The major purpose for undergraduate research is to provide an opportunity for qualified undergraduates to obtain firsthand, supervised research experiences in psychology. Students may assist professors and/or graduate students with a research project by helping to prepare the study, collect data, and/or enter data into computers.
Students can obtain pass/fail elective credit for their assistance if desired, or they can serve as a research assistant voluntarily. Whichever option is selected, obtaining research experience can be a valuable asset when applying for graduate school or jobs after graduation.
Please read each project description carefully, and contact the professor or graduate student listed for further information.
Date Posted: 1.2.2024
Description: Two ongoing projects that focus on understanding people's experiences with speaking in work teams need significant URA support. One is a lab-based study in which participants come into the lab, work together as a team while being video recorded and connected to physchophysiological recording equipment. Another is a field-based study in which working adults will complete an online intake meeting, then complete surveys for 3x per day for 10 work days. Afterwards, they will have the opportunity to have a one on one coaching session based on their data.
Duties: URAs will set up the lab study, run participants through it, and clean it up afterwards. This requires properly connecting people to psychophysiological recording equipment (ECG, respiration monitor, galvanic skin response monitor), reading a detailed script and following instructions perfectly, and answering any participant questions. URAs will also be asked to code video data as well as heart rate data. For the field study, URAs will be responsible for the intake meetings and setting up the survey schedules. URAs will receive training on any required duties.
Minimum requirements: Minimum GPA: 3.7. Course completed (or co-enrolled): PSY 250.
Research assistant positions open: 10
Contact Information: Email your resume along with answers to the questions below (in application instructions) to Dr. Keaton Fletcher (keaton.fletcher@colostate.edu).
Additional Information: Depending on performance in the first semester, a paid managerial position will be available to those interested. Opportunities to present at conferences will also be available for those interested.
Application Instructions: 1. What skills could you bring to this position and how did you develop them?
2. What are your career goals?
3. Are you able to commit to 10 hours/week for the next year?
Application Deadline: Initial deadline 1/20, late applications will be considered if there are still spaces.
Date Posted: 10.8.24
Description: Working with the City of Fort Collins to investigate the influence of Asphalt Art installations (painted intersections) on objective safety and active transport
Duties: Coding videos of the intersection, for measures like count of active transporters. Attending training sessions. Following study protocol. Maintaining files. Ensuring accuracy and completeness coded data.
Minimum requirements: >3.0 GPA, completed PSY 250, ability to devote at least 4 hours a week, effective written and oral communication, attention to details, basic computer skills.
Research assistant positions open: 1-2
Contact Information: Please send a paragraph to amanda.spitzer@colostate.edu that describes why you are interested in this project. Please attach your resume/CV.
Application Instructions: Email the contact for this project.
Application Deadline: October 31, 2024
Date Posted: 10.29.24
Description: This is an archival research project involving coding of Canadian family court decisions. Each court decision involves families experiencing a particular form of family conflict: parental alienation. Multiple court decisions for each family will be examined closely to determine changes in behaviors and outcomes over time for family members based on judicial responses to the family conflict.
Duties: Research assistants (Ras) will work independently, but under close supervision with Dr. Harman. After thorough training on the coding materials, Ras will work with other coders to calibrate and achieve consensus in coding of court decisions. Students are expected to work 9 hours a week and submit work for review on a weekly basis. Coding involves careful reading of court materials, entering required data into fillable pdf forms, and keeping careful, thorough records of all work products.
Minimum requirements: Students must be psychology majors with an interest in forensic psychology or working with families experiencing high conflicts post-separation/divorce. Students need to have taken PSY250 or are currently enrolled in the course. Ideally (but not required), students have taken Forensic Psychology (PSY335) and Social Psychology (PSY315) are currently enrolled in one or both courses. Special preference will be given for students who have taken PSY317 (Social psychology laboratory). GPA of 3.4 or higher required.
Research assistant positions open: 6
Contact Information: jennifer.harman@colostate.edu
Additional Information: The focus of this research, parental alienation, is an emotionally difficult subject for many people, as it involves coercively controlling abuse and child psychologogical abuse. Some students struggle to participate due to its personal relevance.
Web page: Interested students should read the following paper before deciding whether this is a research project they would like to work on: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000175
Application Instructions: Send an email with brief statement of interest along with courses you have taken that are related/applicable. Students must register for 3 credits their first time working in the lab, which involves committing to working 9 hours a week.
Application Deadline: Open until positions filled for Spring 2025
Date Posted: 9.5.2024
Description: We are searching for 1-2 self-motivated undergraduate students to assist with a variety of lab related tasks while receiving mentorship from graduate students. Our lab primarily focuses on affective and cognitive mechanisms of behavior change and substance use. Currently, we are running our Emotion and Behavior study using smart phone-based surveys, in which there are many opportunities for undergraduate research assistants (URAs) to get involved. We also have some graduate student projects on topics such as awe and nature exposure, where there may also be opportunities for involvement.
Duties: Duties will primarily involve helping to run research participants through the onboarding process for our Emotion and Behavior study. Other duties (i.e., data entry, literature review, assisting with an addiction recovery support group) can be explored based on the needs of the lab and the URAs interests and goals.
Minimum requirements: We are seeking URAs who are sophomores or juniors (or at least 1 year of time commitment). Ideally, we would like students with at least a 3.5 GPA and at least a B+ in PSY 100 and PSY 250, though students are still encouraged to apply if they do not meet these criteria. We are looking for students with a strong work ethic, attention to detail, strong communication skills, maturity, and a desire to learn.
Research assistant positions open: 2
Contact Information: cass.richardson@colostate.edu
Application Instructions: After completing the Google form, please email Cassandra Richardson (cass.richardson@colostate.edu) with a brief statement of interest, an unofficial copy of your transcript, and a copy of your resume or CV.
Application Location: Interested students should apply here: https://forms.gle/LWfF15r37nsjd3G69
Application Deadline: Rolling
Date Posted: 3.22.24
Description: The Cognition and Health Analytics lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies is looking for an undergraduate research assistant to help with data coding for a study on the effects of pollution exposure on cognition and mental health in adults. The project is a multi-university, multi-country collaboration (CSU, U. Manchester, and U. Oxford) and an opportunity to connect with and learn from prominent researchers studying cognition and healthy longevity. Students who are interested in gaining experience working with big data are especially encouraged to apply, although all are welcome.
Duties: Cross-reference postal codes and update from pdfs to an Excel spreadsheet. There are several thousand entries, which will be split into batches of 500/per RA. Once that work is completed, there will be opportunities to assist with "data sleuthing" (gathering information about historical pollution metrics available in UK cities so that we can begin to build participant pollution-exposure profiles).
Minimum requirements: Dependable, detail-oriented students with an interest in environmental psychology and healthy aging. 1-semester commitment (for data entry), 2-semester commitment for data entry plus research.
Research assistant positions open: 3
Contact Information: Dr. Stephen Aichele (A-shell): stephen.aichele@colostate.edu
Application Instructions: Email the contact for this project. Include your name, major, year, and the amount of time per week you are able to commit. Please also include a brief note about your interest in this project.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Date Posted: 11.5.2024
Description: This study aims to learn about whether the timing of using a treadmill desk (before, during, or after a stressor) has an effect on people's stress responses.
Duties: URAs will be trained to conduct experiment sessions following the research protocol, record deviations, complete data entry, and complete other experiment-related tasks upon request. URAs need to actively attend weekly research meetings to discuss relevant literature and give one presentation during the spring semester in the research meeting. URAs for this project need to commit one semester.
Minimum requirements: Applicants must be able to communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, and participants of all ages. Applicants must demonstrate a strong work ethic, attention to detail, punctuality, and basic computer skills. Applicants must be good at time management. Applicants should be available to work at least 10 hours per week during the spring semester. Preference will be given to applicants who have successfully completed PSY250.
Research assistant positions open: 6-8
Contact Information: If you have any questions or want to learn more about this project, please contact Skylar Yu (skylar.yu@colostate.edu).
Additional Information: If you are a highly motivated student with a background or interest in health psychology, physical activity, mental health, or other related fields, and would like to learn more about this project, please apply through the link below.
Application Instructions: Please fill out the application form: https://forms.gle/aVBWonoh3B42kwWX7
Application Deadline: rolling (priority will be given to those who apply before 12/1/2024)
Date Posted: 8.13.24
Description: This project examines substance use (e.g., cannabis, psychedelics, alcohol, kratom, kava etc.), drug-related outcomes, and harm reduction strategies within naturalistic contexts. In particular, this study focuses on collecting data among attendees of concerts and music festivals in Colorado (particularly at electronic dance music [EDM] events). I am also looking for research assistants to help me collect data at local kava/kratom bars.
Duties: Duties would involve in-person data collection at concerts and music festivals in Colorado (primarily at Red Rocks Amphitheater). This involves driving or car-pooling to Red Rocks or other concert/festival locations and administering in-person surveys to attendees as they are tailgating or standing in line waiting to enter the event. One data collection period at Red Rocks lasts approximately 6-7 hours (including driving time), thus time commitment is 6-7 hours per week for data collection, plus a one-hour weekly lab meeting. On weeks when you are not collecting data, you may be involved in scientific writing, preparing presentations, creating surveys, and assisting in the acquisitions of harm reduction supplies (e.g., fentanyl test strips).
Minimum requirements: There are no minimum GPA or course requirements. I am looking for people who are hard-working, communicative, and reliable. To be a good fit for this position, some experience attending electronic dance music events OR going to kava/kratom bars is ideal. To do this work, you must be kind, non-judgmental, and some level of extroversion is helpful given that you will be approaching people to take surveys. People with lived or living experience of drug use and people holding historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities are STRONGLY encouraged to apply.
Research assistant positions open: 4-6
Contact Information: cianna.piercey@colostate.edu
Additional Information: You may have the opportunity engage in professional development. The research is through a harm reduction lens, meaning we treat people who use drugs with respect. Community outreach is encouraged and expected.
Application Instructions: Submit an application at this link https://colostate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ApDXnU5tXdxZgG and SPECIFY that you are applying to work on the DISCO study with Cianna Piercey - cianna.piercey@colostate.edu
Application Deadline: There is no deadline. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until positions are filled.