Research Opportunities for Students

Interested in getting involved in research in psychology? Motivated students have the opportunity to work with faculty as research assistants in their labs. Contact the professor you’re interested in working with or look at their lab website for more information on how to get involved.

Comparative Psychology Lab

Research focus: comparative psychology, animal personality, animal cognition, conservation psychology

Led by Lauren Highfill, the Comparative Psychology Lab conducts non-invasive research on the behavior and cognition of various species – from dogs to elephants – in order to increase our understanding of these animals and contribute to their welfare and conservation. Recent projects have focused on canine creativity and elephant cooperation.

Categorization and Reasoning Lab

Research focus: cognitive psychology, thought processes, memory, categories, decision-making

Led by Jessica Leffers, the Categorization and Reasoning Lab studies how people form concepts about various social categories like race, gender, and religious groups in developmental and adult samples. We explore consequences of social conceptions on facial recognition memory, reasoning skills, and processing ability.

Health and Well-being Lab

Research focus: health, lifespan development, stress, resilience, quality of life

Led by Sarah Lyle, the Health and Well-being Lab at Eckerd College focuses on the connections between psychological factors and health outcomes across the lifespan. We investigate aspects of life that promote psychosocial resilience and positive health outcomes in children, teenagers, college students, and adults.

Behavioral Neuroscience Lab

Research focus: neuroscience, biopsychology, pharmacology, learning, memory

Led by Katherine Dyer, the Behavioral Neuroscience Lab explores the involvement of various brain activities and mechanisms in behavioral processes such as learning and memory. Potential projects in this lab include research investigating the biological and cognitive mechanisms of pattern learning, as well as psychopharmacological influences on behavior.

Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes Lab

Research focus: social psychology, prejudice, stereotyping, morality, ideology, motivation

Led by Stephanie Mallinas, the Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes Lab studies biases in social attitudes and perceptions. Our lines of research include the roles of ideology and morality in social cognition, individual differences in prejudice and stereotyping, how people decide whether others are ingroup or outgroup members, and how threat and motivation influence judgments of others.