Our Psychology faculty members build relationships with students by collaborating with them on a variety of scholarly endeavors outside of the classroom. Faculty work with undergraduates research assistants in one of our research labs. Students participate in every phase including reading articles, recruiting participants, running experiments, analyzing data using statistical software, and preparing manuscripts for publication. Moreover, students frequently present their work at local, national, and international professional conferences. Students gain valuable experiences that enriches their lives. Undergraduates who are interested in attending graduate school are strongly recommended to participate in faculty/student research. Here is a sample of our research labs. Students can also arrange independent studies with a faculty member for course credit.

The Palestroni Neurodevelopmental Lab under Dr. Naseem Choudhury

The Palestroni Neurodevelopmental Lab is directed by Prof. Naseem Choudhury.  Her research focuses on the neural basis of developmental disorders using high density electroencephalography and event related potentials. Currently, researchers are studying difference in cortical activation of executive function, such as memory, attention and inhibition, among adults and children with attentional issues and language based learning disorders. Students have presented their findings at the Eastern Psychological Association conference, Society for Cognitive Neuroscience conference and the Psychology Students Research Symposium.

The Perception Lab under Dr. Joseph Cataliotti

In our lab we study human and other animal perceptual systems. Our work has recently focused on human visual perception, including surface color perception and proprioception. Our lab uses psychophysical methods to undercover the basic processes that allow for the quick and accurate experience of the world around us. We recently presented our research at the Eastern Psychological Association conference and the Psychology Student Research Symposium. If you are interested in working in the Perception Lab, please contact Dr. Joseph Cataliotti and jcatalio@ramapo.edu.

The Behavioral Neuroscience Lab under Dr. Christian Reich

Our Behavioral Neuroscience lab investigates how the endocannabinoid system (Brain Marijuana) affects learning, memory, and neural plasticity.  We are particularly interested in how the endocannabinoid system interacts with stress, fear, and anxiety differently in males and females.  Exploring these interactions may improve our understanding of how mood-related psychological disorders develop in men and women.  Our primary work involves studying laboratory animals using neurophysiological and behavioral techniques. Past and present students have presented at the annual Society for Neuroscience Conference and smaller regional conferences.  Several students have also co-authored publications that appeared in neuroscience-based journals.  Please contact Dr. Christian Reich at creich@ramapo.edu if you are interested in working with him.

Research with Dr. James Morley

Professor James Morley’s research specializes in ‘phenomenological’ or ‘human science’ psychology. This is an approach that tries to carefully describe and understand how we directly experience the world.  In other words, phenomenology applies a scientific approach and method that helps us understand meaningful psychological phenomena that cannot be researched by the experimental methods of the physical sciences.  Dr. Morley is developing a Qualitative Research Lab dedicated to the phenomenology of imagination and meditation. He is currently collecting and analyzing descriptions of experiences of daydreaming. Dr. Morley has sponsored eligible students for submissions to various professional research conferences. Also, as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology he sometimes invites qualified students to serve as editorial assistants. Qualified students who are interested in working with Dr. Morley should contact him at jmorley@ramapo.edu.

The Cognitive Development Lab under Dr. Shaziela Ishak

Research in the Cognitive Development Lab explores how children solve problems, perceive actions, coordinate motor skills, and use objects. We are interested in understanding children’s cognitive, perceptual, and motor skill development. Current studies examine how children cope with “fitting tasks” such as fitting objects through small and large openings. Students have presented their research projects at the Vision Sciences Society and the Society for Research in Child Development conferences. If you would like to learn more about the lab please contact Dr. Shaziela Ishak at sishak@ramapo.edu.

Research with Dr. Leah Warner

Dr. Leah Warner’s research group focuses on two different lines of research based on her background in social psychology and women’s and gender studies. One line examines the social psychology of human emotion, including studies that examine how we perceive emotions and the social meaning we give to those emotions. The second line focuses on social justice issues in psychology, where we engage in theoretical and empirical efforts to maximize psychology’s capacity to address social inequality, such as integrating intersectionality theory.  Students have presented at the Association for Women in Psychology and Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues conferences. If you would like to learn more, please contact Dr. Leah Warner at lwarner@ramapo.edu.