Every year, the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and Psi Chi join forces to provide financial support to research-oriented students entering their first year (or a first semester of their second year) of a graduate psychology program. This year, 12 exceptional students were selected to be awarded a $1,000 grant dedicated to directly fund research-related costs in effort to contribute to society-at-large and the field of psychological science. Below are summaries for their anticipated research projects.
Sierra Walters (Florida International University) will be developing and validating novel machine learning algorithms to promote sensitive ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology to naturally assess reactions to familial conflict. This research aims to explore familial conflict phenotypes that are strongly linked to adverse outcomes in hopes to advance the knowledge and prevention of family conflict.
Eleanor Schuttenberg (University of Maine) aims to further elaborate on previous findings of the cognitive and psychological mechanisms of forgiveness by utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in adolescents. Furthermore, the EMA portion of the study will consist of a short-term intervention aiming to cultivate forgiveness. Eleanor’s research has potential to produce significant clinical and theoretical implications to utilize protective factors (i.e., forgiveness) in relation to mental health outcomes.
Elizabeth Hoelscher (Texas Tech University) aims to examine the relationship between trait emotion-related impulsivity, momentary negative affect, and suicidal ideation among young adults exiting inpatient psychiatric care. Elizabeth’s research will provide valuable insight into short-term risk factors of suicidality in a population deemed higher risk.
Sonakshi Negi (University of Kansas) will investigate the impact of emotion regulation
flexibility on eating behaviors and behavioral outcomes in real-life utilizing ecological
momentary assessment (EMA) methodology. Sonakshi hopes this study will contribute to the knowledge of the effects of emotion regulation on the biopsychosocial basis of eating disorders.
Valerie Wong (Rutgers University) will be examining positive rumination and disordered eating utilizing EMA methodology. Valerie hopes understanding the cognitive mechanisms (i.e., positive rumination) may explain why individuals may either respond adaptively to dieting versus unhealthy/harmful dieting.
Sumaiyah Syed (Southern Methodist University) aims to examine the potential health consequences of (formally) disadvantaged older adults who have strived and accomplished upward mobility (i.e., academic, economic, or psychosocial success). This study has the potential to advance knowledge in several health domains (e..g, psychological and public health) as it investigates the impact of skin-deep resilience, or the process of “overcoming the odds”, on biological aging.
Julie Pham (Southern Methodist University) will study the relationship between rumination, cognitive performance and resting heart rate variability (HRV) in older adults. Julie hopes that results from this research will inform cognitive and physiological implications of rumination and a sustained stress response.
Julia Nicholas (University of Louisville) aims to explore the psychosocial mechanisms
contributing to engagement of risky behavior among sexual and gender minority (SGM)
individuals. Given the negative implications of minority stress (e.g., negative affect and
emotional dysregulation), the current study aims to investigate how invalidation/validation of emotions may impact SGM individual’s capacity to engage in regulating emotion and subsequent risky behaviors. This study aims to inform prevention initiatives to specifically address emotional dysregulation and risky behaviors by training various individuals (e.g., parents, teachers, providers) to provide adequate validation and affirming environments for SGM individuals.
Cristina Nardini (Fordham University) aims to investigate the impact of stress and cognitive mechanisms (e.g., mindset) on psychological and academic outcomes among first-generation college students (FGCS) utilizing various methods, such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and experimental designs. Cristina hopes this study will elucidate economic and social disparities in FGCS in effort to provide valuable information to organizations with the aim of community-based engagement promoting obtaining college degrees.
Madelyn Harris (Boston College) will explore the potential mediational role of coping style in the relationship between vicarious grief (amidst online exposure to police murders of Black Americans) and mental health outcomes among Black Americans. Furthermore, Madelyn will qualitatively examine reactions to grief and trauma with aim to understand nuances in coping styles and subsequent well-being. This research will advance the literature on the overarching impact of trauma exposure, even in light of not being exposed to the actual traumatic event (e.g., police brutality) itself.
Kayla Wagler (Oklahoma State University) aims to examine how suicidal thoughts and behaviors are effected by experiencing minority stress among sexual minority individuals in real- time utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in addition to qualitative methodology. As research in this area has traditionally focused on cross-sectional methodology, this study will examine which type of minority stressor(s) may specifically predict suicidality in effort to inform tailored interventions.
Ei Thinzar (University of North Carolina – Greensboro) will utilize mixed methods to
examine parent-child emotion socialization and communication practices (i.e., reactions to child distress and the impact on regulating emotions). Furthermore, Ei aims to investigate how a parent’s cultural upbringing may influence emotional socialization as a parent. This research has the potential to advance knowledge of how early influences of culture and psychosocial risk (e.g., stressors) may impact future generations. Moreover, this project may inform workshops/clinical interventions aimed at promoting effective parent-child communication and healthy socioemotional child development.
Special thanks to the APAGS Science Committee members for their efforts in reviewing
applications this year! The Junior Scientist Fellowship (JSF) process is dynamic as it orients students to the process of grant writing in general – specifically, thinking critically about one’s research to inform intellectual merit and broader implications. Moreover, the JSF process primes students to the specific process of applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship by providing key feedback to improve their applications. Please take a look at this post by the Association for Psychological Science for more grant-writing tips and tricks.
Posted by Mitchell Mazzone, an APAGS Science Committee member and a clinical psychology doctoral student at Hofstra University. Feel free to reach out to Mitchell with any questions you may have!