Lauren Hammond

November 27, 2018

Through the Applied Psychology program at Penn State Berks I completed four research related courses, Elementary Statistics in Psychology, Principles of Measurement, and two Research Methods in Psychology courses. Through my statistics and principles of measurement courses I gained a basic understanding of how psychologists measure and quantify behavior and how they develop these tests. I learned how they draw conclusions about psychological functioning based on their findings and also how to preform basic statistical analyses. I learned about the process of research design and was able to develop my own research study and eventually conduct my own research study. I was able to gain skills in data collections, sampling, and interpreting results. I also gained experience with statistical software systems such as SPSS. Through my own research study I was able to gain confidence in my ability to communicate research findings to professionals and peers.

Research Project

During my first research methods in psychology course, I learned about the process of developing a research study and the construction of Institutional Review Board (IRB) Proposals. I began by reviewing extant literature examining the “CSI effect”, which is the belief that the exaggerated portrayal of forensic science in crime shows such as CSI, somehow influences viewer’s perceptions of real criminal investigation. This phenomenon has been examined among jury members, criminal investigators, and the public. I had decided to investigate whether this effect can be extended to other genres of media, specifically portrayals of psychology related circumstances and if these portrayals have an influence on people’s perception of the field of psychology and the mental health field. I completed my IRB proposal which included the development of a survey. During this time I also completed ethical training courses through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative.

After the completion of this course, I was presented with the opportunity to take the lead on a new study examining the quality of life in the elderly in relation to their social and physical activity. This study entitled, “The Quality of Life in The Actively Aging” involved developing a survey and interviewing senior citizens in the Berks County area about various aspects of their perceived quality of life and their physical activity levels. I then analyzed the data and interpreted the results. I have since presented on a poster at the undergraduate HECBC Conference held at Penn State Berks at the end of the Spring 2017 semester and as a professional at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference in Philadelphia, PA in March 2018. (For more information, see EPA 2018)

Research Assistant to Research Coordinator

Following the completion of my own research study I was given the opportunity to work as a research assistant for my Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters alongside two Assistant Professors in the Applied Psychology department at Penn State Berks. I completed 300 hours during these internships (For more information, see Fall 2017, Spring 2018). I was later invited to continue the work I had begun with my professors in a new job as Research Coordinator in the Applied Psychology department. In this position, I assist research assistants in the development of their skills and knowledge of research methods, including data collection, survey development, and IRB proposal writing. I meet weekly with supervisors and collaborate on multiple projects. My main responsibility thus far has been preparing for and administering a major grant funded research study examining the effects of blue light on undergraduates’ sleep and well-being. I work to ensure that the study runs smoothly and ethically, developing solutions to problems as they arise. I coordinate with participants and with the team to arrange meetings and provide instruction and study reminders. I am also responsible for managing the data and equipment we used in the study, which included FitBit Flex 2 wrist-worn activity monitoring devices and glasses equipped with light sensors. I have worked to begin analyzing and interpreting the data and will be presenting a portion of our findings at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference in the Spring of 2019 (See, EPA 2019). I will also be helping to prepare future research assistants on the project by creating a research protocol guide for this study.