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Research Opportunities for Undergraduates

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Below you will find a list of the research labs in the Psychological Sciences program. If you are interested in working in a particular lab, email the contact listed directly.

Research spots in labs are limited and require students who are dedicated and interested in the subject field. Please do not contact professors about openings if none are available. However, check back with the website frequently as a lab's status can change at any time.

If you are planning to enroll in Independent Study (e.g., PSY 95, PSY 195), there is a form titled "Independent Study Enrollment" that you need to fill out and turn in. This form is available at the Students' First Center or can be printed out. Unlike regular classes, there is no online registration for Independent Study. The document must be signed by the professor in charge of the research lab. Keep in mind that a minimum of three hours of work per week is required for each unit of Independent Study. 

Research Labs in Developmental Psychology

Lab: Professor Mayra Bámaca
E-mailmbamaca@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 331
Websitehttps://impactlabucm.wixsite.com/impactlab
Research: My lab conducts research focused on Latinx children and youth’s experiences within cultural, family, school, neighborhood contexts and pays attention to the mechanisms by which these multiple influences predict their adjustment. Most of the work in my lab has focused on Latinx youth residing in the U.S. (Arizona, Pennsylvania, and California). Future research in my lab will expand to include a more in-depth understanding of school and peer experiences in Merced and surrounding communities during adolescence and middle childhood. 
Research assistant opening: Currently looking for students with web developing skills, bilingual (not required); a limited number of research openings are available on a competitive basis. All openings are filled before the start of the semester. Applications for the summer and fall are due by April 15 and applications for spring are due by Nov. 15th each year. Contact Professor Bámaca for an application. Second semester Freshmen and Sophomores are encouraged to apply!
Nature of work: Undergraduate research assistants will have the opportunity to be engaged in a variety of projects depending on their experience and interests. They will also assist with general lab-related tasks, including but not limited to library literature searchers and summaries; translations-back translations (Spanish-English) under supervised guidance, development of material (surveys, flyers, databases, codebooks), recruiting participants, data collection and data cleaning. More advanced students can have the opportunity to work with Dr. Bámaca and PhD graduate students on conference presentations. Assistants need to be very detail oriented, as well as capable of interacting with parents and children.
Expected time commitment: Students can volunteer or enroll for course credit. Students are expected to work a minimum of 6 hours a week (1 credit = 3 hours). A two-semester commitment is expected; summer (negotiable). Students should expect to attend weekly lab meetings.

Lab: Professor Heather Bortfeld
E-mail: hbortfeld@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 245 & 247A
Website: http://heatherbortfeld.com/
Research: Bortfeld's research follows two converging lines in Psychology, one in typical language development and one in atypical language development, specifically language learning under adverse listening conditions. The first line looks at how typically developing infants come to recognize words in fluent speech and the extent to which the perceptual abilities underlying this learning process are specific to language. The second line looks at the influence of perceptual, cognitive, and social factors in the language development of pediatric cochlear implant users, who must learn language from a speech signal whose spectral cues are substantially degraded relative to the original source. Results from each line of research inform the other. Our approach is best characterized as integrating (1) multiple methods, (2) different levels of analysis and (3) a broad theoretical perspective. Research findings highlight the central role of early experience, both perceptual and social, in language development.
Research Assistant openings: Currently seeking a web developer. A limited number of research assistant openings are available on a competitive basis each semester. All openings are filled before the start of the semester.
Nature of work: Undergraduate research assistants will assist with participant recruitment and coding videos of parent-child interactions using custom software (ELAN).
Expected time commitment: Can be taken for course credit. Hours to be arranged.

Lab: Professor Elif Isbell
E-mail: eisbell@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 362B
Website: www.idearesearch.org
Research: My research group focuses on how children develop the skills that allow them to seek goal-directed behaviors, especially in the face of internal and external distractions. Under the umbrella term cognitive control, we examine how and when children develop these fundamental abilities. We study the neurodevelopmental and behavioral changes in cognitive control as embedded in households and classrooms, within the broader context of children’s socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. We aim to elucidate the mechanisms through which children’s early experiences contribute to cognitive control development and delineate the interplay between children’s cognitive control skills and academic development. Our research group uses a multi-method approach that combines electroencephalogram/event-related potentials (EEG/ERP), behavioral assessments, and naturalistic observations.
Research assistant openings: Yes, please contact Dr. Isbell for an application.
Nature of work: Undergraduate research assistants are typically involved in tasks such as interacting with and recruiting families from the community, brainwave and behavioral data collection from children in lab and school settings, naturalistic observations, coding video and/or audio recordings, preprocessing brain data, literature review, and data management. Dr. Isbell also supports a select number of independent research projects, such as the summer research programs organized by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center, and Honor’s Projects.
Expected time commitment: Students are expected to work 6-9 hours/week and are required to attend regular training and lab meetings. Given the level of training needed for the research assistant assignments, a two-semester commitment is expected.

Lab: Professor Alexandra Main
Email: amain@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 324
Website: http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/amainlab/
Research: My research focuses on social and emotional development of children and adolescents within the family context. Specifically, I am interested in the development of empathy and emotion regulation and how these processes are shaped by temperament, family, and culture.  I am currently working on projects investigating communication of empathy between parents and adolescents, how cultural orientations influence family emotional communication, and the implications of these processes for psychological and physical health.
Research assistant opening: A limited number of research assistant openings are available on a competitive basis each semester.
Nature of work: Undergraduate research assistants may be involved in a variety of tasks, including testing subjects, engaging in scholarly readings, interacting with and recruiting families from the community, video coding, and data management.
Expected time commitment: Students are expected to work 6-9 hours/week and are required to attend regular lab meetings.

Lab: Professor Rose Scott
E-mail: rscott@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 137
Website: http://cecl.ucmerced.edu
Research: My lab conducts research in how children between 1 and 4 years of age make sense of other people's behavior, as well as how they learn their native languages. My studies typically involve showing children short videos or picture books and coding where the children look at key points. This can tell us how they interpret what they see and hear.
Research assistant opening: A limited number of research openings are available on a competitive basis each semester. All openings are filled before the start of the semester. Applications for the summer and fall are due by April 30 and applications for spring are due by Dec. 1 each year. Contact Professor Scott for an application.
Nature of work: Research assistants assist in recruiting participants, running experimental studies and coding experimental data. Assistants need to be very detail oriented, as well as capable of interacting with parents and children.
Expected time commitment: Students can volunteer or enroll for course credit. Students are expected to work a minimum of 6 hours a week.

Lab: Professor Eric Walle
E-mail: ewalle@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 141
Website: http://idlab.ucmerced.edu/about-us/students
Research: Our lab investigates aspects of psychological development relating to social and emotional processes in infancy. Specifically, we are interested in how the developing infant appreciates the emotional communication of others, and how this capacity guides infants' behavioral responding in social contexts. We are also interested in how infant social capacities change following the onset of walking, including language development, exploration of the environment and social interactions. This research typically involves bringing infants and caregivers to the lab to participate in naturalistic experiments.
Research assistant openings: Yes, on a competitive basis based on match of interests and relevant experience.
Nature of work: Research assistants participate in every part of the research process. This includes testing participants, monitoring testing, participant recruitment, data management and data coding. Research assistants are also responsible for engaging in scholarly readings, conducting reviews of the literature and attending mandatory laboratory meetings.
Expected time commitment: Students may volunteer or enroll for course credit (1 unit = three work hours/week). Most students are expected to work in the lab approximately nine hours per week.

Research Labs in Health Psychology

Lab: Professor Linda Cameron
E-mail: lcameron@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 309
Website: www.cameronhcilab.com/
Research: My research focuses on using new psychological advances in cognition, imagery and emotion to develop effective health communications for promoting health behaviors and coping with chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Research topics include smoking prevention, coping with cancer and heart disease and promoting healthy behaviors such as physical activity.
Research assistant openings: Yes, on a competitive basis based on match and experience.
Nature of work: Undergraduate research assistants are engaged in a variety of projects depending on their experience and learning interests. The projects include Web-based studies of health communications about cancer prevention, genetic tests for disease risk, information for cancer survivors and graphic warning labels for tobacco products. Students are also expected to regularly attend lab meetings.
Expected time commitment: six to 10 hours per week. Can be taken for course credit.

Lab: Professor Anna Epperson
E-mail: aepperson@ucmerced.edu
Website: https://sites.ucmerced.edu/aepperson

Research:  My research focuses broadly on how cultural and social factors impact health and wellness, with a focus on racial/ethnic minority communities (e.g., American Indians/Alaska Natives/Native Americans [AIAN], Hispanic/Latine). I examine health behavior through community-based research. Current work includes projects focused on increasing vaccinations among the AIAN community, with a focus on youth, and reducing substance use among the AIAN and the Hispanic/Latine community.

Research assistant openings: Yes, a limited number of openings are available on a competitive basis based on match and experience. To apply, email Professor Epperson with the following: 1) a short description about why you are interested in joining our lab; 2) a resume; and 3) an unofficial transcript.
Nature of work: Research assistants are asked to work with study participants (e.g., contacting participants and helping them with all aspects of participation), help test study measures (e.g., surveys, focus group guides, etc.), code and help manage data, including following all security procedures for sensitive human information, help coordinate community partner meetings, and to perform literature searches. Research assistants are also expected to attend all lab meetings.

Expected time commitment: Students are expected to commit to at least 6 hours per week for at least 2 semesters or more and enroll in the lab as an independent study class to receive course credits. For course credit this is roughly about three hours a week for each credit hour (2 credits = six hours a week).

Lab: Dr. Martin S. Hagger
E-mail: mhagger@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 312B
Website: http://www.sharpplab.com
Research: The Social and Health Psychology Applied Behavioral Research for Promotion and Prevention Lab (SHARPP) Lab studies how social, personality, and motivational factors relate to behaviors that promote health and prevent illness (e.g., physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation) and the processes involved. The SHARPP Lab also looks at how knowledge of these factors can be used to develop behavior change interventions to promote health. The Lab has a strong focus on development and application of theory, and uses multiple research methods and study designs including correlational, survey, experimental, intervention, and research synthesis to test novel research questions.
Research assistant openings: Working as a research assistant in the SHARPP Lab is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. Research assistants working in the lab will acquire unique transferable research skills they can bring to bear on their future studies. Students often work in groups in a collegiate, inclusive, and friendly climate. We call for highly motivated undergraduate students to apply to work with us on a competitive basis each semester. To apply, email Professor Martin Hagger with a short description of why you are interested in joining the SHARPP Lab.
Nature of work: Research assistants participate in multiple tasks including literature searches and reviews, data screening and collation, data analysis, survey development, participant recruitment, running experiments, and participating in lab activities.
Expected time commitment: Students usually work 6-9 hours a week and enroll in the lab as an Independent Study class to receive course credits. It is generally expected that lab members will commit to two semesters of work in the Lab.

Lab: Professor Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook
E-mail: jhahn-holbrook@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 347
Website: http://jhahnholbrook.wixsite.com/latchlab
Research:  Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook’s LATCH Lab studies how psychological, biological and environmental factors shape the health of mothers and their children. Using interdisciplinary approaches, Dr. Hahn-Holbrook is interested in how our rapidly changing world (in terms of technology, nutrition, employment patterns, etc.) impacts maternal-child health. Currently, the Latch Lab is working on projects investigating how breastfeeding impacts child development and how we can use ehealth technologies to identify and help at-risk families.
Research assistant openings: A limited number of openings are available on a competitive basis each semester. To apply, email Professor Hahn-Holbrook with a short description of why you are interested in joining the LATCH Lab.
Nature of work: Research assistants participate in recruiting families, running experimental protocols, collecting biological samples, conducting literature searches, coding data, and participating in weekly lab meetings.
Expected time commitment: Students usually work 6-9 hours a week and enroll in the lab as a class to receive 2 or 3 course credits. Two semester commitments are typically required.  

Lab: Professor Jennifer Howell 
E-mail: howell@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 328
Website: http://www.jenniferlhowell.com/mesh-lab.html
Research: We aim to understand health decision making and behavior through a social psychological lens. Most of our work occurs at the intersection of health behavior (e.g., screening, sunscreen use) and the self (e.g., self-enhancement, self-perception), and typically focuses on understanding how people prepare for and respond to bad news.
Research assistant openings: I recruit new students to work in my lab each semester.
Nature of work: Research assistants are responsible for running participants in studies, helping with the development of study materials, piloting study materials, and entering and proofing data. As students advance, there can also be opportunities for lab management positions and individual or small-group research. Students must be outgoing and extraverted, and they must have completed introductory psychology with a B- or better. Undergraduates interested in working in the lab should visit http://www.jenniferlhowell.com/mesh-lab.html#join, download an application form, and send it to howell@merced.edu. The earlier the better! 
Expected time commitment: I require a two-semester commitment (Fall and Spring, or Spring and Fall). Students must be willing to work in the lab up to 7 hours per week (actual hours will vary throughout the semester) and attend a 1-hour weekly lab meeting.

Lab: Professor Anna V. Song
E-mail: asong5@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 311
Research: The research focus is on psychosocial factors that influence adolescent and young adult risk-behavior decision making. Risk behaviors that are of interest include smoking initiation, progression, and cessation; sex initiation; and gambling. Professor Song is also interested in adolescents' and young adults' beliefs about risks, benefits and future consequences associated with behaviors, as well as factors that may influence those beliefs (e.g., media, marketing, and experiences with other risk behaviors). Her work also involves identifying and explaining ethnic and class differences in risk behavior prevalence.
Research assistant openings: No

Lab: Professor Jan L. Wallander
E-mail: jwallander@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 314A
Research: Quality of life, general health, and well-being during childhood and influences on these. Primary focus is on disparities in health in adolescence, with a particular interest in obesity, as well as prevention of neurodevelopmental problems in infants in the global context.
Research assistant openings: No

Lab: Professor Deborah Wiebe
E-mail: dwiebe@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 307
Website: http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/dwiebe/research-interests
Research: I study how people regulate their physical and emotional well-being when facing a health threat.  Most of my work focuses on this question in the context of how families (e.g., adolescents, parents, spouses, grandparents) and physicians work together (or not) to manage serious chronic illnesses such as type 1 diabetes or cancer. I am also interested in understanding how individual risk and resilience factors, developmental factors, and social/cultural factors alter self-regulation and illness management.
Research assistant openings: Yes, on a competitive basis based on match and experience.
Nature of work: Undergraduate research assistants are engaged in a variety of activities and projects depending on their experience and learning interests. Current projects include longitudinal examination of emerging adults with diabetes, parent-adolescent conflict interactions related to diabetes management, and SES and ethnic disparities in chronic illness management. Students are expected to regularly attend lab meetings.
Expected time commitment: 6 hours per week. Can be taken for course credit.

Lab: Professor Matthew J. Zawadzki
E-mail: mzawadzki@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 322
Website: http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/mzawadzki
Research: My research examines what stress is, why is it bad for you, and what can we do about it. Although we all experience stress in our lives, what we mean by stress can range from bad things happening in the world to negative thoughts we carry in our minds. My lab looks to develop ways to measure these components of stress and to test whether the differentially predict one’s health. The lab is also interested in ways we can reduce stress in our lives and improve health and well-being.
Research assistant openings: Yes, on a competitive basis based on match and experience. Contact Professor Zawadzki for an application.
Nature of work: Research assistants will be asked to participate in all phases of the research process, including contacting participants, running study protocols, data coding and management, and performing literature searches. Research assistants are also expected to attend weekly lab meetings.
Expected time commitment: Students can volunteer or enroll for course credit. Students are expected to work about three hours a week for each credit hour (i.e. 3 credits = nine hours a week). Students can enroll for either 2 or 3 credits.

Research Labs in Quantitative Methods, Measurement and Statistics (QMMS)

Lab: Professor Sarah Depaoli
E-mail: sdepaoli@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 320
Research: The research focus in this lab is generally on creating and refining statistical tools used in a variety of research settings. The primary focus is on latent variable growth models, which are used to assess change across unobserved groups over time. We are also heavily involved with issues surrounding the use of the Bayesian estimation framework and how this framework might affect the estimation of certain latent variable models.
Research assistant openings: No

Lab: Professor Fan Jia
E-mail: fjia3@ucmerced.edu
Website: sites.google.com/view/fjiaquant
Room: SSM 303
Research: The primary interests of this lab focus on the challenging methodological issues, such as missing data and non-normal data, in longitudinal, mediation and moderation studies in both multilevel modeling (MLM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) frameworks. We are also interested in developing software packages to search for optimal designs and facilitate power analysis for a variety of types of longitudinal studies.
Research assistant openings: No

Lab: Professor Keke Lai
E-mail: klai25@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM 313
Research: Our research focuses on developing, evaluating, and improving methods for general latent variable models as they are applied to the behavioral, social, and educational sciences. Some ongoing projects include: (a) to understand near-equivalent structural equation models (SEMs; i.e., models that tend to have similar fit across a wide range of data); (b) how to perform SEM simulation studies in a more scientific and realistic way; (c) how to evaluate models and select among competing models in a more meaningful manner; and (d) to apply Bayesian statistics to SEM so that data analyses and statistical modeling can be more flexible and realistic.
Research assistant openings: No

Lab: Professor Haiyan Liu
E-mail: hliu62@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM306A
Research: The lab is interested in developing and applying statistical methods in the areas of developmental, social, and educational research. Current projects include building latent variable models for analyzing social network data and handling contaminated data.  We are also interested in developing new estimation algorithms to achieve better estimates of latent variable models in both frequentist and Bayesian framework.
Research assistant openings: No

Lab: Professor Ren Liu
E-mail: rliu45@ucmerced.edu
Room: SSM306B
Research: This lab has a two-fold goal. First, we address methodological challenges in psychological and educational measurement. These challenges may include how to produce reliable scores under item response theory, obtain diagnostic feedback from scores, and build mathematical models to better capture the relationship between item responses and latent traits. Second, we help content-experts develop measurement tools (e.g., rating scales, tests, and assessments) for their specific purposes. Surveys are commonly used in social sciences to gather data. Working with content experts and help them design a reliable and valid survey is a meaningful experience.
Research assistant openings: No

Updated 2022