Research

Research Assistantship Opportunities:

Marc Boccaccini, Ph.D.

Dr. Boccaccini conducts research in the area of clinical-forensic psychology, with specific interests in helping witnesses get ready to testify in court, expert testimony in death penalty cases, and evaluations for mental retardation in death penalty cases.

Research Assistantship Application
Current Projects:
  • Content analysis of trial transcripts from death penalty cases
  • Jurors' perceptions of behaviors associated with mental retardation
  • The effectiveness of various training programs for preparing witnesses to testify in court
Volunteers main gain experience in:
  • Coding trial transcripts
  • Coding videotapes of witness testimony
  • Database design and management

Rowland Miller, Ph.D.

Dr. Miller is broadly interested in the manner in which partners in close relationships maintain their satisfaction with and commitment to each other.

Research Assistantship Application

Current Projects:

  • Measuring individual differences in the interest with which people seek out romantic alternatives to their present relationships.
  • Exploring preferences for "romantic hyperbole," or exaggerated demonstrations of love and attachment from one's romantic partner.

Volunteers may gain experience in:

  • development and validation of self-report research questionnaires.
  • data collection
  • experimental methodology
  • data entry and management

Christopher Wilson, Ph.D.

Dr. Wilson’s research is aimed at investigating developmental changes in animals. In doing so, he administers various psychoactive agents, i.e., drugs, to animals of different ages, recording varying effects of those drugs on behaviors.


Research Assistantship Application

Current Project:

The effects of dopamine subreceptor antagonists on ketamine-induced behaviors as a function of age and sex in rats.

Volunteers may gain knowledge in:

  • experimental design
  • preparation and administration of drugs
  • observation and coding of various behaviors in animals

Participation Requirement:

Project requires the successful completion of either PSY 333/313 (Physiological Psychology w/lab), PSY 391 (Psychopharmacology) or both.

Check out Research Participation Opportunities