Psych Scoop, 4/19/22

April 19th, 2022

The Psych Scoop is sent to all Psychology Undergraduate students and alumni every Tuesday throughout the academic school year. 

Share your news with psyadvis@umn.edu!

Psychology Advising Announcements

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1. Psychology Undergraduate Advising is Hiring A New Student Office Assistant!

The Department of Psychology Undergraduate Advising Office seeks to hire a Front Desk Office Student Assistant. The student assistant is responsible for appointment scheduling, organization of the front desk, and general intake. Many opportunities for projects like social media, graphic design, stats analysis, and more. This is a great position to learn more about the department overall and meet faculty! Starting pay is $12.50 an hour, with raises available for time and performance. If you continue with the office, there is the opportunity to move to a Peer Advising role (which starts at $15 an hour)! Read more information about the position and apply online. Applications will be reviewed through April 29th.

2. Are You Graduating Spring or Summer 2022? Save the Date to Celebrate!

Friday, April 29, 2022, 4:00 pm- 5:30 pm CST
Cost: Free
Location: Elliott Hall Breezeway (outside)

Psychology majors who have applied for Spring or Summer 2022 graduation will soon be receiving an email invitation to the 2022 Psychology Undergraduate Celebration. This psychology undergraduate event recognizes award recipients and graduating seniors in front of peers, staff, faculty, and family for all of their accomplishments! The event will be held on campus Friday, April 29th, 2022 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Please mark your calendars now and keep an eye out for your email invitation, which has already been sent out to graduating students. Are you graduating but haven't received an invitation? Send us an email at psyadvis@umn.edu.

3. Student Experience in the Research University Survey (SERU)

The Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey is one of the most important tools that we have to assess the undergraduate student experience. You can see a summary of some previous SERU results from our last Town Hall. The survey is confidential and should take approximately 25 minutes to complete. This is a reminder that your input will help the University's administration, instructors, advisors, and other staff to enhance programs and curricula, improve student services and policies, strengthen learning opportunities, and ensure a vibrant and supportive learning environment for all students. In appreciation for your participation, all students who complete the survey will receive a 20% off entire purchase coupon to the University of Minnesota Bookstore that can be used in-store or online (exclusions apply). You also may elect to be entered to win one of the following prizes: 1 of 5 $500 Scholarships that will be applied to your student account for fall 2022 or 1 of 140 $25 gift cards to the University Bookstore. Take the survey today!

Psychology Student Group Announcements

All students interested in Psychology are welcome to participate in Psychology student organizations. No previous participation or membership is required. If you're interested, please attend! To learn more, visit our website.

4. Association of Black Psychology Students - Join us for 22-23!

We are working to bring back the Association of Black Psychology Students organization. The mission of the Association of Black Psychology Students has been to support the academic, social, and career needs of students of African descent in psychology and related disciplines. ABPS gives students of African descent an opportunity to develop a professional network geared towards social sciences. Ready to join? Please email Ivana Ndege at ndege007@umn.edu to express your interest!

Events

5. Peter Dayan, PhD - Steps to Catastrophe: Peril, Prudence and Planning as Risk, Avoidance and Worry - Applications of Computational Modeling to Psychological Science Colloquium Series

Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 10:00 am- 11:00 am CST
Cost: Free
Location: Online

Risk occupies a central role in both the theory and practice of decision-making. Although it is deeply implicated in many conditions involving dysfunctional behavior and thought, modern theoretical approaches to understanding and mitigating risk in either one-shot or sequential settings, which are derived largely from finance and economics, have yet to permeate fully the fields of neural reinforcement learning and computational psychiatry. I will discuss the use of dynamic and static versions of one prominent approach to examine both the nature of risk avoidant choices, encompassing such things as justified gambler's fallacies, and the optimal planning that can lead to consideration of such choices, with implications for offline, ruminative, thinking, and for new interpretations of perseverative behaviour in sequential decision-making tasks. RSVP and learn more.

6. Bridge to the Doctorate: Building and Sustaining Communities of Support

Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 3:30 pm- 5:00 pm CST
Cost: Free
Location: Online

Are you a first-generation college student, Pell-eligible, and/or from an underrepresented community seeking a pathway to transform systems? Have you ever thought about pursuing a doctorate degree or going to graduate school? This workshop will provide resources and tips around identifying and creating dynamic communities of support as you pursue research opportunities and graduate school. Specifically, developing and sustaining relationships with faculty is an important part of the process. COVID-19 provided an array of challenges, including instances of not feeling as comfortable connecting with faculty. Participants will gain insight on strategies to reach out to faculty and maximize those relationships. Panelists will include faculty and student perspectives. RSVP online.

7. Reapplicant Workshop - Pre-Health Student Resource Center

Thursday, April 21, 2022, 3:00 pm- 4:00 pm CST
Cost: Free
Location: Online and In-Person, N219 Elliott Hall

The Pre-Health Student Resource Center is hosting Reapplicant Renovation, a virtual workshop for students who applied to health professional programs this past year, have not been accepted, and are considering reapplying. Advanced registration is required.

8. Abdel Abdellaoui, PhD - Socio-Economic Status: a Social Construct with Genetic Consequences - Applications of Computational Modeling to Psychological Science Colloquium Series

Friday, April 22, 2022, 10:00 am- 11:00 am CST
Cost: Free
Location: Online and N219 Elliott Hall

Social stratification is the way in which human civilizations sort individuals into different strata of socio-economic status (SES). SES is known to cluster in families and geographically, which has been associated with genetic effects. I will first review the history of scientific research on the relationship between social stratification and heredity. I then discuss recent findings in genomics research in light of the hypothesis that SES is a dynamic social construct that can exert selection pressures on genes associated with talents that help in attaining or retaining a position in a certain socio-economic system. Through social stratification, these talents sort into different layers of environmental exposures, which could result in natural selection through differential mortality and reproduction rates and non-random mating. This correlation between environmental exposures and genetic effects can confound genetic effect estimates in genetic association studies. Recent societal developments may have influenced these selection pressures in ways that stimulate a growth in social inequalities. Novel tools in genomics research are revealing previously concealed genetic consequences of the way we organize our societies, which should be handled with caution in our search for a fair and functional society. RSVP online.

9. Peggy Seriès, PhD - Are Schizophrenia and Autism Disorders of Prediction? - Applications of Computational Modeling to Psychological Science Colloquium Series

Tuesday, April 26, 2022, 10:00 am- 11:00 am CST
Cost: Free
Location: Online

A growing idea in computational neuroscience is that perception and cognition can be successfully described in terms of predictive processing or Bayesian inference: the nervous system would maintain and update internal probabilistic models that serve to interpret the world and guide our actions. This approach is increasingly recognised to also be of interest to Psychiatry. Mental illness could correspond to the brain trying to interpret the world through distorted internal models, or incorrectly combining such internal models with sensory information. I will describe work pursued in my lab that aims at uncovering such internal models, using behavioural experiments and computational methods. In health, we are particularly interested in clarifying how prior beliefs affect perception and decision-making, how long they take to build up or be unlearned, how complex they can be, and how they can inform us on the type of computations and learning that the brain performs. In mental illness, we are interested in understanding whether/how the machinery of probabilistic inference could be impaired, and/or relies on the use of distorted priors. "I will introduce the emerging field of Computational Psychiatry, review the theoretical frameworks that have been used to describe impairments in Schizophrenia and Autism, and describe recent results from my lab that aim to test, refine, and contrast those theories. I will also discuss how they fit within the rest of the literature. RSVP online.

10. LAST Nutritious U Food Pantry of the Semester

Tuesday, April 26, 2021 - Thursday, April 28, 2022, 12:00 pm- 6:00 pm CST
Cost: Free
Location: 2nd Flood Memorial Union

The Nutritious U Food Pantry is open the one week of every month during the semester (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), from 12-6 pm on the 2nd floor of Memorial Union (Room 210). Any student can visit the food pantry, no proof of need is required. Students choose from available foods items when they show up.

Courses of Interest

11. PSY 4960 - 001: Advanced Topics in Quantitative Methods: R Programming - Fall 2022 (3 credits)

Conducting psychological research involves collecting data, but what happens next? Completing research projects involves more than just analyzing data! In this course, we will learn about the research pipeline and how to incorporate Open Science practices to generate reproducible and transparent analyses. Specifically, students will learn both basic and advanced R programming to carry out data cleaning, analyses, and visualization. Finally, students will learn how to share their code and data via GitHub. A large component of this course will involve hands-on programming that will culminate in an independent final project. It is strongly suggested that students take PSY3801: Introduction to Psychological Measurement and Data Analysis prior to taking this course, but it is not required.

PSY 4960-001 will meet in Bruininks 530A, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45 am- 11:00 am CST

Instructor: Dr. Amanda Woodward

Note: this course counts as elective credit for the Psychology majors. If you are a minor, please email us at psyadvis@umn.edu about the course.

12. 5960-001: Socio-Cultural Psychology - Fall 2022 (3 credits)

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to general theories and methods in socio-cultural psychology. The course examines how social environment and culture shape psychological and physiological functioning, along with the cyclical nature of these relationships. Together, we will focus on specific topics that bridge socio-cultural psychology and identity, including group and identity formation, stereotyping, prejudice, stigma, intergroup contact, and multiculturalism. We will also focus on how diverse aspects of humans’ day-to-day lives — including social relationships, cognitive processes, basic visual perception, judgments of morality, and mental illness — both differ and are constant across cultures. Last, we will place special emphasis on critiquing research methods and analyzing real-world treatments of culture based on topics covered in the course. This course has a significant and sustained emphasis on diversity, power, and justice issues. It is strongly suggested that students take PSY 3001W: Introduction to Research Methods prior to taking this course, but it is not required.

PSY 5960-001 will meet in Bruininks 530A, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30 pm- 3:45 pm CST

Instructor: Dr. Drexler James

Note: this course counts as elective credit for the Psychology majors. If you are a minor, please email us at psyadvis@umn.edu about the course.

13. PSY 5960-002: Brain, Reward, and Motivation - Fall 2022 (3 credits)

This course is aimed at providing an overview of the concepts of reward, motivation, learning, and decision making, and understanding the brain circuits and molecules that support these processes that are shared across species. To understand this, we will have a combination of lectures, readings, and discussions on our current scientific understanding of reward and motivation in animals and in humans, and compare this to pop culture depictions of the brain (for instance, lots of memes about dopamine) and motivated behavior (for instance, viral videos of cute and surprising antics of animals). The goal for students is to have a better understanding of how their own brains work, to provide perspective on decision making and motivation challenges, and to use this knowledge to improve popular understanding of the brain, one meme at a time. It is strongly suggested that students take PSY 3061: Introduction to Biological Psychology prior to or concurrent with this course, but it is not required.

**Course will be scheduled soon - please check Scoop next week for details

Instructor: Dr. Nicola Grissom

Note: this course counts as elective credit for the Psychology majors. If you are a minor, please email us at psyadvis@umn.edu about the course.

14. CSPH 3211: Living on Purpose: An Exploration of Self, Purpose & Community - Fall 2022 (2 credits)

Looking for an elective this fall? Consider CSPH 3211 Living on Purpose: An Exploration of Self, Purpose & Community (2 cr). Define what "living purposefully" means to you. Weekly topics include personal values, strengths, contemplative practices, inner ways of knowing, self-compassion, sources of happiness, and mindfulness. This is a blended course with four in-person classes that provide time for community and support. Read more about the course online.

Check Schedule Builder for meeting times.

Instructor: Carole Anne Broad, Lisa Clark, Megan Seltz, and Greg Sawyer

Note: this course does not count as elective credit for the Psychology majors or minors.

Research

15. Psychology BS Seniors - Complete your Capstone Research this Summer!

Two great options with our Psychology faculty - Drs. Amanda Woodward and Liza Meredith.

Either of these research options can fulfill the 3 credit Capstone research requirement for BS students taking PSY 3901W in Summer 2022, Fall 2022, or Spring 2023 (by special exception).

PSY 5993-001 (class# 87845): Practices that Support Student Wellbeing and Development Summer 2022

June 6 - August 12, 2022, 3 credits, Online

This is an online/distance-learning research experience that will be focused on the mental health and well-being of college students. Dr. Liza Meredith is interested in how faculty and instructors can design and implement college courses so that students can better understand themselves and other people. She is interested in examining how Psychology classes can support mental health, identity development, and appreciation of diversity. Students will gain skills in critical thinking, research design, and data analysis. There will be one hour of online synchronous meeting time per week (time TBD depending on students' schedules), with the remaining work completed independently by the students. Interested students should contact Dr. Liza Meredith at mere0032@umn.edu for information on how to register.

PSY 5993-002 (class# 87846): Social Cognitive Research Experience Summer 2022

June 6 - August 12, 2022, 3 credits, Online

In this online research experience, you will learn about methods used to study social cognition throughout the lifespan (early childhood through adulthood). Research projects will examine how young children and adults think about the social world and will include topics such as social exclusion and prosocial behavior. Students will learn how to conduct social cognitive research and how to incorporate open science practices into this research. Possible topics include behavioral coding, data collection, study design, and data analyses. Most work will be completed asynchronously, though students should expect to participate in a synchronous, weekly meeting (time to be decided based on availability). If interested, please contact Dr. Amanda Woodward at woodw284@umn.edu for additional information.

16. *Volunteer* Undergraduate Research Opportunity in Child Psychiatry

We are looking for students to volunteer in Dr. Meredith Gunlicks-Stoessel’s adolescent depression research lab. The position will start either this summer or fall, depending on applicants' availability. Students will primarily work on a research project evaluating the effectiveness of personalized interventions for adolescent depression delivered in community mental health care settings. Responsibilities will include administering data collection procedures with adolescents and parents, coding open-ended survey responses, and data entry. Qualified candidates must be highly motivated, able to work independently, detail-oriented, and willing to develop new skills as the need arises. Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills; organizational skills; and comfort using basic computer programs such as Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Excel, and web applications are also required. Candidates must be pursuing a degree in Psychology or related field and be willing to commit 4 hours per week, including some weekday evenings and weekend mornings. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume (including GPA and class year) to ptad@umn.edu, and include your availability for this summer and fall.

17. *Credit or Volunteer* RA Position with a Longitudinal Study of Resilience in Military Service Members

The Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Project, under the direction of Dr. Melissa Polusny at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System is looking for research assistants for the 2022-2023 school year and beyond! The current longitudinal study examines processes contributing to resilience in military personnel. Research assistants who join the ARMOR Project will receive extensive training and gain hands-on experience conducting a large cohort study that utilizes evidence-based longitudinal tracking and survey methods. This is a volunteer position and requires a minimum of 10-12 hours per week commitment onsite at the Minneapolis VA and attendance to our weekly lab meeting. Students accepted to the lab can apply to receive research credit for the course PSY4993 after committing 2-3 months as a volunteer. Preference will be given to students who have a minimum GPA of 3.5, are available year-round, and able to make a multiple-semester commitment. Those with prior experience conducting human subjects research, veterans, and military-connected students as well as those from groups that have been historically underrepresented in science as defined by the National Science Foundation are strongly encouraged to apply. To apply, send an email with “ARMOR RA Position” in the subject line to the Project Coordinator, Shelly Hubbling at michelle.hubbling@va.gov. Include your cover letter, resume/CV, and copies of your unofficial transcripts.

18. *Volunteer* Internship with Clinical and Research Experience

The Center for Practice Transformation in the School of Social Work is seeking highly motivated volunteer student interns to assist with community-based research. CPT is currently conducting outcomes research with a large substance use disorder treatment provider based in Minnesota. Student responsibilities would include participant outreach, phone-based data collection, and data entry. Qualifications include excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, basic computer skills including use of Microsoft Excel, interest in clinical care for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, and the ability to work remotely. Preference will be given to students who are able to commit to 12 months of involvement and have availability between 9-5 Monday through Friday for 2-10 hours per week. To apply, please contact Jennifer Wiseman at wisem017@umn.edu with a brief statement of your interest and CV or resume.

19. *Volunteer* Summer Research Opportunity in Child Psychiatry

We are looking for undergraduate student volunteers to help us with collecting surveys from individuals attending Minnesota county fairs in rural communities this summer as part of the UMN Driven to Discover (D2D) Research Program. Our study is evaluating rural youth and caregiver attitudes about mental health care, barriers, and preferences for types of services. Students would need to be available to participate in training activities and staff our research booth for a 2-4 day period of at least two fairs this summer. All expenses, including mileage, hotel, and food will be covered. To apply, please send a cover letter including GPA and resume to Dr. Meredith Gunlicks-Stoessel at mgunlick@umn.edu.

Jobs/Internship Opportunities

IMPORTANT: Organizations listed below are not necessarily affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Psychology or Psychology Undergraduate Advising. Please exercise the same discretion you would in viewing any other source.

20. Behavior Therapist - Behavioral Dimensions, Inc (BDI)

Behavioral Dimensions, Inc (BDI) provides intensive services to children with autism and related disabilities. We are currently hiring undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities studying in a wide variety of fields throughout Minnesota. Behavioral Dimensions offers students excellent opportunities to apply what you are learning in the classroom to real-life situations. You will learn how to implement research-based behavioral techniques to teach young children a wide variety of skills as well as how to prevent and respond to challenging situations. You will receive many hours of training and support by professionals from several different disciplines, all with experience and training in Applied Behavior Analysis. For more information, please visit our website.

21. Mental Health Worker - Andrew Residence

Join Our Team as a Mental Health Worker! Andrew Residence is a mental health residential treatment and nursing facility. We serve adults who are experiencing mental illness and co-occurring disorders. We offer evidence-based, collaborative, and trauma-informed treatment services that align with an individual’s personal goals and needs. Mental Health Workers provide comprehensive services both 1:1 and in a group setting with an emphasis on the milieu to facilitate independent living skills. Other responsibilities include assessing resident mental health status and communicating information to the treatment team, intervening in crisis and non-crisis situations, and administering medications (TMA training provided.) For more information, go to our website or search for us on Indeed!

22. Residential Counselor - Avanti

Share your talent and experiences to enrich the lives of youth who are struggling with their mental health. Join a team of passionate people, develop your skills, and begin your career working for the common good. At Avanti, we build lives. Youth who are struggling with their mental health often feel hopeless and lost. Avanti helps youth ages 12-17 and whose sex is assigned as female build hope and a path forward. As part of Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin, Avanti provides therapeutic residential treatment. With the support of staff, residents learn to leverage their strengths to develop self-love, mindfulness, and healthy habits that promote well-being for life. We don’t just save lives; we help build them. Get paid while gaining experience in the mental health field with wages starting at $15.50/hr and performance raises every 6 months and a $500 sign-on bonus. Feel free to visit our website and apply or reach out to Brienna Cool at brienna.cool@voamn.org if you have any questions about applying. Requirements include must be 21 years of age, must have a driver’s license, and must have a high school diploma or GED.

23. Psychology Peer Subject Tutor (Fall 2022)

Psychology Peer Subject Tutors meet in small groups (2-3) students to review subject-specific material. Meetings are weekly and recurring, lasting the duration of the academic semester. Availability is flexible based on tutor submission. Requirements: Familiarity with chosen subject matter receiving at least a grade of "B" or equivalent in chosen areas. Tutors must remain in good academic standing with a GPA above 3.0 throughout the duration of their employment. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to work well in groups and with a diverse population. More information and the application form can be found online.

24. Research Professional 1- Department of Psychiatry

We have an opening in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School for a full-time Clinical Study Coordinator (Research Professional 1) to work as part of a team in Dr. Adriana Hughes' Cognition, Aging, & Technology (CAT) Lab. Our research investigates how advanced technologies can be used to keep older adults healthy and living independently as they age. This position will coordinate and carry out all aspects of the clinical research study. They will recruit, consent, and enroll participants, schedule and conduct study visits, conduct semi-structured interviews and code interview data, administer and score standardized cognitive and functional tests, maintain clean and organized study data and records, develop and maintain the study database, enter and double-check data, and interact with UMN, VA, and external (Advarra) institutional review boards (IRBs) and key stakeholders to maintain regulatory compliance and all reporting requirements. Additional or revised responsibilities or special projects may be assigned. For external applicants. If you are a current employee of the University of Minnesota, please use the following link.

25. Research Support Assistant - LATIS

We are looking for a new undergraduate to join the LATIS Research team. This position would involve supporting many aspects of LATIS' research support services, such as creating and testing online experiments, assisting with research data collection and preparation, helping manage LATIS’ research workshops, and occasionally assisting with projects in our College of Liberal Arts social science labs. We are currently looking for someone to start this Summer (mid-May), with an opportunity to continue into the Fall. Remote only option is available for the summer. All questions about the position can be directed to Abbey Hammell at hammell@umn.edu. Start pay is $13-14 per hour, depending on experience. Apply and learn more online.

26. Resident Assistant - Vail House

Do you want to work for a mission-driven agency that works together to create connection, opportunity, and purpose? Are you looking to jump-start your career in Human Services? Start by joining as a Resident Assistant today! What does a Resident Assistant do? The Resident Assistant supports the individual recovery goals of Vail House residents in coordinating services, such as crisis prevention and intervention, medication monitoring, attending to group supports, and independent goals. Vail House is staffed 24 hours a day; this position's regular scheduled hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 3 PM-11 PM. Resident Assistants help cover shifts and must be available to work additional hours until relieved of their shift. Weekend, holidays, and overnight hours may be required. Apply online!