#1 The Role of Micro-credentials in Enhancing Psychology Education
Will Auner, Karma Bowers, & Kayla Evans
Faculty sponsor: Shawn R. Charlton
University of Central Arkansas
Background: Very little research has been completed on finding out if microcredentials in psychology would benefit students. Objective: To investigate whether psychology faculty members approve of microcredentials being used to teach students. Method: We surveyed 118 psychology faculty members at universities in the United States to measure (1) their opinions of whether there should be microcredentials/certifications in psychology and (2) their suggestions for potential microcredential courses in psychology. Results: 47.1% of participants thought that microcredentials could possibly be useful, 27.6% of participants thought that microcredentials could be useful, and 24.1% of participants thought that microcredentials would not be useful. The top course recommendations in order were: Research Methods, Applied Psychology, General Psychology, No Recommendation, and Health Psychology. Conclusion: Almost half (48%) of the participants surveyed were not convinced that a microcredential program in psychology would be valuable for individuals in the United States; however, they also did not think it would be completely invaluable either.
#2 Get Psyched- Skills to be a Skillful Psychology Student
Alexandrea O’Neill, Deja Thomas, & Sherayle Faucette
Faculty sponsor: Shawn R. Charlton
University of Central Arkansas
This study explores ways in which psychology faculty members perceive the skills that should be developed by undergraduate majors. By surveying 118 current faculty members, the research aims to identify the key skills that faculty perceive undergraduate psychology students should develop. A survey was sent out to 3000 randomly selected psychology faculty members across the USA via email. Participants’ emails were collected from a previous UCA psychology department survey. Qualtrics XM platform was used to create the survey, and participants were asked if they were involved with psychology students in their direct line of work. Once confirmed, they were asked what they believed to be the quintessential skills psychology students should develop before entering the workforce. Of the 76 participants who fully answered the survey, 251 responses were collected. The top four answers, after being recoded by the research team, were Scientific Research Skills (49), Critical Thinking Skills (36), Communication Skills (27) and Statistical Skills (30). These insights illuminate the strengths and areas for growth in current psychology education, informing strategies to better align curriculum with industry demands and graduate program expectations. Understanding these skill developments will enhance educational practices and empower graduates to effectively navigate diverse professional landscapes, from clinical practice to experimental research. The study highlights the importance of cognitive, communicative, personal, social, and technological skills, further emphasizing the necessity of tools like the Skillful Psychology Student in the field.
#3 Psychological Literacy: The Importance of Core Concepts in Undergraduate Psychology
Kennedi Carroll, Libby Heiskell, & Ashanti Levingston
Faculty sponsor: Shawn R. Charlton
University of Central Arkansas
We explore faculty perceptions of the critical components of psychological literacy in undergraduate psychology education. We aim to identify the most important psychological principles and concepts for students in the field. By surveying 118 psychology faculty members across the United States, we highlight certain concepts the faculty believe are most important for undergraduate students to learn. Our findings reveal important topics that are viewed as important for undergraduates including operant conditioning, research methods, and ethics. This study highlights the concepts that faculty believe are important to produce well-informed psychology graduates. Limitations include potential biases in the data categorization process, which were addressed through collaborative coding efforts.
#4 Integrating AI into Education
Rebecca Bandy & Catherine McCutcheon
Faculty sponsor: Shawn R. Charlton
University of Central Arkansas
Artificial intelligence is a flourishing innovation that has important implications in our budding world of technology. Effectively integrating artificial intelligence into the world of education is the main goal of teachers today. Artificial intelligence has its positives and negatives, whether it’s individualized learning or ethical implications. AI in education refers to the use of intelligent systems that can enhance teaching and learning through automation, personalization, and data analysis. Artificial intelligence could be a common and useful technological and educational assistant used in every psychology teacher’s classroom. This paper explores how AI is reshaping education, its potential benefits, challenges, and the future of AI in learning environments. After researching Artificial Intelligence, there are many pros to using the newfound technology in classrooms that teachers not only could utilize for their students, but should.
Psychology of Existential Risks in Terms of Numeracy and Risk-Taking
Erika Calderon, Lexi Figueroa, & Kade Newton
Faculty sponsor: Vincent Medina
Prior research on existential risk judgments have found that people do not tend to determine an extinction scenario as uniquely bad compared to a non-extinction scenario. This study explores how college students view existential risks, and the influence of risk-taking tendencies and numeracy skills on these views. Participants completed a survey with questions on existential risk scenarios, math-based problem-solving, and risk-taking attitudes. Results showed that most participants rated a non-extinction scenario (i.e., a mortality rate increase from 0% to 80%) was worse than an extinction scenario (i.e., a mortality increase from 80% to 100%). Risk-taking and numeracy did not predict these choices. These findings highlight the need for new tools to better understand how people judge big, global threats, which could help guide public awareness and policy on existential risks.
The Effectiveness of Learning Styles and Career Decisiveness on Exam Scores
Shaddy Gonzalez de Armas, Bethanie Hutchison, Ni Sung, Christian Young
Faculty sponsor: Yeseul Nam
University of Central Arkansas
Previous research showed that implementing active learning in classes improved academic performance for students; suggesting that career decisiveness influences a student’s motivation, and undecided students may struggle with academic performance due to lack of motivation (Chew et al., 2018). According to Norton (2024), active learning can be implemented into classrooms by giving students a chance to think critically and apply in group settings. Based on the literature, we posit that active learning through group based discussions can reaffirm a student’s decision on their desired career path, and helps them gain motivation to succeed in their classes. The current study hypothesizes that students who experience low career decisiveness tend to have lower exam scores but benefit more from active learning styles.
The Effects of Learning Styles and Procrastination on Academic Performance
Madeline Ford, Mikiya Rasul, & Zachary McCourt
Faculty sponsor: Yeseul Nam
Previous literature has examined the effects of learning styles on procrastination, which means to actively delay a task. It was suggested that procrastination would have an mitigating effect on academic performance (Jones & Blankenship., 2021). This highlights the need for a supportive learning environment to encourage effective study practices among students. Active learning requires engagement and participation with course materials compared to passive learning which includes less effort and interaction. (Ribeiro-Silva et al., 2022). Undergraduate Students at the University of Central Arkansas (N=111) were divided into active learning and passive learning environments, both being taught by the same instructors. We examined how procrastination was related to the student’s academic performance and how it corresponds to the learning style in each environment. Students received a pre-test survey, followed by a 20 item scale of procrastination (Lay, 1986), to assess the student’s self report procrastination.
This study provided evidence regarding procrastination, active learning, and the effect those two factors might have on overall academic success. Although the results previously discussed are not statistically significant enough to support our hypothesis, the findings from this study nonetheless contribute to the future knowledge of the relationships between the factors studied. This study furthers the research of the effects procrastination and active learning have on academic success, and that contribution alone is significant. A few flaws or limitations of the study should be considered. One crucial limitation is that the research was conducted in a single college rather than collecting multiple samples within different colleges. This could limit the amount of diversity represented in the study. This limitation could also lead to our results potentially not having implications for those within other colleges and regions and lowering the external validity, seeing as though we only included one college. Future studies could include multiple colleges with various backgrounds to solve this limitation.
Does Reflecting on Past Challenges Affect the Tendency to Pursue Future Challenges?
Zoe Carpenter, Alexis Martin, Regan Lane, & Gavin Pennington
Faculty sponsor: Anna Park
Bandura (1994) maintained that past mastery experiences are essential for encouraging people to embrace challenges. This study will test if a reflection assignment about past mastery experiences will make students take on additional challenges. About 150 students will be randomly assigned to complete the reflection assignment or to a control group that goes about their business as usual. After, all students will complete the same homework assignment. Some questions will be described as optional and challenging but beneficial for learning. We expect that those who do the reflection assignment will be more likely to complete these extra questions, as they will be more confident about their ability to take on challenges.
Does Reflecting on Past Challenges Improve Self-Efficacy and Attitudes Towards Future Challenges?
Jacelyn Jones, Brooklynn Davis, Natalie LaFlora,
Faculty sponsor: Anna Park
Bandura (1994) theorized that self-efficacy is increased by having mastery experiences. This study will test whether an assignment designed to get college students to reflect on their past mastery experiences will be beneficial. Students will first complete an online survey providing baseline measures of self-efficacy and openness to future challenges. Students will then be randomly assigned to either the experimental group or a business-as-usual control group. The experimental group will complete a reflection assignment designed to remind them of how they have overcome challenges in the past. Students will then complete the same online survey again. This will allow us to see if self-efficacy and openness to hypothetical future challenges increased for those who did the reflection assignment.
Differences in Pain Perception and Cognitive Task Performance During Simulated Menstrual Pain
Bailey Baker, EN Howerton, Frances McFadden, & Maddie McGrew
Faculty sponsor: Deanna Rumble
This study aimed to examine differences in pain perception and cognitive performance among different genders and sexualities under simulated menstrual pain using a TENS unit. Participants completed an anagram and demographics survey prior to application of the TENS unit. With electrodes on the abdomen, stimulation was incrementally increased while participants rated their pain and discomfort at each level. At the highest tolerated level, participants completed a second anagram to assess cognitive performance under discomfort. Results revealed differences in pain perception and cognitive task performance across gender groups and sexualities. Some groups reported unique patterns of tolerance and performance. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding how lived experiences, including menstruation and social perceptions of pain, influence tolerance and cognitive function.
Does Pain Influence Cognitive Functioning?
AbiGrace Hefner, Keely Stout, Madison Speer, Nadiya Valrie & Taylor Bornds
Faculty sponsor: Deanna Rumble
University of Central Arkansas
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a widely used treatment for various pain conditions, including lower back pain, chronic regional pain, and spinal injuries. By delivering electrical stimulation, TENS activates the body’s natural pain relief mechanisms, resulting in pain reduction. However, its impact on motor functions and cognitive skills remains debated, with prior research presenting mixed findings. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TENS-induced pain on cognitive and fine motor performance. We hypothesized that induced pain would negatively affect both cognition and fine motor skills, leading to longer task completion times and increased accuracy errors, particularly in tasks with higher cognitive demands. Participants (n = 43) completed an initial survey and two pegboard tasks designed to assess motor function. Subsequently, electrical stimulation was applied to the non-dominant upper arm to induce low-level pain, measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). Participants then performed two additional pegboard tasks under similar conditions, followed by a survey evaluating their task experiences. Results demonstrated that electrical stimulation significantly influenced performance on the final pegboard tasks, indicating a measurable impact of pain on motor and cognitive functions. Future research should explore alternative pain induction methods and incorporate diverse cognitive tasks to assess the effects of varying cognitive load. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the interplay between pain, cognition, and motor function, with potential implications for both pain management and performance optimization.
Mother Knows Best? Examining Parental Involvement and College Student Self-Efficacy
Madison Decou & Joshua Lindsay
Faculty sponsor: Seth Tackett & Janelle McDaniel
University of Louisiana Monroe
This study examines how perceived parental involvement influences general self-efficacy among university students. Using the Perceptions of Parents Scale (POPS) and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, 342 students at a southern U.S. regional university reported on their perceptions of maternal and paternal involvement. Analysis revealed that higher perceived maternal involvement significantly boosted self-efficacy scores (F(1, 106) = 13.884, p < .05), while paternal involvement did not have a significant effect (f (1, 108) = 3.630, p = 0.59). These findings suggest maternal involvement, potentially due to perceived warmth, plays a greater role in fostering self-efficacy, whereas traditional father roles may limit their perceived impact. This highlights the distinctive contributions of parental roles to students’ academic confidence.
Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Reagan Oustad, Gracie Mosley, Chloe Flowers, & Jess Cannon
Faculty sponsor: Marc Sestir
University of Central Arkansas
Artificial intelligence has advanced incredibly within the last couple of years. With these advancements, also comes controversy, particularly within the academic realm. Four UCA students, with the help of research advisor Dr. Sestir, have spent this past semester aiming to find out how college students perceive AI. We had 153 participants sign up and come to the lab to complete our survey. This survey consisted of informed consent, 2 demographic questions, random assignment to 1 of 3 conditions, a 4 paragraph passage, and 9 questions rating different aspects of the passage.
Is Reading Believing? Transportation Effects on Story Consistent – Beliefs
Authors: Zaria Wright, Destiny Wilson, Helena Rawlings, Izzy Powell, & Katie Mccarty
Faculty sponsor: Marc Sestir
University of Central Arkansas
This study aimed to follow previous research on how transportation (the immersion of one’s self into a narrative) can affect their beliefs. We manipulated transportation in our participants by directing their focus, and then measured their beliefs and transportation after reading a short story. Our data showed us no significant differences between our three conditions. We have several implications and limitations in discussion.
Perceptions of People on Probation and Parole on Telehealth
Lane Fralick, Jade Garret, Sierra Owens, & Saul Medina
Faculty sponsor: Femina Varghese
University of Central Arkansas
The study aimed to explore the use of telehealth among community supervised people with substance use issues, including their experiences throughout the pandemic. Researchers identified 5 main themes: (1) knowledge and experiences with telehealth services during the pandemic; (2) services available for telehealth; (3) service adjustments during the pandemic; and (4) individual motives for seeking therapy. The data shows that many probationers and parolees prefer having access to telehealth and find it useful for counseling services.
Perceptions of Administration and Counselors on Telehealth for those Under Community Supervision
Avery Ballany, Hunter Barksdale, Ashlyn Billingsley, Tierra Easterwood, & Julia Trantham
Faculty sponsor: Femina Varghese
University of Central Arkansas
Understanding benefits and barriers that justice-involved clients experience through telehealth services is crucial to furthering treatment. PhD Counseling Psychology students and 2 faculty members from the University of Central Arkansas and UAMS conducted semi-structured phone interviews to 16 probation officers and counselors. The data collected shares common themes of: (1) knowledge of current telehealth services; (2) barriers and challenges to those without access to telehealth; (3) potential barriers/benefits accessing telehealth; (4) potential improvements. The data collected supports that justice-involved clients prefer the use of telehealth due to convenience and accessibility, especially in rural areas due to connectivity or internet issues, as well as a preference for the service to lessen the burden of finding transportation to in-person appointments.
Understanding Risk-Taking: How Contextual Factors Shape Perceptions of Impulsivity and Deliberateness
Hannah Scott, Brayden White, Adrianna Benjamin, & Lark Burress
Faculty sponsor: James Wages
The amount of risk a person is willing to take can play an important role in how they are perceived by others. In the present study, we examine the contextual factors that shape the difference between impulsive and deliberate decision-making. Students read a hypothetical scenario about a decision-maker who was either deliberate (taking time to make the decision) or impulsive (deciding without any thought). Students rated the target’s level of risk-taking they were willing to indulge in. Students evaluated deliberateness as careful and considerate, while impulsivity was more reckless and careless. The results suggest that an impulsive decision-maker is less responsible than a deliberate decision-maker. We discuss these findings concerning the outcome of risk-taking behaviors.
Risk-Taking Self-Affirmation; Measuring Self-Affirmation on Risk-Taking Behaviors
Noah Galway, Kelsey Hulbert, Safaa Sohail, & Sarah Stacks
Faculty sponsor: James Wages
University of Central Arkansas
‘Many studies have been done to see how self-affirmation affects different behaviors. It has been shown that when a participant is self-affirmed, they are less likely to get defensive about the discussion they are about to have. We decided to measure how self-affirmation would affect risk-taking behavior. By self-affirming them and then putting them through a job interview simulation, we measured how likely they were to take risks. Socioeconomic status was also measured to see if that played a role in the participant’s decisions. We found that while self-affirmation helps make people take some risks, there wasn’t significant evidence that it helped them take risks in all areas of life. The studies have even shown that some responses to risks involving financial and ethics were higher in the control group than in the self-affirmed group.
Does Self-Affirmation Reduce Prejudice and Stigmatization? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Marléne Sheehan, Serena Degollado, Taylor Roberts, Dagan Terry
Faculty sponsor: James Wages
University of Central Arkansas
The following meta-analysis will examine the relationship between self-affirmation and prejudice. We will research the effect that moderating influences have on self-affirmation and the effect of self-affirmation on prejudice as a whole. The research will use three computerized databases to gather relevant articles utilizing six self-affirmation-related terms as well as various prejudice-related terms. After screening, only empirical studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and dissertations, data will be analyzed using an Excel spreadsheet and the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program to calculate effect sizes and explore potential moderators. Based on our initial research and overview, we predict that self-affirmation will reduce prejudice and stigmatization of outgroups.