Hello,
Thank you for your interest in the Emotion Change Lab. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions from undergraduate students.
- Dr. Pascual-Leone
Q. Are you accepting undergraduate thesis student?
A. As the director of the lab, I usually supervise one honors thesis student in the late summer or early Fall of every year (except the Fall of 2018, when I will be on sabbatical). I encourage students to contact me about potential honors thesis supervision as soon as possible (i.e., during the previous summer).
Q. Are you accepting undergraduate volunteers, or research assistants?
A. We occasionally accept undergraduate students as volunteers who are looking for research experience. There are no paid positions for students who have not already demonstrated long-standing commitment as a volunteer to the lab. The opportunities for volunteers changes years by year. However, we expect volunteers to be prepared to make a commitment to ongoing involvement if they agree to be included in a project (e.g., 5 hours a week, for 2 terms). A number of previous students who have volunteered in our lab have opted to continue on as members for several years, getting credit for independent reading course as part of their lab work, or moving on to do an honors thesis, or even graduate school.
Q. Is there anything special that we look for in an undergraduate student?
A. If you are interested in joining our lab as a volunteer or as a thesis student we usually have an interview. At that time it is also useful for you to send me a paper you have written. (It doesn’t matter what the topic is on, but it should be work that you feel proud of because of either the content or the writing). You should also send me information on your academic performance in general (GPA), as well as in “research methods,” and “statistics.” This information will help ensure there is a good match for the projects you might be involved with. We do not require any specific research experience as long as students are flexible in terms of dovetailing with our existing projects. Note: If you already have decided on a very clear thesis idea that you want to do and are just looking for a supervisor then this may not be the lab for you.
Q. What kind of honors theses topics are possible?
A. You do not need to have a topic in mind to join our lab, in fact, it's often better just to have an interest but to be open to different study opportunities. It is difficult to say exactly what kinds of projects will be running in the Fall when you might join the lab. See our mission statement and list of publications to see the kind of work that is conducted in our lab. However, we usually have a limited number of studies that would be suitable for an undergraduate honors thesis; and students who are interested in our work are encouraged to meet with me to discuss the possible study topics or designs. The advantage of this is that you honors thesis will probably be a cutting-edge study in our field and will benefit from being part of a team effort.You will be involved in a lab with a range of opportunities and can ask for help from me as your supervisor but also from the support of graduate students in our lab who will likely be very familiar with your research area. At the same time, you will be running an independent project that will suit the requirements for an honors thesis. See the link: How the lab works. Also see the link: list of past student research.
Q. What else can students expect?
A. The kind of research undergraduate students do in our lab often is highly related to clinical training or other skills. Past honors thesis often say that their training in our lab has helped them with their graduate school research later on. At the same time, this kind of research is very detailed, is hard work, and can be time-consuming. I work hard, and I expect my students to work hard. See the link: teaching philosophy. Still, we have always fostered a research team that loves to laugh and we usually enjoy a few get-togethers a year!
Please note, once again, that I will be on sabbatical in the Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 semesters, and will not be supervising any thesis students at that time.