Research Assistant Opportunities
Research in Disordered Eating and Weight-Related Concerns
Supervisors: Richard Ryan, PhD and Raquel Bateman, MA
We are recruiting students for the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 semesters.
We are conducting projects focused on looking at eating and weight-related concerns through the lens of Self-determination Theory. These projects involve individuals in treatment for eating and weight-related concerns as well as individuals with typical weight, eating, and exercise practices. We are looking for research assistants to assist with these projects and gain valuable experience in all phases of the research, including various clerical tasks, designing research, running participants, data entry, and data analysis.
We are seeking responsible students who have skills in interpersonal interaction, working with a team towards a common goal, and attention to detail. Students with backgrounds/interests in Psychology as well as other fields are encouraged to apply – all we ask is that applicants bring maturity, enthusiasm for the work, and a desire to learn. Students can register for course credit for their work; however, this commitment is not necessary. All research is supervised by Dr. Richard Ryan.
We are particularly interested in students who are able to make a year-long commitment. If you are interested in joining our research team, please contact Raquel Bateman and be prepared to provide a resume, CV, or a document detailing your experience in this field.
Contact: Raquel Bateman at rbateman@psych.rochester.edu.
Internship in Child Clinical Psychology
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Newburge
Opportunities exist for one to two psychology students to assist with a classroom-based prevention program. The program targets the development of important social skills (e.g., problem solving, self-control) for sixth grade students at two Rochester City Elementary Schools. Interns will gain first-hand experience working directly with students on a weekly basis. In addition, interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable research skills, such as program development, implementation, and evaluation to determine program effectiveness. Responsibilities may include, but not be limited to, program preparation and assembly of materials, implementation of program activities, data collection, data entry and data analyses, as well as library research. Interns must be available from 9 until 4 on either Tuesday or Wednesday from September until mid-December. Opportunities may be available to extend the internship to the Spring semester as well, depending on need and availability. Course credit may be available.
If interested, please send a cover letter and curriculum vitae to Dr. Susan Newburge at susan.newburge@rochestergeneral.org.
VA Center for Integrated Healthcare
Investigators: Jennifer Funderburk, Ph.D. and Raquel Bateman, M.A.
The Center for Integrated Healthcare is conducting several research studies on health behaviors in veterans, focusing on alcohol use and developing brief interventions to both educate as well as treat high-risk drinkers and individuals diagnosed with alcohol dependence. We collaborate with primary care providers at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Rochester and the VA Medical Center in Syracuse to identify individuals of interest for our studies and provide quality behavioral health services to veterans.
Research assistants will be asked to do a variety of things including data entry, various clerical tasks, running participants, and working on tasks related to the publication of journal articles and other experiences relevant to those who may be interested in pursuing careers in both academic and professional psychology. Positions require a 6 to 9 hour commitment.
This is an excellent opportunity to become involved in research. Students will have the opportunity to learn about how both short-term and long-term studies are conducted and gain valuable experience to prepare them for future work in the field of psychology.
Contact: Raquel Bateman, M.A. at (585) 463–2600, ext. 32525.
Research in Developmental Neuropsychology of Autism
Supervisor: Loisa Bennetto, Ph.D.
We are recruiting students for the Fall 2009 semester.
The Developmental Neuropsychology Lab is conducting several projects focused on sensory processing. These projects involve children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and their families, as well as children without an autism diagnosis. We are looking for research assistants to assist with these projects and gain valuable experience in all phases of our research: research design, running participants, data coding, and interpretation.
We are seeking students who have excellent interpersonal/clinical skills (for working with children and families), attention to detail, and the ability to work with a research team. Students with backgrounds/interests in Psychology or Brain & Cognitive Sciences as well as other fields (e.g., Linguistics, Neuroscience) are encouraged to apply. Students can register for PSY 351 or PSY 352 (Research in Developmental Neuropsychology), or PSY 391 (Independent Study) to receive credit for their work. All research is supervised by Dr. Loisa Bennetto.
We will be recruiting students for the Fall 2009 semester. We are particularly interested in students who are able to make a 2-semester commitment. If you are interested in joining our research team, please email a copy of your resume and transcript (unofficial from UR ACCESS is OK) to the contact listed below.
Contact: Robin Bender at rbender@psych.rochester.edu
Research in Gesture and Language Production
Supervisor: Loisa Bennetto, Ph.D.
We are recruiting students for the Fall 2009 semester.
The Development Neuropsychology Lab is looking for an undergraduate research assistant interested in working on a study of gesture and language production in typically and atypically developing children. We are seeking students who have interests in linguistics, nonverbal communication, and/or autism to start in the fall semester. Students with course work or experience in psycholinguistics are especially encouraged to apply. Attention to detail, comfort with audio-visual technology, and the ability to work with peers on a research team are required.
Students can register for this research opportunity through PSY 351 (Research in Developmental Neuropsychology) or as an independent study supervised by Professor Loisa Bennetto.
If interested, please contact Bryan Harrison at bharriso@psych.rochester.edu with a resume and unofficial transcript (copy from UR ACCESS).
Domestic Violence in Rochester
Supervisors: Diane Morse, M.D. and Catherine Cerulli, J.D., Ph.D. (Department of Psychiatry)
We currently have a series of projects ready for data analysis, and could mentor a student who would learn research methods for qualitative analysis and data entry, and about domestic violence research strategies. Subsequently, there will be some quantitative data analysis as well. Most of our research relates to domestic violence in Rochester, however, one of the projects has all international data from Jordanian women. Ideally, the internship would be 15-20 hours weekly, which could be flexible during exam or school break times.
Contact: Dr. Diane Morse at diane_morse@urmc.rochester.edu or (585) 275-4608
Family Relationships and Child Coping and Adjustment
Supervisor: Patrick Davies, Ph.D.
The main focus of this research is on examining why children who are exposed to high levels of family discord are at risk for developing psychological problems. We are particularly interested in understanding how children's coping strategies and reaction patterns to family stress which are thought to develop out of histories of experiences in family relationships may help to explain differences between children in their psychological adjustment. In one study, we are in the midst of Phase 2 of a project that is following 200 mothers, fathers, and children who participated in middle childhood into adolescence. We are currently collecting observational, interview, self-report, and physiological data from the families. In another study, we are examining the coping and adjustment of preschoolers who have experienced different levels of domestic violence. Opportunities are available in both of these projects for gaining valuable experience in collecting information from parents and children and in evaluating and coding family relationships and child adjustment.
Students also have the option of supplementing the independent study experiences by attending regular seminar sessions that provide further information on the nature and implications of the research project.
Contact: Karen Gasaway (project director) at (585) 273-2404 or karin.gasaway@rochester.edu
Teens and Their Families Study
Supervisor: Judith Smetana, Ph.D.
Our current study investigates parent-adolescent relationships, especially adolescent disclosure and secrecy as it relates to parenting and relationship quality. We are currently in the first wave of this longitudinal study and will be recruiting and collecting self-report data from mid- to late- adolescents and their parents. Research assistants will learn about the theories behind the research through readings and discussion, help with participant recruitment and retainment, and perform data entry. Students can expect to spend approximately 10 hours per week on lab related activities. We are looking for responsible, motivated students with good interpersonal skills who are interested in learning more about the research process in detail.
Research assistants are not needed for Fall 2009; however, we are accepting interested students for Spring 2010.
Contact: Wendy Rote at wrote@psych.rochester.edu
Research in Motivation in Video Games and Virtual Worlds
Supervisor: Richard Ryan, Ph.D.
The Self-Determination Theory Games Lab is beginning and continuing a number of exciting projects in the upcoming Summer and the Fall 2009 semesters. Our work focuses on the motivation for play and the psychological outcomes of engagement in video games. We're looking for passionate undergraduate research assistants, gamers and non-gamers alike to work with us to advance science in this burgeoning field. Researcher activities can include game testing, executing experimental protocols and data collection. We're very flexible and value a good fit between personal and lab goals. If you are interested in working with our research team in the coming semesters, we invite you to put together a résumé and complete this application: http://sdtgameslab.apply.sgizmo.com
Contact: Andy Przybylski at aprzybyl@psych.rochester.edu
Research on achievement and social motivation
Supervisor: Andrew J. Elliot, Ph.D.
We conduct research on why people behave the way they do in achievement situations (e.g., school, sports, work) and social situations. Our lab is quite diverse, usually comprising visiting professors and post-doctoral students from around the globe, as well as graduate students and undergraduate research assistants from the U of R. We are always looking for interested, hard-working undergraduates to participate in all phases of the research process, beginning with data collection (subject running) and moving toward more full collaboration (including honor's theses and other writing projects).
Contact: Roger Feltman rfeltman@psych.rochester.edu or Wilbert Law wlaw@psych.rochester.edu
Research on Social Interaction and Close Relationships
Supervisor: Harry Reis, Ph.D.
We conduct research on social interaction and close relationships. We welcome participation by students as research assistants. Typically, students may expect to conduct any or all of several activities, including running experimental sessions, supervising internet-based protocols, interviewing participants, coding open-ended responses, and data entry.
Contact: Harry Reis at reis@psych.rochester.edu
Resilience Project
Supervisor: Peter A. Wyman, PhD
The Resilience Project is seeking highly motivated, responsible students to volunteer in an NIMH-funded study of a school based intervention program.
Work with videos of intervention and creating data archives. Assist with promotional and data collection and entry. Flexible schedule (4-8 hours per week). Close location (UR Medical Center). Learn about intervention research.
Contact: Suzanne Coglitore at (585) 275-6429 or Suzanne_Coglitore@urmc.rochester.edu
Self-Determination Theory and Social Behavior
Supervisor: Edward L. Deci, Ph.D.
Work in our labs is broad and varied but is integrated by self-determination theory. We do laboratory experiments, questionnaire studies, and observation studies, as well as randomized trials and field studies in such applied domains as education, work, parenting, and health care in the U.S. and across cultures. We focus on such topics as developing high-quality relationships, the nature of choice and personal freedom, conditional parental regard as a socializing strategy, the relation of intrinsic and extrinsic life goals to mental health, and the dynamics of well-being. The types of studies, the methods used, and the topics examined change periodically, but the theoretical framework is constant. See: http://selfdeterminationtheory.org
Contact: Christopher Niemiec at niemiec@psych.rochester.edu
Smokers' Health Project
Investigators: Heather Patrick, Ph.D., Geoffrey Williams, M.D., Ph.D.
The Smokers' Health Project is a National Institutes of Health funded project that investigates the health and eating habits of people who smoke in the Rochester community. Over 1000 participants have participated in this 18-month longitudinal study of health, eating habits, physical activity, and smoking behavior. Overall, we are interested in the behavior changes that take place when people choose to stop smoking.
Research assistants will be asked to do a variety of things including follow-up phone calls, filing, copying, data entry, data management, and other clerical tasks. Independent study positions require 9 hours of on-site work. An additional hour each week is devoted to discussion with the project manager regarding the theoretical basis of the study, and the mechanics of working with participants and data in a longitudinal design.
This is an excellent opportunity to become involved in ground breaking smoking research. Students will have the opportunity to learn about longitudinal studies in a community population, smoking cessation, and how motivation plays a role in both cessation and diet.
Contact: Laurie Passalacqua at (585) 530-2050
Visible Support and Its Effect on Affect and Performance
Faculty Supervisor: Richard M. Ryan
The main focus of this position is researching the associations between social support and its effects on emotion and academic performance in an experimental study. We are particularly interested in elaborating past studies on this subject and examining any moderating and mediating factors that can explain previous findings.
For this position, we are seeking mature, reliable research assistants who can help run the experimental protocol for this study. We are particularly looking for students who have excellent interpersonal skills and strong interest in learning about the research process in detail. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone seeking to pursue graduate study in psychology. There will also be opportunities to pursue your own research question within this study.
Opportunity for course credit through independent study course.
If interested, please email a copy of your resume/CV and a cover letter.
Contact: James Masciale at jmascial@psych.rochester.edu