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Written by Elisabeth Craig '26
Published on April 06, 2026
Psychology students and faculty gather at the Eastern Psychological Association conference.
Abigail Locke '27 presents on behavioral problems in children.
Kate Paradise '28 presents on academic outcomes on children with siblings.
Lauren Roth '28 presents on discordant parent-child dynamics.
Olivia Bourque '27 presents on child health statuses.
A trio of psychology students present their research at the Eastern Psychological Association conference.
Emma Smith '26 presents her research on the psychology of love.
Students and faculty in Eastern’s Department of Psychological Science brought a potent presence to the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) conference in Boston, MA from Feb. 26-28. Professors Theah Vasquez-O'Brien, Jennifer Leszczynski, Stan Kolek, and Phyllis Lee mentored a total of 14 students each of whom gave presentations on various topics in psychology.
“To watch your students present their research at a conference is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a faculty mentor,” said Leszczynski. “The level of work presented by these students was incredibly impressive and this opportunity allowed them to show their research knowledge and skills to a larger audience.”
Among the student presenters was Abigail Locke ‘27, whose research focused on children's compliance to authority, temperament, and behavior problems in a poster presentation. “Compliant children had a stable number of behavior problems regardless of their emotional temperament, while noncompliant children were more affected,” said Locke.
She continued: “One interpretation is that compliant children's behavior is standardized because they follow external social conventions. Meanwhile, noncompliant children's internal deficits or strengths are fully visible in their behavior.”
Locke added that she and her peers were able to connect with many professionals in the psychological field at the conference: “Everyone was supportive of us students, and there was a sense of shared purpose among attendees. The people I talked to were passionate about both the science and supporting future psychologists.”
Professor T. Caitlin Vasquez-O’Brien added that the conference exposed students to new research as well as great networking opportunities. “Our students were well-prepared and gave strong presentations on the research they've been engaged with here at Eastern,” said Vasquez O’Brien. “They also gained experiences that will strengthen their future applications to graduate and medical schools.”
“It was an amazing experience and being surrounded by others in the field was such an informative and enriching experience,” said Alyssa Czmyr ‘26. “I can't thank our faculty enough for the opportunity to attend.”