, he might be biased to answer that way. However, it is undeniable that mating is a critical part of human existence. In mate selection, most traits and qualities are considered essential by both sexes (e.g., kind, trustworthy, intelligent), yet some traits are prioritized more by one sex than the other. These differences in preferences on traits most valued in an opposite-sex partner are well documented, along with an evolutionary rationale for their existence. On average, men disproportionately favor youthfulness and physical attractiveness in female mates. Women’s preferences show an asymmetry, on average, towards a man’s ability to acquire resources (Buss, 1989; Li et al., 2002; Walter et al., 2020). These traits may vary in one’s ability to control them. That is, there may be a significant difference between the ability to control one’s level of attractiveness versus the amount of control one has over their earning potential. Prior research on this topic found just that. Traits highly associated with female mate value are perceived as less controllable, by females, relative to traits highly associated with male mate value—and their perceived controllability by men (Ben Hamida et al., 1998). However, there is individual variation within the sexes on how they perceive their control over these traits. That is, males will vary in the extent to which they perceive control over characteristics suggestive of resource acquisition ability. We sought to account for these individual differences, generally, in perceived controllability of traits and, specifically, on critical mating dimensions. (Mis)perceptions of control could inform our understanding of documented differences in human behavior between males and females.
Methods
Participants were recruited from a pool of current students attending Roanoke College through the College’s Psychology department SONA system, primarily students enrolled in PSYC 101 or INQ260-PY who were eligible for extra credit received a half-credit as compensation for the participation. There were 26 male participants and 69 female participants, for a total of 95 participants who completed the study.
Our survey was administered using Qualtrics where participants were asked to respond to a variety of different scales, including the Locus of Control, the Scale for Intrasexual Competition (specified for either male or female, depending on the participant’s indicated gender) and a controllability questionnaire. Participants in the manipulation group were shown eight images, one of a person’s body ‘before’ working out and getting fit, and the second of the same person’s body ‘after’ working out. This particular manipulation was used in order to explore the possibility of intervention where countermessaging could increase people’s perceptions of control of traits that they wish to improve. Participants were also asked demographic questions such as gender identity and sexual orientation.
Results and Discussion
We expected to find a relationship between one’s level of intrasexual competitiveness and their perceived controllability of myriad traits. Although the relationship wasn’t strong enough to make any reliable conclusions, we did see a reduction in perceived controllability as participants, on average, increased in intrasexual competitiveness. See figure 1.
Figure 1: The effect of intrasexual competitiveness and sex on self-perceived controllability
Figure 1 implies that as one focuses more on competing with same-sex peers for mates, their perceptions of control over their traits could be influenced by that preoccupation.
Similarly, we expected our experimental manipulation, where half of the participants saw body transformation images, to increase that group’s average perception of controllability. We did not find evidence for this relationship. This could mean that our manipulation wasn’t strong enough or it could imply that perceptions of controllability may be stable traits within individuals that are unlikely to be influenced in this manner.
As predicted, we did find that males and females, on average, showed substantial differences in their general perceptions of controllability of traits. See figure 2.
Figure 2: Self-perceived controllability of traits by sex
Moreover, we found a statistically significant result for differences in males’ and females’ perceptions of controllability, specifically on the dimensions regarded as critical to men when choosing a female mate. That is, traits related to youthfulness and attractiveness were considered more controllable by men than women. There was no evidence for these sex differences on perceptions of controllability for resource acquisition traits. These sex differences in perceptions of controllability could inform our understanding of behaviors that show increased or decreased occurrence in one sex versus the other (e.g., mate preferences, risk-taking, aggression, jealousy, and several psychological disorders such as depression and eating disorders).
Reflection
Unfortunately, while we were unable to find a strong enough relationship between competitiveness and controllability to make any conclusions, we were still able to determine a statistically significant difference in males’ and females’ perception of how well they can control their youthfulness and attractiveness.
Conclusion
We are all different people with different experiences and lives. There is no need to stress unnecessarily about being as attractive or successful as possible for fear of missing out on the perfect spouse. There is no need to compare yourself to others or feel that you must complete with them to find “the perfect mate.” Be patient, focus on the things that will not be changed by time, such as humor or personality, and make sure that you can be the best you can be, and the right person will be there at the right time.
References
Ben Hamida, S., Mineka, S., & Bailey, J. M. (1998). Sex differences in perceived controllability of mate value: An evolutionary perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(4), 953–966. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.75.4.953
Buss, D. M. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 12, 1–14. doi:10.1017/ S0140525X00023992
Li, N. P., Bailey, J. M., Kenrick, D. T., & Linsenmeier, J. A. W. (2002). The necessities and luxuries of mate preferences: Testing the tradeoffs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), 947–955. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.947
Walter, K. V., Conroy-Beam, D., Buss, D. M., Asao, K., Sorokowska, A., Sorokowski, P., Aavik, T., Akello, G., Alhabahba, M. M., Alm, C., Amjad, N., Anjum, A., Atama, C. S., Atamtürk Duyar, D., Ayebare, R., Batres, C., Bendixen, M., Bensafia, A., Bizumic, B., … Zupančič, M. (2020). Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 countries: A large-scale replication. Psychological Science, 31(4), 408–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620904154
On May 10th, Kira Hunt successfully defended her Honors in the Major and Honors Distinction Project. Congratulations Kira! The psychology department faculty/staff and your fellow departmental student assistants are so proud of you.
Her project was titled: “Ignoring Red Flags: Self Efficacy and Self-Disclosure in Online Romantic Relationships”. In addition to a successful defense, Kira completed an impressive two-lab project working in both Dr. Powell and Dr. Nichols’ labs. Her work beautifully combines aspects from multiple disciplines, including psychology and sociology.
Project Abstract:
With the advancement of technology, dating has changed drastically, especially for emerging adults who make up a considerable portion of online daters. However, dangers surrounding dating someone met online (e.g., misrepresentation) are a major concern. Additionally, without the social cues usually gathered from face-to-face interactions, individuals often have intense feelings of intimacy and are more willing to self-disclose more than in face-to-face interactions. The first study aimed to examine if romantic self-efficacy and target attractiveness impacted the likeliness to self-disclose in online initiated relationships. There were no significant differences in likelihood to self-disclose based on romantic self-efficacy or target attractiveness. However, likeliness to disclose did appear to be affected by whether misleading information was included, and the depth or level of the information being disclosed. The second study utilized electroencephalogram (EEG) to determine if target attractiveness and presence of misleading information impacted brain activity. There were no significant differences in brain activity based on target attractiveness or vignette type, nor was amount of self-disclosure associated with brain activity. Although most of the hypotheses were unsupported, the current study suggests more research needs to be done to determine what characteristics of individuals or of potential partners might influence online dating behaviors (e.g., falling victim to online romance scams).
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Therapy4thePeople is a new non-profit making it easier to access mental healthcare in the US by focusing on three of the biggest barriers to care: cost, complexity, and cultural mismatch. They are currently looking for an intern to help plan their social media content and manage accounts on Twitter and Instagram. 
Therapy4thePeople is building the first national directory of free and low-cost mental health services that goes beyond therapy to include overlooked sources of support like chat services, support groups, research studies, and self-guided programs. They also bring expertise and insider knowledge onto their blog, where they publish guidance on navigating the mental health system and finding culturally sensitive care.
We are excited to expand our communications team to ensure that we get these important resources to the people who need them most.
More information about the organization can be found on their website, on their About Us page. You can also check out their existing Twitter account, @therapy4theppl.
From the organization: “We’re looking for an intern to help plan our social media content and manage our accounts on Twitter and Instagram. The intern will play a key role in disseminating our work to help-seekers and mental health professionals on these platforms. Their primary role will be to create social media content that promotes our directory and blog and provides updates on our work. We’re also looking for someone who will find, create, and share online content aligned with our organization’s values (e.g., health equity, culturally sensitive care, evidence-based treatments, social justice). The intern will track social media engagement to help us maximize Therapy4thePeople’s impact and reach. One year commitment is required, with a flexible schedule of approximately 3-5 hours per week, including regular check-ins with our Executive Team. If looking for additional hours or experiences for internship credit, this role can be expanded.”
This organization says the role includes the following benefits…
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter that includes information about relevant mental health and social media experience, and two sample Twitter posts (preferably with visual content). Applications are due Sunday June 6. Applicants should expect to hear back regarding their application within two weeks, and if deemed a strong fit for the role, will be invited to a Zoom interview with the Therapy4thePeople co-founders. Please direct all inquiries about this position and application materials to:
Therapy4thePeople Executive Team
therapy4thepeople@gmail.com
“Our work centers the needs and experiences of people from marginalized groups, especially Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and those from lower income backgrounds. We know that we can only achieve our mission if our team reflects the communities we aim to serve. Applicants who bring a diversity of lived experiences and identities are strongly encouraged to apply.” – Therapy4thePeople
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Finals are quickly approaching being less than two weeks away. Now is the perfect time to start studying and putting the finishing touches on final projects and assignments that will be due. Of course, this time of the year is not without stress especially now during the pandemic.
Keep reading for more helpful advice about stress management and how to succeed during the finals.
College-wide events:
Chair Massages
Chair massages for students for stress relief!
When: Monday, May 10th, Wednesday, May 12th, & Friday, May 14th 2021
Time: Sign up here
Where: The WELL (Alumni 216)
Below are some tips on completing projects and how to study to avoid stress and turn in quality work.
How to Prepare
The best way to make sure that you have adequate time to start and complete all of the assignments is to come up with a plan.
Take Breaks
The best rule to follow for work/life balance is 80/20 where 80% is focused on academics and 20% is focused on having fun. Studying for long periods of time can be draining and isn’t efficient in the long run. Breaks can be as simple as meditating or going for a walk. Just remember to come back to studying when you’re mentally prepared.
Ask for Help
Sometimes it can be really helpful to talk with other classmates for clarification. This can also apply to professors. It’s better to ask before to make sure you’re prepared for the test. In addition, being able to explain the material to someone else and having them understand it is a good strategy for understanding and remembering the material.
Where to Study
Now that 9 AM to 9 PM access to other residence halls has been restored to all residential students, you can use the study lounges across campus to your advantage. Make sure the spot you pick to study is quiet and free from distractions. The library also has some great resources such as the individual study rooms on the top floor and group study rooms in the basement.
These are just some tips and not all of these work for everyone. This is also by no means a comprehensive list. Starting early will help you figure out which strategies work best for you. Remember the psychology department is cheering you on!
Good luck with finals and enjoy your summer!
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Please join us in congratulating the following students for their hard work and dedication within the psychology department! These students were honored in a ceremony on May 3, 2021.
Senior Scholar in Psychology
Autumn T. Cox
The psychology major who has the highest overall grade point average (a minimum of 3.2 is required) after completion of at least 27 units is designated as the Senior Scholar in Psychology.
Karl W. Beck Memorial Prize
Kaillee M. Philleo and Carly M. Shepacarter
A monetary prize that is made possible by gifts of friends in memory of the late Karl W. Beck, who was a professor and chair of the Roanoke College Psychology Department. This award is given for excellence in Psychology.
Curt R. Camac Student Research Award
Sydney M. Caulder, Kira N. Hunt, Abbie L. Joseph, and Curtis E. Kingery
From 1986 to 2012, Dr. Curt Camac was one of the leaders of a campus-wide movement to increase student-faculty research. As an inspiration to both students and faculty, he helped pave the way for the tremendous growth in research experiences we offer at Roanoke. This grant was developed in his honor to support student research.
The Charles E. Early Award
Aaron J. Rogers
In honor of Dr. Charles Early, retired Professor of Psychology, who taught at Roanoke from 1988
to 2015, this award goes to the student who best embodies Dr. Early’s love of learning, powerful work ethic, keen intellect, warm humor, and deep appreciation for pie.
The Jan H. Lynch Human Development Concentration Award
Morgan J. Hamilton, Abbie L. Joseph, and Grace E. Page
In honor of Dr. Jan Lynch, retired Professor of Psychology, who taught at Roanoke from 1980 to 2015. This award goes to the students who have demonstrated excellence in the Human Development Concentration.
Outstanding Junior Psychology Majors
Hunter J. Andrews, Kyra R. Baker, Benjamin S. Campbell, Alice R. Chandler, Jessica A. Fritz, Emily P. Gabrielian, Kaitlyn S. Gifford, Carey S. Linkous, Claire M. McDonald, Sara C. Moody, Naomi H. Painter, Carrie N. Pohlman, Kaeley E. Pollock, Kristi R. Rolf, Hannah N. Schetselaar, Rebecca A. Shannon, and Sarah E. Young
Recognition given to the junior students who are deemed by the faculty as having demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and potential for continued success in Psychology.
Outstanding Student in the Neuroscience Concentration
Kira N. Hunt
This award is given annually to the student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement in the neuroscience concentration and has shown potential for continued success in the field.
Psi Chi Achievement Award
Kaillee M. Philleo
A gift given to the Psi Chi member who has best exemplified excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. The recipient is chosen by student and faculty members of Psi Chi, the honorary society in Psychology.
Again, please wish these students congratulations if you see them around campus! Additionally, thank you to our amazing faculty and staff who help guide our students towards success! We are so very grateful to you!
Are you looking for a summer job? How about an internship experience? Well, look no further, because Camp Easterseals is hiring summer staff!
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There’s no denying it. We love our Alumni! The Psychology department at Roanoke College is an inclusive group that wants everyone to feel welcomed into our community, both before and after your graduation! If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it is that connections are more important than ever. This post is outlining some ways for our Alumni (old or brand-new) can stay connected with the Psychology department.
The Psychology department has a couple different social media accounts that Alumni are encouraged to follow and engage with. The first is our Instagram, @rcpsychology. Our posts are always fun to look through, but make sure you’re also staying up-to-date with our Instagram stories!
And let’s not forget about Facebook! Our account on Facebook is used similarly to our Instagram. You can find information on research, events, alumni updates, shared articles, and so much more. Our account is again, @rcpsychology.
And finally, Twitter! The Psychology department at RC is full of kindness and humor, which makes students and professors alike spend a lot of time scrolling through Twitter. The department’s account is @RC_Psychology.
Good news! If you’re reading this, you’re already one step closer to becoming an active alumni for the psychology department. We hope you enjoy taking a look through these blog posts and staying in the loop on what is happening for RC Psychology, both on and off campus. Here you can find similar news and stories to the ones shared on our socials, but you may get more frequent updates with details.
You guys already know the drill. Join the department’s LinkedIn group to stay informed on news, jobs, and graduate school information. Multiple faculty members are a part of the group, along with alumni and current students!
Don’t forget that no matter how you stay involved, the Roanoke College Psychology community is eager to welcome you as an alumni. Feel free to reach out the faculty via email to share opportunities, hear about departmental news, or even to just catch up with your favorite professors!
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Congratulations to Abbie Joseph ’21 for the successful defense of her Honors in the Major Project! Her project was titled “Cyberstalking Behaviors After the Use of Ghosting”. Her supervisor, Dr. Darcey N. Powell was joined by committee members, Dr. Osterman and Dr. Berntson, to oversee her defense.
Project Abstract:
The purpose of the current study was to examine the differences in cyberstalking behaviors after the dissolution of a romantic interaction based on the dissolution strategy used (i.e., ghosting or explicit reasoning). Participants included emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 29 (N = 240) who had a romantic interaction end. A survey was used to collect information regarding participants’ most recent relationship dissolution, their experiences with ghosting and cyberstalking, their engagement in cyberstalking behaviors towards an ex-partner and the ex-partner’s new partner, their social media app usage, and their relationships with their ex-partner. Analyses revealed that participants whose most recent romantic interaction ended via ghosting did not engage in significantly more cyberstalking behaviors than participants whose most recent romantic interaction ended via explicit reasoning. There were no significant differences in the length of engagement in cyberstalking behaviors after the breakup between participants whose relationship ended through ghosting and participants whose relationship ended explicitly. There were no significant differences in engagement of cyberstalking behaviors between participants who initiated the ghosting and participants who were ghosted. Participants who were ghosted engaged in cyberstalking behaviors to seek out information about their ex-partner and the ex-partner’s new partner. The findings of the current study provide information on how the dissolution strategy is associated with post-dissolutional cyberstalking behaviors.
Congratulations again to Abbie Joseph on a successful defense and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the future!
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