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Department of Psychology

Student Honors, Awards and Accomplishments

Psychology Symposium.  The April 21, 2008 Psychology Student Symposium was a tremendous success.  This was the first time the annual event was held in the hallways of our new building, Miller Hall.  During our poster session, 105 Psychology Majors presented the results of 11 Honors Thesis Projects, 20 Research projects, and 14 practicum and field placement experiences. A team of graduate students and faculty selected the following presentations for awards:

  • Sarah Peterson.  “Intrinsic and Extrinsic Influences on Socially Responsible Consumption: A Generational Analysis” Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Bahn & Dr. Tracy Zinn. Dean’s Award for Best Thesis Poster
  • Veronika Varfolomeeva, Jason Kopp, and Sarah Irby.  “Entitlement in College Students” Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tracy Zinn. Dean’s Award for Best Research Poster
  • Katalin Gardner. “Delusions and Hallucinations Group: Western State Hospital” Faculty Advisor: Dr. Joann Grayson. Site Supervisor: Dr. Michael Shutty. Dean’s Award for Best Field Placement Poster
  • Carolyn A. Bradshaw. “Hook Up or Date: Which Gender Benefits?” Faculty Advisor: Dr. Arnold Kahn. Excellent Thesis Poster
  • Heather Davis, Kacey Sax, and Christine Brady. “Parent Perceived Characteristics of Children with ADHD and Parent Strain” Faculty Advisor: Dr. Steve Evans. Excellent Research Poster
  • Caroline Cleary, Tara Harrison, J. Tyler Brown, and Brian Koziol. “Laboratory Examination of Just-in-Time Teaching”. Faculty Advisor: Drs. James Benedict and Kevin Apple. Excellent Research Poster.
  • Kourtney Rusow. “Rockingham Community Health: Education and Awareness”. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Joann Grayson. Excellent Practicum Poster

The faculty of the Department of Psychology is very pleased to announce that the following students received small grants in support of their research for the Spring 2008 semester: 

  • Carolyn Bradshaw.  Hook Up or Date:  Which Gender Benefits? ($147)
  • Nicole Capik.  The Effects of Valerian Root on Anxiety in an Animal Model using the Elevated Plus Maze. ($500)
  • Stephany Rene Herzog.  Finding Hope:  Understanding the Racial and Socioeconomic Divide in New Orleans Residents Regarding Katrina Related Experiences. ($500)
  • Jennifer Hoyle. Testing St. John’s Wort using the Elevated Plus Maze as an Animal Model of Anxiety. ($500)
  • Brantley Jarvis.  Toward Increasing the Cost-Effectiveness of Contingency Management:  Using Percentile Schedules and Escalating Quality of Reinforcement in an Intervention Designed to Reduce Smoking in College Students. ($500)
  • Kristin Kiel.  Examining Delayed and Immediate Reinforcement in a Contingency Management Smoking Cessation Intervention for College Students. ($500)
  • Stephen Robertson.  Assessing the Putative Anxiolytic Effects of Kava Administration in the Elevated Plus Maze. ($500)

The following students received small grants in support of their conference travel for the Spring 2008 semester:

  • Brittany Atkins, Chris Gesualdi.  Is Effort Discounting Best Described by a Hyperbolic or Exponential Function?  Presentation at EPA. ($200)
  • Carolyn Bradshaw.  Hook Up or Date:  Which Gender Benefits?  Presentation at SEPA/CEPO. ($200)
  • Alex Byland, Amanda Sorg, Allyson Vasi and Alex Zinicola.  Contingency Management in the Classroom.  Presentation at ABA. ($600)
  • Jamie Claytor, Maria Gandolfo, Kiah Malick, Charley Martin, Jacklyn McMillan, Kimberly Rodgers, Rebecca Seay and Ellen Webne. The Effects of Sex of Subject, Gender of Assailant, and Gender of Victim on Perceptions of Rape.  Presentation at SEPA. ($600)
  • Heather Davis and Kerri-Jean Carter.  Quantity and Intensity of Issues in Families with Adolescent Children with ADHD:  Depends on Who You Ask.  Presentation at EPA. ($400)
  • Chris Frazier, Mike Hicks, and Max Berkheimer.  Examining How Individuals Attribute Homophobic Comments.  Presentation at UVA Psychology Conference.  ($100)
  • Amanda Gisbert, Jason Kopp and Carolyn Telesco.  Internet Addiction and Impulsivity in College Students.  Presentation at EPA. ($200)
  • Margaret Hawkins, Olivia Christensen, Loretta Vitt and Alex Byland.  Difference Between Girls Diagnosed with ADHD in Adolescence and those Diagnosed in Childhood.  Presentation at EPA.  ($400)
  • Meghan Thompson.  Interteacing, Delay Discounting, and Effort Discounting.  Presentation at EPA.  ($200)

Psi Chi announces the election of the following new officers:

  • Theresa Egan, President
  • Marie Zambeno, Vice President
  • Allyson Vasi, Secretary
  • Jason Kopp, Treasurer
  • Jessica Raines, Membership

Congratulations and best of luck to the new officers!

CONGRATULATIONS to the students selected to represent James Madison University at the upcoming conference at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2008 to be held at Salisburg University scheduled for April 10-12, 2008.

Kristen Kiel has been selected to receive a 2007-2008 Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant for her proposal entitled “Examining immediate and delayed reinforcement in a contingency management smoking cessation intervention for college students.”  The amount of the award is $1382.

Allison Brown has been nominated for this year’s Eileen Nelson Scholarship.  Allison began her undergraduate psychology career as a member of the Psychology Freshmen Learning Community (PLC) in 2004.  As a member of the PLC, Allison excelled in her psychology methodology coursework, and her early efforts were first recognized by the Department of Psychology when she received the Outstanding Achievement in Statistics and Research Award.  Since that time, Allison has conducted numerous independent research projects that have led to an impressive body of scholarship.  In fact, she already has conducted work that has been presented at one regional conference, two national conferences, and one international conference.  She also has one in press publication, one successfully funded grant submission, and one university program evaluation report.  Much of Allison’s work focuses on well-being or program evaluation, and she is currently conducting a Senior Honors Thesis to develop a new multi-dimensional measure on college student life satisfaction.  Allison’s excellence pervades everything she does.  She has maintained a near perfect GPA.  She has also challenged herself by taking two graduate psychology statistics courses.  She has shared her interest in research and statistics by serving as a Psyc 212-213 teaching assistant and a statistics tutor with the Math Department.  Next year, Allison hopes to attend a PhD program in assessment and measurement.

Psychology Major D. Max Crowley has been named the JMU Psychology Nominee for the AAPSS Junior Fellow.  American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) Junior Fellows  The Academy seeks through this program to recognize the very best students for their achievements in analyzing social problems and for their promise of becoming tomorrow's outstanding social scientists.  Congratulations Max!

Psychology Peer Advising Chi Sigma Iota, and JMU Athletics led by Psychology Major/Student Athlete/Peer Advisor, Jesse Tarr sponsored a Special Olympics day Saturday, September 22.  At this event 60 Special Olympic athletes interacting and playing with JMU Women's Volleyball team, the Football team, Men's and Women's Basketball teams, as well as Women's Softball, Women's Field Hockey, and Women's Soccer teams.  It was a great day!  JMU fully supported the day with a catered meal for 125 people, and tickets for everyone to the football game.  Many thanks to Psychology Peer Advising and Jesse Tarr for this excellent work.!