Seungyeon Lee

Associate Professor of Psychology

slee28@uca.edu

MAS 209

(501) 450-5437

Getting to Know Dr. Lee

Introduction
Hello everyone! I’m Dr. Lee, an Associate Professor of Psychology here at UCA. I moved to Conway, Arkansas in August 2022 after teaching psychology for several years at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, which is about 100 miles south. Living in southeast Arkansas gave me some interesting perspectives, but I must admit—I don’t miss the humidity! I’ve had the privilege of teaching a wide range of courses, from research methods to developmental psychology and more. Each year, my students challenge me to grow as a teacher, and I love being able to offer classes that spark curiosity and deeper learning. I’m truly passionate about developmental and educational psychology. Recently, a student asked me an interesting question: “If psychology had more influence today, how would people change their behavior?” It made me reflect on just how relevant psychology is in our current world. With a solid foundation in psychological research, we can start to understand why people react the way they do—whether it’s following guidelines, expressing activism, or responding to challenges like the pandemic. It’s fascinating to see psychological principles play out in real life. So, here we are. Like any other course, this one is designed to help you understand the past and move forward with new insights. Welcome to the class, and Go UCA Bears!

Where did you get your degrees?
I received my doctoral degree in educational psychology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.

What year did you start working in the department?
2021.

What classes do you regularly teach?
I teach PSYC 2231 Research Methods (online), PSYC 3321 Developmental Psychology, and PSYC 4327 Positive Psychology regularly.

Do you have any hobbies, interests, or unique facts you would like to share?
I love reading mystery novels, gardening vegetables and flowers, and doing cross stiches.

What are your scholarly and/or applied interests?
My scholarly interests focus on the experiences of emerging adults, particularly in how modern challenges impact their development and career decision-making. One area of my research explores how the fear of losing a cellphone—often referred to as “nomophobia”—can impair both short-term and long-term academic performance. Additionally, I study how emotional intelligence (EI) plays a role in career indecision, examining how individuals’ ability to understand and manage their emotions affects their career choices and uncertainties. These topics align well with many aspects of PSYC 4301/2 labs, where we delve into the intersection of psychological concepts and real-world applications.

Check out Dr. Lee’s most recent publications:
Robinson, D., Lee, S., Lazzara, J., Schenherr, H., Denton, A. W., Bui, N., Taylor, V., Boenau, M. E., & Orsillo, S. M. (2024). Fostering equity in 2-year college psychology education: Using the APA guidelines3.0 as a path for student success. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000413

Lee, S., Kim, M., Mendoza, J. S., & Miller, J. M. (2022). Invariant effects of nomophobia on mindfulness, obsessiveness, and low-stakes test performance: The use of a structural equation modeling framework. College Student Journal, 56(4), 345-350.

Lee, S., Gray, M. A., & Kim, M. (2022). A pathway model of emotionally associated predictors of US college students’ career indecision. Canadian Journal of Career Development, 21(1), 93-99.

Norman, K. B., Grahe, J. E., & Lee, S. (2021). Reconstructing emerging adulthood: Revising the markers of adulthood (MoA) scale for increased ecological validity. Psychological Reports, 6(125), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211061700

Lee, S., McDonough, I. M., Mendoza, J. S., Brasfield, M. B., Enam, T., Reynolds, C., & Pody, B. C. (2020). Cellphone addiction explains how cellphones impair learning for lecture materials. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 35, 123-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3745

Important Links:
Professional Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seungyeon-Lee-9

Academic Vitae: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VKFRZPjmkw7I9jF3Loc3u4BD2bJjixFN/view

Google Scholar Page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=35PMIYEAAAAJ&hl=en