Hands-On Experiences
A central feature of our curriculum is the involvement of students in faculty research projects. Students also develop their own research ideas and conduct studies to test their hypotheses. Laboratory opportunities provide hands-on experience in current research methods in psychology. Internships provide off campus learning experiences in clinical and other types of work environments.
The Psychology Department has several laboratories devoted to research in various sub-disciplines of psychology (for more detailed descriptions see Labs & Institutes and faculty lab websites):
The Kravis Leadership Institute examines the skills necessary for leadership and organizational effectiveness.
The Center for Applied Psychological Research explores issues in the legal system (e.g., jury decision-making, interrogations) as well as social psychology and intergroup relations.
The Development and Educational Policy Laboratory examines language development in memory formation in bilingual and monolingual children and the longitudinal impact of IQ scores on school children’s special education diagnoses.
The Claremont Autism Center addresses treatment for children with autism.
The Cultural Influences on Mental Health Center investigates how culture affects mental health and to improve the treatment of mental illness for those from diverse backgrounds.
The Human Learning and Memory Laboratory seeks to understand how people remember plans for the future (prospective memory) and where they learned something (source monitoring), and other memory phenomena related to recognition and free recall.
The Human Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory investigates how the brain produces behaviors such as sport skills, driving, attention, cognition, emotion, and economic decision making.
The Cognitive Psychology Laboratory studies how people think, with emphasis on improving thinking skills and enhancing intelligence.