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Psychology Department faculty are active scholars, with interests spanning
a wide range of areas. Many are engaged in ongoing programs of research, designed
to maximize opportunities for student participation. Students in the M.A. program
have the option of completing a research thesis as part of the degree requirement.
Students in the Ph.D. program are required to conduct independent research
projects throughout the course of study. An independent research study, with
a manuscript-style report of methods and findings is required in the second
year of the program. In addition, all Ph.D. students are required to conduct
and submit an independent doctoral dissertation study as a core requirement
for the degree.
To facilitate
discussion and active collaboration between students and faculty members, a number
of interest group meetings have been organized. The meetings for each group are
held on alternating weeks, maximizing the opportunity for interested students
to meet and discuss relevant research issues and questions. At present, two interest
groups meet regularly:
Experimental
Psychopathology Group: Moderated by professors Wong and Castro-Blanco, this
group focuses on a number of topic areas, including dual-process models of emotion,
cognitive vulnerability to anxiety, implicit and overt emotion regulatory strategies
and neuropsychological correlates of psychopathology.
Psychotherapy
Process and Outcome Group: Moderated by professors Papouchis, Samstag (currently
on sabbatical) and Christian, this group focuses on research related to several
psychotherapy process variables, including development and maintenance of the
therapeutic alliance, reflective functioning and self-awareness in psychotherapy
and a number of psychodynamic therapy constructs, such as Referential Activity
in treatment.
In addition
to the interest groups, several faculty members have active programs of research
that welcome graduate students as collaborators. The Anxiety, Mood and Personality
Studies Lab, under the auspices of professor Castro-Blanco has developed several
studies, investigating cognitive vulnerability factors in anxiety, the role of
specific cognitive risk factors, such as uncertainty intolerance and looming
cognitive style on the development of anxious pathology and the development and
application of mindfulness and acceptance-based cognitive-behavioral treatment
models for anxious and depressed patients.
Professor
Wong’s research focuses on psychodynamic psychology, exploring the emotional
and motivational dimensions of implicit cognition. Access more information at
Dr. Wong’s lab page (www: myweb.brooklyn.liu.edu/pwong)
Several faculty
have ongoing research projects focusing on psychotherapy process variables, such
as the therapeutic alliance, supervisor-supervisee relatedness and self-awareness
in psychotherapy.
Opportunities
for students to develop independent research studies in conjunction with faculty
members are plentiful. Interested students are encouraged to familiarize themselves
with faculty research interests.
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