Category Archives: Research

2018 Psychological Science Night

Posted on by

Join us for a celebration of student research!

Friday, December 7th, 2018
3:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Betty Tipton Room, ECSU

For information, visit:
http://www1.easternct.edu/psychology/psychological-science-night/
There will be light refreshments, a poster session, and research presentations. Support your peers and learn more about the science of psychology from our advanced students!

Co-sponsors: ECSU Psych Club, the Department of Psychological Science
Questions?
Contact Dr. Kristi Salters-Pedneault
saltersk@easternct.edu
(860) 465-0406

Psychological Science Night 2018

Posted on by

Psychological Science Night will be held on Friday, December 7 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. This undergraduate psychology research conference allows students to present work they have completed in their Research Methods course, in an independent study, or as research assistants working with faculty. Please consider submitting your work for presentation. Stay tuned for more information and a submission link.

Spring 2018 Message from the Department

Posted on by

On behalf of the Department of Psychological Science, we want to welcome you to the Spring 2018 Semester. Throughout the coming academic year, we will be reaching out to you via your school email account. However, we will be relying primarily on our website to keep you up to date on news and events in the department (http://www.easternct.edu/psychology/blog-posts/).

The department is pleased to announce that we are now offering a concentration in Mental Health Counseling and the Child & Youth Concentration is now a Developmental Concentration. Remember that the concentrations are unique for the Bachelor’s Degree. If you have any interest in changing concentrations, you should pick up the form (outside of the Department Office) and meet with an advisor in that concentration (this information is on the department webpage).

We have several events planned for this semester. If you have met the requirements for Psi Chi, you will be receiving an invitation from a faculty member over the next 2 weeks.

We will be holding our first Psychology Graduate School Fair in the Betty Tipton Room on April 5th between 6-7pm. More details will be posted on our website as they become available.

On April 23rd we will hold our Honors Night in the Betty Tipton Room starting at 6pm. We will be inducting members into our chapter of Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology and recognizing students who have met the criteria for our departmental honors distinction.

On May 4th the CSU Psychology Day will be held at Central Connecticut State University. Students who have research they have completed should talk their faculty member about the possibility of presenting at this event.

For any students who will be graduating in May or August of 2018, the dates and times for the Exit Exam sessions (which is a graduation requirement for Psychology majors) are listed below. You will be receiving email notification to save the date very soon and later in the semester you will receive notification to sign up for a session. If you have any questions, email Dr. Keyes at keyesme@easternct.edu.

Monday 4/2 4:00-7:00pm
Monday 4/2 7:00-10:00pm
Tuesday 4/3 4:00-7:00pm
Tuesday 4/3 7:00-10:00pm
Wednesday 4/4 4:00-7:00pm
Wednesday 4/4 7:00-10:00pm

Two Students Awarded Travel Funds

Posted on by

The Department of Psychological Science has awarded two student research grants:

Michael K. Pelletier received funding to present his project, Increasing Composting on a College Campus (co-authored by Melanie Byrne), at the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis & Therapy annual meeting.

Rachel Pilver received funding to present her project, Improving the Public Image of Psychology: Who Should Interventions Target?, at the New England Psychological Association annual meeting.

Volunteer Research Position at the Institute of Living (Hartford)

Posted on by

The Anxiety Disorders Center (the Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital) is seeking motivated, dependable undergraduate students to assist with research studies and database management. Students will be involved in research on anxiety disorders including hoarding disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychophysiology, and neuroimaging. Opportunities are available to attend research meetings, observe MRI sessions, and observe clinical intake assessments.

Responsibilities:

  • Prepare and maintain study records
  • Data entry using SPSS and Excel
  • Literature review to gather research information
  • Participant recruitment for studies

Requirements:

  • Basic knowledge of psychology and research methodology
  • Strong interpersonal, organizational, and analytical skills
  • Psychology or Neuroscience major preferred
  • Minimum GPA 3.0
  • Minimum time commitment of 8-10 hours per week
  • Experience using SPSS and Excel

Interested applicants, please email a cover letter and CV/resume to:
ADC.research@hhchealth.org.
Phone: 860.545.7391
Email: ADC.research@hhchealth.org
Website: https://instituteofliving.org/programs-services/anxiety-disorders-center

2017 CSU Psychology Day

Posted on by


On May 5th, 2017 students from other CSU psychology departments participated in the annual psychology day. Forty seven students from Eastern’s Department of Psychological Science presented posters and 1 oral presentation. Below is a complete list of Eastern students, their mentors, and their project titles:

Malvina Pietrzykowski (Dr. James Diller) Exploring The Relationship Between Religion/Spirituality and Stress In College Students 

Emma Green (Dr. Madeline Fugere) The Relationships Among Eating Habits, Physical Activity, and Stress

Kassandra Agosto (Dr. James Diller) Olfaction’s Influence on Pleasantness and Physiological Arousal  

Abigail Bell (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Effect of Ego-Resiliency on Conformity

Patricia Piotrowska & Nicole Lenares Effects of BST and Individualized Daily Email Prompts as an Intervention to Increase Sustainable Eating Behaviors

Tania Kittoe (Dr. James Diller) Relations between, Religion, and Spirituality and Social Engagement in Emerging Adults  

Madison LaRusso (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Extraversion and Preference for Competition: Differences Comparing Sibling Structure 

Amanda Gionfriddo (Dr. Peter Bachiochi)  Relationships Between Internet Use, Jealousy, and Relationship Satisfaction

Danielle Nobitz (Dr. Peter Bachiochi) Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Emotional Eating among College Students

Samantha Hengel (Dr. Peter Bachiochi) The Influence of Social Media Use on Romantic Relationships

Autumn Dupuis (Dr. Peter Bachiochi) The Effects of Work on School Involvement 

Katelyn Murray (Dr. Peter Bachiochi) The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Psychological Well-Being

Sydney Batchelder (Dr. Jenna Scisco) Effects of Familiarity and Praise on Learning in the Presence of Others    

Jennifer Gumbulevich, Sarah Casolo, Alyssa Daneault, Yohan Krumov, Lauren Leavey, Rachel Scrivano, Sydney Batchelder, & Olivia Bacha (Dr. Jenna Scisco) The Impact of Front-of-Package Food Labels on Parent Food Choice  

Daphne Botteron (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Effects of Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Social Support on Overall Life Satisfaction  

Melanie Byrne & Michael Pelletier (Dr. James Diller)  Increasing Composting Behaviors on a College Campus

Jill Monck (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Relationship between Stress Levels, Exercise and Mindfulness

William Watson (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Impacts of Stereotype Awareness and Stigmatization on Self-Esteem

Zachary Taylor (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Relationship Between Stress, Anxiety, and Family Dysfunction

Tyler Smith (Dr. James Diller) The Effect of Music on Aggression and Negative Affect

Tyler Smith & Sabrina McFarlane (Dr. James Diller) The Reduction of Meat Consumption to Better the Environment

Chloe Lamarre & Danielle Wieland (Dr. James Diller) Behavior Change Plan: Recycling with College Students

Madi van’t Slot (Dr. James Diller) Correlation between Sexual Satisfaction, Relationship Satisfaction and Self-Esteem

Meena Niazi (Dr. Joe Dracobly)  Getting away with murder: A comparison of approaches to understanding criminal behavior

Rebecca MacFarlane & Madeline vant’Slot ( Dr. James Diller) A Study of littering behavior on campus

Emily Cates (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Relationship Between Time Management, Academic Stress, and Procrastination

Lateesha Ware, Brianna Agosta-Lawes, & Uyen Huynh (Dr. Diller) Decreasing Shower Behavior Across Three Residential Environments

Olivia Morrison (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Relationship of Social Anxiety and Stress in the LGBTQ+ Community

Shannon Connors (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Body Image and Disordered Eating Compared between Athletes and Non-Athletes

Anna Gallant (Dr. Peter Bachiochi) Relationship Satisfaction, Social Media Use, and Facebook Jealousy

Ashley Williams (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Effects of Sexual Behavior and Sexual Knowledge on Condom Use

Ashley Williams & Sydney Batchelder (Dr. James Diller) Promoting Shuttle Use on a University Campus

Taylor Culver (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Association Between the Big Five Personality Traits, Parenting Quality and Criminal Behavior

Allison Marino (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Effects of Sleep, Stress, and Anxiety in College Students

Jessica Hynds & Brianna Lopez (Dr. James Diller) Visual Prompting Effects on Recycling

Yohan Krumov (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Interactions of Process Praise, Noise, and Extraversion on Puzzle Performance

Courtney Binkowski  (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Impact of a Working University Student on Anxiety and Stress Levels

Brieanne McAvoy (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Exercise, Happiness and Productivity Among College Students

Nicole Fuhrmann (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Self-Stigma and Gender Roles on the Attitudes Towards Mental Illness: A Correlational Study

Rebecca MacFarlane & Madeline van’tSlot (Dr. James Diller) A Study of Littering Behavior on Campus

Ellie Frankinburger (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Masculine and Feminine Face Types on Participant Rated Facial Attractive and Perceived Trustworthiness

Hannah Byrne (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Implicit and Explicit attitudes towards Homosexuality

Arlette Pinel (Dr. Joe Dracobly) Television Media’s Impact on Female’s Body Perception

Jessica Seymour (Dr. Joe Dracobly) The Relationship Between Motivation, Self-Identity and Stress-Management on Exercise

Meagan Miller (Dr. Peter Bachiochi) The Influence of the Presence of a Confederate and Gender on Conforming to an Eyewitness Testimony

Student Accepted to Research Experience for Undergraduates in Ukraine

Posted on by

Elizabeth Hilton (PSY) applied and was selected to participate in a summer REU (research experience for undergraduates) sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The program takes place from May 18 – July 28, 2017. She will receive a $5,000 stipend, free housing and all travel costs will be covered. The program goals are :

  • A two-week long international, onsite (in Ukraine) component to develop and maintain a working collaboration with the staff of KIIS, as well as to increase the cultural, political, and social awareness of the undergraduate students, which can have a large impact on the conceptualization and understanding of mental health,
  • Undergraduate students working closely alongside students with different disciplinary expertise (e.g., psychology and statistics) to participate in all aspects of the research process (e.g., develop research questions, carry-out related literature review and iterative data analysis and disseminate research findings), while under the close mentorship of an interdisciplinary team of well-qualified, faculty undergraduate research mentors for eight-weeks in the United States.