Addiction, Trauma, and Emotion Research

Primary interests in the Lab for Addiction, Trauma, and Emotion Research (LATER), involve the study of clinical topics such as mental illness and substance abuse. We research the effects of drugs, the mechanisms and symptoms of substance and psychological disorders, and interactions of mental health and substance use. General areas include:

• Affect, psycholpathology, individual differences/personality
• Drug effects, reasons for drug use
• Attention and neurocognition
• Mental Health and substance abuse
• Clinical training and student learning

Student Involvement: Research involvement may include nearly all aspects of research such as managing SONA and organizing studies; reading and summarizing articles; collection, entry, and analysis of data; conference presentations; and journal writing.

Opportunities:

• Constructing and presenting computerized tasks with SuperLab (eg., Stroop)
• Letters of recommendation for graduate school or employment
• Coauthoring of presentations and articles
• Experience with ongoing clinical research

Recent and Current Projects:

• Clinical treatments and psychotherapy outcomes
• Patterns of substance abuse, trauma, and mental health symptoms in college students
• Assissing individual psychological and neurological differences in cigarette and caffeine use
• Responses to trauma and victimization

Applied Behavior Analysis and Human Sexuality

Students in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Lab dive deeper into the principles of behavioral psychology to connect the literature to better understand behavior and to gain experiences that help student develop the skills needed to conduct applied research. Currently, the ABA Lab projects are focused on the application of behavioral principles to support parenting and classroom management skills among parents and teachers.

Prerequisites: Contact Dr. Lindemann (DF-Lindemann@wiu.edu) to set-up a meeting to discuss your interests, goals, and commitment, and to determine if this is a good lab for the student.

Student tasks: Students in the lab work their way up to conducting their own student research project (by themselves or with one other lab student), and also contribute to “lab projects.” These projects are ones in which Dr. Lindemann is the primary investigator, and everyone in the lab assists with. Students in the lab work as a team, and everyone learns how to and contributes to data collection, proofing data, and data entry. Projects lead to presentations at local, regional, and/or national conferences (and possibly publication). The lab students are a very cohesive group who generally enjoy helping each other.

Student skills desired: Students who are motivated to expand their research skills and are interested in working among a productive, cohesive group of students.

Currently looking for students: Yes - I typically accept up to 7 students in the lab each semester. Students are required to take at least 1 credit research or readings hours; however, 2 to 3 credits are typical. A minimum of a one-year commitment is desired (though not required), and weekly lab meetings are required.

Lab location/meeting times: Meetings are on the WIU-QCs campus (and will be available via zoom to lab students in Macomb) and are scheduled based on availability of the current lab participants.

Dana Lindemann, Professor

Office: Quad Cities Complex 1227
Phone: (309) 762-9481 Ext. 62265
Email: DF-Lindemann@wiu.edu

Autism Advancement

The Autism Advancement Lab focuses on providing resources and training for practitioners in school-based settings, on supporting appropriate diagnostic assessments and referrals for families, and on the transition skills for adolescents and young adults as they enter adulthood.

Prerequisites: GPA must be at least 3.0, with at least a statistics or research methods course being completed. Especially looking for juniors or seniors with graduate school aspirations who are interested in working in an applied field of psychology.

Student tasks: Assisting with entering data, checking assessment scoring, processing intakes, and submitting research presentations to conferences; advanced students may design their own study. Time commitment will vary based on current studies.

Student skills desired: Professional, collegial, respectful, keep commitments and obligations, know when to ask for help, motivated, hard worker, team player, ethical, fast learner, willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done.

Currently looking for students: Yes, graduate and undergraduate students.

Lab location/meeting times: Waggoner 135, meeting times vary.

Leigh Ann Fisler, Associate Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator

Office: Waggoner Hall 135
Email: LA-Fisler@wiu.edu

Matthew Blankenship, Professor & Advisor for Neuroscience Minor

Office: Waggoner Hall 108
Email: MR-Blankenship@wiu.edu

The focus of research in this lab is on the biological underpinnings of learning and memory. More specifically, research in the lab is focused on the biological basis of Alzheimer’s disease and factors that potentially prevent the progression of the disease.

Prerequisites: Contact Dr. Blankenship to discuss your interests and lab commitments.

Student tasks: Students have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of stages in the research process, from study design to data collection, entry, and analyses.

Student skills desired: Professional, motivated, and curious

Currently looking for students: graduate and undergraduate

Lab location/meeting times: Waggoner Hall Basement/ TBA

Brain and Behavior

Students in the Brain and Behavior (BAB) lab conduct research using neuroscience tools and methods—typically EEG/ERP and other physiological recordings with human subjects and ERP and startle response measures (ASR, PPI) with animal subjects—to explore brain-behavior relationships. Lab participation is particularly beneficial for students who will be going on to jobs or graduate programs in medical, veterinary, or neuroscience-related fields (e.g., Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Social Neuroscience).

Prerequisites: GPA must be 3.0 or higher; students must complete CITI training before working on projects with animals or human subjects (information about and access to online training modules can be found here: https://www.wiu.edu/sponsored_projects/compliance/).

Student tasks: Participation in weekly lab meetings to discuss literature, develop new projects, and review ongoing studies; data collection and management (for an independent project or to contribute to an ongoing study). Training and supervision are provided for all data collection and management procedures.

Student skills desired: Eagerness to learn, a strong work ethic, attention to detail, a high level of dependability and commitment, and a fascination with all things brain.

Active research lab: Yes

Currently looking for students: Yes, responsible, hardworking undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to contact me.

Lab location/meeting times: Variable, depending on semester.

Sandra McFadden, Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator

Office: Waggoner Hall 159
Email: SL-McFadden@wiu.edu

Colin Harbke, Professor

Office: Quad Cities Complex 1225
Phone: (309) 762-9481 Ext. 62317
Email: CR-Harbke@wiu.edu

I have extremely broad interests in psychology, which I often try to adapt or expand to assist students with their own projects. I have worked with students to study procrastination and mental health, after effects and perceptual illusions, electrophysiological responses (e.g., brain waves) to various sounds and words, and many other topics. Either for my own research or consulting with others I have worked on a research from a variety of areas including prejudice and harassment, education, public health, medicine, and many subdisciplines within psychology (e.g., cognitive, I/O, school, social, & sports psychology). If you want help turning a research idea into a project, please contact me. If I am aware of another faculty member who may have more expertise for your project, I will suggest you contact them as well.

Prerequisites: Must have an interest in research and time to dedicate toward individual research or helping other with their research (5 to 6 hours a week). Must plan on being at WIU for three (3) or more semesters.

Student tasks: Varies depending on research project. Opportunities to be involved with all aspects of a project, from design to description of results, are typical.

Student skills desired: Experience with computers and data analytics is desired for most, but not all, projects.

Currently looking for students: Yes, predominantly working with undergraduate students at this time.

Lab location/meeting times: Typically research collaboration are conducted through one-on-one meetings, which are scheduled around students’ availablility.

Scott Hemenover, Professor

Office: Waggoner Hall 167
Email: SH-Hemenover@wiu.edu

The focus of research in this lab is on individual differences in aspects of emotion-regulation.

Prerequisites: Contact Dr. Hemenover to discuss your interests and lab commitments.

Student tasks: Students have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of stages in the research process, from study design to data collection, entry, and analyses.

Student skills desired: Professional, motivated, and curious

Currently looking for students: predominantly working with undergraduate students at this time

Lab location/meeting times: TBA

Interpersonal Relationships

The Interpersonal Relationships Lab is involved in a variety of research projects that are related to the study of interpersonal relationships in the following areas:

• Relationship Dynamics: Much of our research has examined basic psychological processes involved in the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of personal and social relationships. Specific areas of focus include social rejection, betrayal, overinclusion, and mate selection.
• Individual Differences in Relationships: Our research on individual differences primarily involves an exploration of the interface between individual difference variables and the quantity/quality of important social and personal relationships. Recent projects in this area have focused on gender differences in relationships, personality traits and relationships, and self-regulation.
• Assessment of Personality and Relationships: This line of research is devoted to the development and validation of psycho-metrically sound research instruments with which to measure relevant constructs of personality and relationships. Some of our recent scales include the Need to Belong Scale, Love at First Sight Scale, and Future Uncertainty Scale.

Prerequisites: GPA must be at least 3.0, preferably higher. Especially looking for freshmen, sophomores, or juniors with graduate school aspirations who are interested in working with me for two or more semesters. I usually do not take graduating seniors.

Student tasks: Posting study information on Sona Systems, entering data, running subjects, submitting research papers to conferences, applying for research grants, advanced students may design their own study. Four hours of research work per week plus weekly lab meetings.

Student skills desired: Professional, collegial, respectful, keep commitments and obligations, know when to ask for help, motivated, hard worker, team player, ethical, fast learner, willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done.

Currently looking for students: Yes, graduate and undergraduate students. Students sign up for 1-2 credits/semester

Lab location/meeting times: Waggoner 052 (basement); lab meeting times change every semester

Kristine Kelly, Professor

Office: Waggoner Hall 118
Email: KM-Kelly2@wiu.edu

Laboratory for Investigation of Psychology and Law (LIPL)

The primary goals of LIPL are to conduct social and cognitive research that will provide empirical evidence to guide policy and practice in the legal system. Research is conducted in the laboratory and the field with law enforcement, college students, children, and adolescents. Lab members also meet regularly to discuss new projects, on-going research, and current issues important to forensic psychology.

Prerequisites: 3.0 GPA or better (Students with lower GPAs are considered if major GPA meets minimum).

Student tasks: Participation in weekly lab meetings that may involve

• Data collection, entry, and transformations in SPSS:
• Creation of graphs and tables in Excel and Word
• Creation of stimulus materials with Photoshop
• Designing and implementing independent research/readings

Student skills desired: Students should have some basic experience with:

• Computer skills involving the use of SPSS, Word, Excel, E-prime and Photoshop (not essential, but will be exposed to it) software
• Critical thinking skills
• Statistical analysis and scientific report writing
• Interpersonal skills relevant to working cooperatively with groups

Currently looking for students: Yes, graduate and undergraduate student openings.

Lab location/meeting times: Weekly or bi-weekly 1 hour lab meetings.