Faculty Mentor:  Dr. J. Gayle Beck

Faculty Mentor’s Department:  Psychology

Contact:  Dr. J. Gayle Beck

E-mail:  jgbeck@memphis.edu

Phone: 678-3973

Project Description:  I am looking for 2-3 research assistants for the Spring 2010 semester.  The positions will involve 10 hours per week (in exchange for course credit).  I ask for a 2 semester commitment, as it takes a while to be trained on the lab procedures.  We will be running two laboratory studies this fall and our RAs will assist with conducting participants through the procedure, helping to manage the data, and learning about basic statistics.  I have set up a research clinic for women in the community who are seeking help for emotional problems related to domestic violence.  RAs will have an opportunity to help with community outreach, as well as learn more about research with help-seeking individuals. 

The ideal RA would be in his/her junior year, have a reasonable clear idea that they might want to pursue a career in psychology or a related mental health field, and be able to work cooperatively and somewhat autonomously

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Berman

Faculty Mentor's Department: Psychology

Telephone Number and/or E-mail: 678-2974; jberman@memphis.edu

Project Description: Dr. Berman's Psychotherapy Laboratory focuses on two fundamental questions on psychotherapy: (a.) how well does psychotherapy work? and, (b.) Why does psychotherapy work?  Psychology honors students may apply to participate in laboratory activities and would be eligible

Requirements for Student Applicants: Qualified honors students who have satisfactorily completed PSYC 3010 (Research and Statistics I) and PSYC 3020 (Research and Statistic II) may also apply to complete an honors thesis on psychotherapy under the direction of Dr. Berman as part of PSYC 4504 and PSYC 4996.

Starting Date:  Immediately

Method of Compensation ( Volunteer, Academic Credit, or Stipend): Eligible for course credit through PSYC 4503 (Special Problems in Psychology)

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katherine Kitzmann

Faculty Mentor's Department: Psychology

Telephone Number and/or E-mail: 678-4683; k.kitzmann@mail.psyc.memphis.edu

Project Description: Our focus is on emotion socialization--that is, how parents and teachers shape children's emotional competence. In 2010-2011 we hope to complete a third year of data collection at Campus School, the elementary school on the University of Memphis campus. We are particularly interested in studying how adults' socialization behaviors influence children's emotion regulation, which in turn predicts their competence in with peers in the classroom. An honors student who is involved with the project would be expected to attend weekly meetings on Fridays from 1:00-3:30, and to assist in data collection and data entry.

Requirements for Student Applicants: Honor student or A average; ability to attend weekly lab meetings and Child and Family Research Area meetings, both on Friday afternoons. We also want to know that you are not already overextended (too many course or work commitments already).

Starting Date:  Immediately

Method of Compensation ( Volunteer, Academic Credit, or Stipend): Course credit, requiring about 3 hours of work (including meeting time ) for each course credit earned.

Faculty Mentor(s): James P. Whelan, PhD & Andrew W. Meyers, PhD

Faculty Mentor's Department: Psychology

Telephone Number and/or E-mail Address: 678-3491 and 678-7867; gambling@memphis.edu

Project Description: T.I.G.E.R., founded in 1998, is a nonprofit organization housed within the Psychology Department and Psychological Services Center at The University of Memphis. The Institute was founded after three years of gambling related research, and shortly after receiving requests from individuals and families seeking services to help with gambling related problems. Our mission is threefold: 1) to conduct basic and applied research on gambling and problem gambling behavior, 2) to provide quality low cost services to Mid-Southerners who experience gambling-related problems, and 3) to provide education to individuals, community organizations, and business and industry about problem gambling. We presently have a number of projects that are in progress. For example: the effects of alcohol on gambling, gambling influence on testosterone, family structure and function on the gambling behavior of African-American adolescents, and treatment of co-occurring gambling and alcohol problems.

Requirements for Student Applicants: Students interested in being involved on an ongoing basis and are willing to commit a minimum of 5 hours per week to lab projects.

Starting Date: anytime.

Method of Compensation: volunteer or academic credit.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Erik Groenendyk

Faculty Mentor's Department: Political Science

Email: grnedyk@memphis.edu

Project Description:  My work investigates the psychological processes underlying political behavior.  This particular study focuses on party identification and social interaction.  Research shows that partisan bias can lead citizens to disregard valuable information in an effort to avoid disagreement with their party.  However, relatively little is known about how these processes operate within a social setting.  More specifically, I am interested in determining the conditions under which partisan biases are socially reinforced versus the conditions under which social interaction helps to mitigate these biases and even fosters deliberation.  Given the interdisciplinary nature of my research, I would welcome involvement from students across the social sciences.  Research assistants will primarily be involved in experimental data collection.  This means working in the lab, helping to get the study setup, data management, and possibly coding data once the collection stage is complete.    

Method of compensation:  Academic credit or volunteer