Psychology

Caregiver Burnout

Those who work in “helping professions,” such as first responders, teachers, nurses, and mental health professionals, have an increased level and risk of burnout in comparison to other occupations. As such, it is critical to understand how to reduce the risk of burnout among these professionals. In this research study, faculty mentor Michael Andreychik, PhD, and psychology students Courtney Hankins '19 and Katherine Mackenzie '21 tested the idea that one way of reducing the risk of burnout is to encourage helpers to empathize with the positive emotions (e.g., joy, pride, hopefulness) of those with whom they work.

To examine the potential burnout-reducing effects of empathizing with others’ positive emotions, they presented college students with a video of a fellow student describing both the good and the bad parts of their adjustment to college. Before watching the video, participants were randomly assigned to adopt one of four perspectives as they watched: remain objective, focus on the student’s negative emotions, focus on the student’s positive emotions, or focus on all of the student’s emotions. Participants then indicated how much distress they experienced while watching the video and whether or not they would be willing to help the struggling student by giving or providing her with advice. The researchers’ key prediction was that while all participants who connected with the struggling student's emotions would report a greater willingness to help her, participants who connected with the student’s negative emotions would report greater burnout-related emotions than those who connected with the student’s positive emotions.

Environmental Effects on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Under the mentorship of psychology professor Shannon Harding, PhD, undergraduate students Christina D'Agata '19, Lea Lecaj '19, and Katie Trykowski ’20 conducted an in-depth research study investigating the effects of environmental enrichment on behavior in rodents that expressed symptoms of autism. The students set out determine whether or not environmental enrichment would improve the rats’ autism spectrum disorder symptoms, as well as their development, anxiety, and/or social behaviors.

Throughout the study, pregnant Long Evans rats were administered valproic acid (VPA) or a saline control on pregnancy day 12.5. After the rodents developed further, male rats were assigned to the following groups: saline-standard, VPA-standard, saline-enriched, and VPA-enriched. Enriched housing included toys, social partners, and new bedding. Standard housing consisted of a Plexiglas cage with cob bedding. Enrichment continued for two weeks before behavioral tests were conducted. It was hypothesized that enrichment would reduce the autism symptoms seen in the male rats, specifically reducing anxiety and improving social behaviors – a finding that could have important implications for the therapeutic treatment of ASD in humans.

Ethnic Identity as a Moderator of Suicide Ideation

Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death among African American young adults, but studies have suggested, that ethnic identity, which is made up of aspects such as language, religious affiliation, and cultural traditions, may serve as a protective factor against feelings of defeat and suicide ideation in African Americans.

In this research study supported by the Vincent Rosivach Collaborative Research Fund, psychology major Chelsea Salvatore '19 and faculty mentor David Hollingsworth, PhD, setout to examine ethnic identity as a moderator of the relationship between defeat and suicide ideation in African Americans. Participants included 106 African American college students, who were asked to complete self-report measures that assessed variables of interest. Results indicated that in participants with low levels of ethnic identity, defeat had a significant effect on suicide ideation. Conversely, in participants with high levels of ethnic identity, the relationship between defeat and suicide ideation was no longer significant.

How Do Photos and Technology Shape Our Memories?

Dr. Henkel’s research team has been running a series of studies examining the impact of taking photos on what people subsequently remember. When we outsource our memory to our cameras – expecting our cameras record and in essence “remember” our experiences, we engage in different ways of thinking about those experiences than if we do not take photos.  This research follows up on Dr. Henkel’s 2013 work which was featured on NPR, and dozens of other media sites, including the New York Times, BBC news, Wall Street Journal., and CNN.

Physical Environments of Nursing Homes and Quality of Care

How do the Physical Environments of Nursing Home Residents Shape the Quality of Care They Receive?

As part of the Interdisciplinary Health Studies Scholars grant awarded to Dr. Henkel (psychology) and Dr. Alison Kris (School of Nursing) for 2013-2015, a team of undergraduate researchers from both psychology and nursing recently completed a project examining how memory cues in the environment, such as personal family photos, can bring about greater social interaction between health care providers and nursing home residents, which in turn can boost not only the residents’ morale and wellbeing, but can increase the social interactions between health care providers and the residents, which can improve the quality of care received.

How can We Better Treat Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders?

How can We Better Treat Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders such as Schizophrenia, and Schizotypal Personality Disorder?

Dr. McClure’s NARSAD Young Investigator Award (The Brain & Behavior Foundation) examines the impact of Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) when paired with an agent that targets the norepinephrine system compared to CRT plus placebo.  Dr. McClure also collaborates on projects examining treatments for personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, including studies of medications such as oxytocin and psychological interventions such as dialectical behavior therapy. Students working in this lab have the opportunity to conduct telephone screens of potential participants, observe diagnostic interviews and neuropsychological assessments, and sit in on CRT computerized training sessions.

Expectations and their Effects on Others

How Strongly (and Permanently) are Other People Affected by the Expectations that we Hold about Them?

Research has shown that our expectations about others (“She isn’t very nice”) can affect how we treat them (“I’m not going to talk to someone who’s so unpleasant”), thus causing them to behave in the way we expected (“I’m certainly not going to act friendly toward someone who doesn’t even seem to want to talk to me”). But, what are the limits of these self-fulfilling prophecies? For example, how many times must someone be treated as unpleasant before they become a “permanently” unpleasant person? What if someone who has been treated as unpleasant (or unintelligent, etc.) for many years begins to be treated in the opposite way? Will their behavior or personality change? Dr. Andreychik is currently exploring these and related questions with his students. 

Intimate Partner Violence

How is Intimate Partner Violence Related to Factors such as Childhood Trauma and Emotion Regulation?

Dr. McClure’s lab in the psychology department at Fairfield University studies risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence in college student dating relationships, including childhood trauma, anxiety and mood symptoms, personality factors, and emotion regulation.  Students working in this lab have the opportunity to interact with study participants by administering the computerized assessment battery and emotion regulation tasks, as well as to clean and analyze data.