Undergraduates
Description of Research: Research interests in the lab involve developmental affective neuroscience, individual differences in emotional reactivity, regulation, and temperament, the dynamics of behavioral and biological expression of emotion, and the effects of context on emotional behavior and physiological reactivity during the toddler and pre-Kindergarten years. The current longitudinal project is designed to explore the roles of temperament in social-emotional development and contains elements that probe maternal awareness and parental influence during toddler development. We are currently running lab visits with both moms and dads and their 3 ½-year-olds. Undergraduate research assistants will be involved in assisting families during visits to the Child Study Center and preparing materials for these visits. Research assistants will also be trained to discriminate affective behaviors, code and enter data.
Method of Compensation: Research assistants may apply for PSY 494 course credit or on a volunteer basis. Students eligible for work-study may be able to work in the lab for compensation after having worked in the lab for at least one semester. Participation provides a valuable experience and reference base for those considering graduate studies.
Requirements/Qualifications: Because of the nature and training involved with the study, we ask for a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 and a minimum commitment of at least 3 semesters (although the majority of our undergraduates stay on the project longer than the minimum requirement). Students should plan to spend 10 hours per week involved in lab-related activities, including a one-hour weekly lab/coding meeting which research assistants are required to attend.
Contact Information: To apply or for more information, please contact Jeremy Armstrong at jpa140@psu.edu or tikes@psu.edu
Undergraduate Research Assistant Application
Graduate Students
The Emotion Development Lab is seeking highly motivated students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. involving research on emotional development in infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Our research tries to understand the development of emotions through psychophysiological measures as well as behavioral coding.
Learn more about the graduate degree in the Developmental Area and Child Clinical Psychology
Learn more about our Lab Director, Dr. Kristin Buss
Post-Docs
Graduate students interested in pursuing a Post-Doc in the Emotion Development Lab should have graduate training in developmental psychology, child clinical psychology, human development, or related fields. Expertise in one or more of the following areas is preferred: temperament, emotions, emotion regulation, anxiety, HPA-axis, and/or psychophysiological methods (ECG, EEG/ERP). Experience with basic statistical methods is required. Additional experience with advanced statistics (e.g., multilevel modeling, growth modeling) would be ideal.
To learn more about Post-Doc opportunities, please e-mail the lab director, Dr. Kristin Buss, at kab37@psu.edu
