Our Research Lab
MaP (Meaning in Life and Politics)
Director: Dr. Jake Womick
Dr. Jake Womick runs the MaP (Meaning in life and Politics) lab. Our lab primarily focuses on two areas: The experience of meaning in life and political psychology. We explore the intersection between these areas, examining how political beliefs and behaviors impact individuals' sense of meaning. In the field of political psychology, our current research revolves around the symmetry vs. asymmetry debate, the distinction between liberalism and leftism, pluralism as a strength for society and politics, and the origins and consequences of left-wing vs. right-wing prejudice. Ultimately, our goal is to leverage these insights to foster a more inclusive America. Additionally, we investigate a diverse range of topics driven by student interest, including personality, identity, authenticity, well-being and more.
For more information about this research, please email jwomick@csub.edu
Cognitive Processes Research Lab (CPRL)
Director: Dr. Marianne Wilson
The Cognitive Processes Research Lab (CPRL) is currently working on studying the factors that play a role in metacognitive breakdowns such as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. A current study is the Dunning-Kruger Effect in first-person shooter videogames and the role of prior description of difficulty on the ability to predict and judge how much time a player will be able to stay alive in the game. Another study is investigating the role of different types of feedback on metacognitive abilities. Other studies in the lab have looked at the effect of intonation, gender of speaker, and type of voice (computerized or natural) on voiced directive commands such as those given to airplane pilots in a cockpit; the effects of stress and bullying on logical reasoning abilities; and the role of depression and anxiety on logical reasoning abilities. Students in the lab learn how to use computer software such EPrime and Creative SoundBlaster to make and perform cognitive experiments in Language, Memory, and Critical Thinking Skills.
For more information about this research please email: mabramson@csub.edu
Self and Wellbeing Research
Director: Dr. Jessica Williamson
Our laboratory is called the Self and Wellbeing laboratory because we examine how trait constructs affect various aspects of health and wellbeing. We focus mainly on self-compassion and its effects on wellbeing.
Currently we are examining:
-- The influence of certain personality factors on behaviors (e.g. hoarding limited resources, mask wearing) during the pandemic.
-- Personality factors influencing online dating aggression and harassment
-- Participant preference and receptivity of different mechanisms of delivery for self-compassion inductions
--Whether survivor/victim labels affect certain outcomes (e.g. self-compassion, self-blame) following traumatic events
--The ability of repeated self-compassion inductions to reduce self-reported and physiological correlates of stress
Work in my lab
Student research experience is very important to me. It is my goal to help students gain practical and useful skills that would benefit them in graduate school or research-oriented jobs following graduation. Experience in my lab consists of meetings during which we evaluate and discuss psychological literature, the possibility of running participants through protocols (for certain studies), and experience with database maintenance, analysis, and presentation at conferences, and potential co-authorship on manuscripts submitted for publication . Students will also have the opportunity to create their own studies.
For more information about this research please email: jwilliamson12@csub.edu
Dr. Gancarz-Kausch Laboratory
Director: Dr. Amy Gancarz-Kausch
The focus of my lab is investigating behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie vulnerability to drug addiction. It is of great interest to examine why some individuals are susceptible to drugs of abuse while others are more resilient. My training as a graduate student focused on studying various animal models of behavioral phenotypes that may mediate variability in drug-taking behaviors (i.e., sensation seeking impulsivity, negative consequences of self-administration). As a postdoc, I studied the neuronal, molecular, and behavioral plasticity that occurs following repeated exposure to drugs of abuse. My research seeks to understand behavioral and molecular processes that lead to the development of drug addiction.
For more information about this research please email: agancarz@csub.edu
Culture & Health in Learning & Development
Director: Dr. Heidi McLaughlin
I investigate questions related to how children and youth learn about health-related concepts, such as germs, and how context impacts learning these concepts. It's important to understand how things like access to running water, interactions with the natural world, or formal education impact how children understand health concepts. I'm also interested in how health concepts are shared within families and communities, and how children can be a part of knowledge transmission. My research represents children, adolescents, and adults in Uganda, Tanzania, and the US, with more locations on the horizon!
For more information about this research, please email hmclaughlin1@csub.edu
SPARK Lab
Director: Dr. Anne Duran
Social Psychology Academics, Research, and Knowledge (SPARK) Lab is a forward-thinking laboratory that aspires to promote the study of social psychology through encouraging and fostering student involvement in research, as well as student-driven research and collaborative research between students and faculty.
One of the most prominent goals of the SPARK lab is to demonstrate to students the gratification of conducting research. Those involved in the lab are committed to the practice of sound theory and methodology; we pride ourselves on professionalism and the commitment to contributing to the theoretical knowledge base of social psychology.
For more information about this research please email: aduran@csub.edu.
BARRACUDA Lab
Director: Dr. Tyler Ensor
Behavior, Associative Recall, Recognition, Acquisition, Cognitive Understanding, and Data Analysis (BARRACUDA) Lab.
At one time or another, we have all been frustrated by an inability to remember something we know we have learned. At other times, we access memories seemingly without effort. Generally speaking, we can call the former experience "forgetting" and the latter experience "remembering". What causes forgetting, and what protects against forgetting? In the BARRACUDA Lab, we use behavioral experiments and computational modeling to address these questions.
For more information about this research please email: tensor@csub.edu
Applied Cognition Laboratory
Director: Dr. Kyle Susa
The Applied Cognition Laboratory is a student-driven experimental research laboratory that applies basic social and cognitive theories and methodologies to address contemporary legal and educational issues. We have two primary research lines: 1) Applied Cognition in Eyewitness Memory and 2) Applied Cognition in the Teaching & Learning of Psychology.
All of our research is experimental, and includes many advanced methodologies and statistics, with the ultimate goals of training students, letting students get assistance in publishing research, and advancing our knowledge of applied cognition in legal and pedagogical practices.
For more information about this research please email: ksusa@csub.edu
Mind-Sight Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory
Director: Dr. Maruti V Mishra
Our perceptual reality is a fascinating and complex interplay between the external world and the brain's processing capabilities. Instead of perceiving the world precisely as it is, our brains reconstruct it through various lenses, cognitive biases, and filters. These lenses encompass attention, emotion, culture, brain disorders, and more, all of which significantly influence how we see and interpret the outside world. In the Mind-Sight Laboratory, we delve into the intricacies of how the human brain forms perceptual representations of the visual world and how these representations dynamically interact with visual cognition, including attention, memory, and consciousness. Our research employs cutting-edge methodologies such as psychophysics, eye tracking, EEG (electroencephalography), machine learning, and online data collection. The primary research questions revolve around the following topics,
- exploring the mechanisms of face and emotion perception
- role of low-level vision in high level object perception
- role of attention in visual perception and awareness
- impact of cultural experiences on visual perception
- insights visual illusions provide into underlying brain processes, and
- understanding visual perception in conditions such as aphantasia and face blindness.
As an undergraduate student, joining our lab will provide you with hands-on experience as you work on projects that align with your interests. Throughout your time here, you'll develop invaluable skills in experimental research design, programming and coding, data collection, analysis & interpretation, scientific research presentation, and scientific writing. If you have any questions, seek collaborations, or are interested in research training opportunities, feel free to reach out to Prof. Maruti V Mishra at mmishra@csub.edu