Uncover the science behind the mind.
Congratulations to Dr. Libby Nutt Williams on her most recent publication!
Congratulations to Dr. Nathan Foster on his recent publication, “Do People Use Category-learning Judgments to Regulate Their Learning of Natural Categories?”, in the journal Memory & Cognition.
In the article, Foster investigates the relationship between people’s category-learning judgments (CLJs) and selections of categories for restudy using data collected from undergraduates at his previous institution, Kent State University.
Read the article here!
Congratulations to Dr. Libby Nutt Williams on her recent publication (which is based on the SMP of Jake Wolf ’15), “Just for Women? Feminist Multicultural Therapy with Male Clients”, in the journal Sex Roles. In addition to Wolf ’15 (who earned a MEd in Counseling and Human Services at Lehigh University in 2017, and is now a direct services counselor at Crime Victims Council of Lehigh Valley, Inc.) and Williams, other co-authors include Megan Darby ’17, Jonathan Herald ’16, and Catherine Schultz ’16.
In the article, researchers investigate the experiences of 8 feminist multicultural therapists working with male clients using Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) (Hill et al. 1997).
The psychology department at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is included as one of the 24 departments from 12 institutions that will take part in the CUR (Council for Undergraduate Research) project that aims to create research-based undergraduate curricula in biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. Dr. Aileen Bailey was among the team of faculty and staff that submitted the application for St. Mary’s; nearly 90 institutions submitted applications.
Read more about the CUR Transformations Project and other institutional partners here
Congratulations to Dr. Libby Nutt Williams on her most recent publication, an article in the special 125th anniversary section of JCP (The Future of Counseling Psychology).Fuertes, J. N., & Williams, E. N. (2017). Client-focused psychotherapy research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64, 369-375. doi:10.1037/cou0000214
From the abstract: Although the field of professional psychology has definitive evidence that therapy is effective, we do not yet have a good understanding of how therapy works or what makes it so effective. Although hundreds of research studies have been conducted on various aspects of psychotherapy, including client factors and outcome, in the current paper we argue that a key component of the psychotherapy enterprise that warrants additional empirical attention is the client. We readily acknowledge the need for researchers to continue to examine other aspects of psychotherapy, such as therapist factors, the therapy relationship, and the effectiveness of certain therapies or interventions for specific psychological conditions and problems. However, we believe that by pursuing research questions from the perspective of the client that we might be able to better understand clients’ experience in therapy and ways to tailor therapies and interventions to clients, uncover evidence about what actually engages and motivates the client, and gain a broader perspective about the nature of the therapy relationship. In the current paper we highlight fruitful areas for client-focused research, and within each area, we propose research questions that might stimulate further thinking and future empirical inquiries.
Alumni of the Department of Psychology are doing great things around the country (and around the world).
Current and prospective students are encouraged to browse though our online alumni updates/career database.
Alumni are encouraged to also view the database and submit updates as necessary. Also, add us on Facebook!
Congratulations to Elizabeth Sarah Allnutt, Elisabeth Jayne Bauer, Emily Benedict, Holly Anne Blankenship, Lindsay Ann Chiavacci, Kallan Christine Dirmeyer, Kara Feidelseit, Katherine Emma Flores, Kierston Hill, Benjamin Aidan Mann, Stephanie Nicole Monaghan, Maia Ariel Klein Rubinoff, Angela Schulze, Rachel M. Thompson, and Hannah Esther Vickery!
Pictured above: The inductee cohort along with Psi Chi adviser: Dr. James Mantell and the 2016-2017 Psi Chi Officers: Emily Burr (Treasurer), Rita Druffner (Secretary), Ben Ertman (Vice President), Nina Haller (Service Coordinator), Maxwell Madden (Historian), and Alison Shimoda (President). Photo by Angela Draheim.
Claire Kostelnik with Dr. Bailey at the SMP Poster Session at the Michael P. O’Brien ARC on May 2, 2017.
Claire Kostelnik ’17 received a Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant. $112,500 is distributed annually by the grant program in support of undergraduate research; Claire’s grant was $1,500 of that pool. Her SMP study “Intraventricular Injections of L655, 708 on Depressive-like Behavior,” is being mentored by Dr. Aileen Bailey. Congratulations, Claire and Dr. Bailey!
Claire’s project abstract:
Depression is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The standard therapeutic care for depression is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which present a 3-8 week delay before displaying any effect and are additionally only effective in about half of patients (Gaynes et al., 2009). With similar properties to the drug ketamine, partial inverse agonists of GABA receptors containing alpha-5 subunits (e.g., L-655, 708) may treat a wider range of patients without this delay. Previous findings have found a rapid antidepressant action on the social interaction test and sucrose preference test following L-655, 708 (0.7 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally in chronically stressed rats. The proposed study aims to display the rapid antidepressant actions of L-665, 708 infused intraventricularly in a chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in rats. Cannula surgeries will be performed and rats will receive an infusion of L-655, 708 (2nmol in 2 μL at .25 μL/ min) or a vehicle into the lateral ventricles. Antidepressant effects will be measured using the sucrose preference test, social interaction test, and novelty suppressed feeding test.
Zoey Forrester-Fronstin with Dr. Bailey at the PsycSMP Lecture Symposium on May 1, 2017.
Zoey Forrester-Fronstin ’17 also won a Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant in the amount of $1,500 for her SMP study, “The Influence of Orexin Antagonist, SB-334867, on Cognition.” Her proposal fell in the top 8 of applications overall and so it also received a faculty stipend of $1,500 for her mentor, Dr. Aileen Bailey, in addition to the grant. Congratulations, Zoey and Dr. Bailey!
Zoey’s project abstract:
The effect of orexin A (OxA) on acetylcholine (ACh) activity by way of the orexin-1 receptor (Ox1) is a studied pathway in the pathology of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (Boschen, Fadel, & Burk, 2009; Fadel, Pasumarthi, & Reznikov, 2005). The change in efflux of ACh is seen to contribute to the cognitive impairments and molecular changes (e.g. tau phosphorylation) evident of AD (Blennow, de Leon, & Zetterberg, 2006). OxA released via the lateral hypothalamus projects to the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of the basal forebrain, which in turn activates Ox1 receptors naturally (Scammell & Winrow, 2011). Recent literature has indicated that the compound SB-334867 selectively antagonizes Ox1 (Smart & Jerman, 2002). Blocking Ox1 is known to decrease ACh release in the cortex and alter domain specific cognitive flexibility (Fadel & Burk, 2010){Fadel, 2010 #30}{Fadel, 2010 #30}. The proposed study aims to identify deficits in a more general form of behavioral flexibility, the set-shifting task. A set-shifting task measures the ability for an animal to learn a “correct” rule, have the “correct” rule change, and learn the new rule. This set-shifting ability has been found to be disrupted in AD patients. It is hypothesized that following an infusion of the OxA antagonist, SB-334867, into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis—the ability for rats to shift from the original rule to a new rule will be impaired.
On February 25, 2017, the Psyched for Life Team consisting of Angie Draheim (captain), Aileen Bailey, Anne Marie Brady, Nathan Foster, James Mantell, Kelly Muldoon, Scott Mirabile, Jennifer Tickle, Renee Dennison, and numerous family members and friends participated in the 8-hour, 8th Annual SMCM American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. Overall, the team helped to raise general and brain cancer awareness as well as $4,805 for ACS research & patient support programs. The entire Relay event raised nearly $15,250.
As part of their pre-event and on-site fundraising, the team raffled off two handmade fleece tie blankets (created and donated by Eleanor Numera, Angie’s grandmother, and Angie herself). They were won by Suzanne Perry and Jenna Holmes, both supporters from Dameron Daycare II. At the event, the team also raffled off two sets of drinking glasses upcycled from wine bottles by Scott Mirabile; they were won by student Terran Potter ’20 and Brian Miskcolzi. A Sweet Frog Giftcard went to Nicky Draheim and a Chipotle giftcard went to Megan Lesavage ’17.
Angie Draheim and James Mantell along with family members and friends stayed all night (well, until it was over at 2am) for the fight!