Student Researchers Present At EPA
In the hallways, classrooms and research laboratories of the John S. Toll Science Center, Washington College undergraduates are conducting high-level, experiential research. They examine long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries, learn how humans accept apologies and non-apologies and try to determine whether or not individuals with different attachment styles are more likely to make connections through social media or personal interaction.
In March, 33 of those students took their research to New York, and delivered their findings at the 119th annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA).
“The annual EPA conference with students is always a fulfilling experience,” says psychology department chair Lauren Littlefield. “Not only does conference attendance allow students the opportunity to hear famous psychologists speak and to present their own work, but it also gives faculty the chance to get to know our students better.”
Founded in 1896, EPA is the oldest regional arm of the Psychological Association in the U.S. This year’s conference featured 60 poster presentations from papers co-authored by Washington College students and faculty, a total unheard of at previous conferences.
“For several decades now, the psychology department has fostered faculty-student research, both through the senior capstone, which reflects students’ own interests, and by including students in our own research,” says John Toll Professor of Psychology George Spilich. “Students benefit; they learn through doing, and the experience helps them stand out.”