Research & Initiatives
The HEART Lab offers students opportunities to submit their work to conferences, publish manuscripts, and create their own projects. On this page, you can read more about ongoing projects in the lab and and find information on conferences.
The HEART lab has resources for students wishing to pursue a variety of research opportunities.
Qualitative Data Collection Methods
Students can participate in training for qualitative interviews with both individuals and couples. This involves semi-structured interviews that develop valuable skills for students wishing to pursue clinical practice. Students are also trained to use video and audio equipment and in ethical guidelines for research.
Transcriptions
Transcriptions are an integral component of projects that use data collection in the form of interviews. Students in the lab are trained to use transcription equipment. Being trained in transcription protocols is a valuable skill for students who wish to conduct qualitative research.
Video Coding
Another valuable skill for students interested in qualitative research, video coding involves the identification and coding of themes present in video-recorded interviews with participants. This is a highly unique experience that pushes students to apply abstract psychological concepts to concrete cases.
Statistical Software
Students have to opportunity to develop skills in statistical analysis using software programs such as SPSS, Mplus, nVivo, and Qualtrics. Fluency in these statistical programs is necessary for analyzing a variety of research areas.
Featured Projects
DYAD Dating in Young Adulthood: Utilizes individual qualitative interviews to assess attitudes and knowledge about unhealthy dating relationships. Other measures include affect, emotion regulation, trauma, and other mental health outcomes. Interviews for this study are on hold.
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DYAD2 Dating in Young Adulthood- Couples Perspectives: Analyzing couples together using video-recorded interviews to assess outcomes related to experiencing and perpetrating dating violence including mental health concerns like trauma, substance use, and depression, representative attitudes, emotion dysregulation, and self-efficacy in relationships.
CADRI Pronoun Study: Assesses perceptions of dating violence based on use of gendered or gender-neutral pronouns.
RARA Risk and Resilience in Adolescence: Focuses on identifying key risk factors for dating abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and mental health outcomes among high school students. Specifically, investigating risk factors like childhood maltreatment, parent-child relationships, and protective factors like parent-child communication and coping strategies.
THRiVE Research Collaborative: Investigates how systems around LGBTQ+ youth impact their access to healthcare including sex education.
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Graduating senior and outstanding Arts and Science scholar, Katie Frederick, presented her Psi Chi Regional Research award winning poster on personality and romantic satisfaction at the 2024 Midwestern Psychological Conference in Chicago, IL.
Congratulations to lab alumni, Jennifer Ishaq, who presented three posters in October 2022 at the International Association of Yoga Therapies' Symposium on Yoga Research. She was also the recipient of Young Investigator Award !
