| Student Research at Millsaps |
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Psychology Department Research Areas To further enhance the student's understanding of how new information is obtained in the field of psychology we offer research opportunities in the areas of:Cognitive
Psychology - Dr. Katherine Mathis (Memory, Perception and Attention).
Behavioral
Neuroscience - Dr. A. Kurt Thaw (Appetite, Taste Physiology,
Development of feeding behavior).
Social
Psychology - Dr. Stephen Black (Repressed, false and flashbulb
memories, and Suicide).
Faculty Dr.
Stephen Black:
Research:
Suicide, Repressed memory, False memory, Flashbulb memory
1.
Suicide: In the past I have investigated the nature of suicidal
thinking through the examination of suicide notes from both suicide
attempters and completers. Currently I am interested in the decision
processes of coroners and other medico-legal professionals in making
suicide death determinations.
2.
Repressed, false, and flashbulb memory: I am interested in
the personality correlates and individual differences associated
with the occurrence of "repressed" and false memories. Recently
I have explored the influence of emotional state on the occurrence
of flashbulb memories.
Interested
students may contact Dr. Black at: 974-1381 (blackst@millsaps.edu)
Dr.
Katherine Mathis
Research:
Memory, Perception, Attention
People
must attend to, perceive, and store into memory an enormous amount
of visual input on a daily basis. However, the way in which these
seemingly simple tasks are accomplished remains somewhat of a mystery.
Part of this mystery arises because perception, attention, and memory
are so highly interconnected they are often hard to disentangle.
My research focuses on the interplay between these cognitive functions.
Much of my research is conducted using computers. I have written
all of the computer programs in a fairly "friendly" manner, however
any student interested in working in my laboratory should feel comfortable
using computers, as well as interacting with, and explaining material
to other students. We will also read and discuss relevant articles,
and discuss and design experiments.
Interested
students are welcome to contact Dr. Mathis at: 974-1384 or by e-mail
at mathikm@millsaps.edu
Dr.
A. Kurt Thaw
Research:
Regulation of Appetite, Physiology of the Taste System, Development
of the Taste System
My
research focuses on the factors that contribute to the initiation
and termination of feeding behavior. Though much progress has been
made in this area in the past 30 years, we are still left with a
significant number of important questions. Specifically, how do
we know when we are hungry and do we know when we are full. These
simple questions have surprisingly elusive answers. In fact, currently
there is no real agreement on what precisely it is that signals
feeding to begin and/or end. Therefore, my lab has chosen 2 main
factors to investigate: 1) specific chemical signals released by
the gastrointestinal system that seem to communicate directly with
the brain concerning and 2) the effects of known appetite regulators
on the taste system. Below is list of current research opportunities
in the area of behavioral neuroscience.
Current
Research Opportunities in Psychology/Neuroscience:
3
projects are currently available for interested students. Both can
be conducted at any time during the year (Fall, Spring or Summer).
However, a rigorous schedule must be adhered to in order to complete
the project. Specifically, the researcher needs to be available
at the same time each day. On the positive side, the time to complete
each project is fairly minimal (less than 2 months).
Project
1: The Regulation of Appetite
Students
will monitor the feeding behavior of ad libitum feeding rats using
automated computer controlled apparati. Once baseline measures of
"normal" feeding are established rats will receive intraperitoneal
injections of various putative satiety agents to determine their
effect on appetite in the mammalian model. Results will contribute
to the growing body of literature aimed at identifying agents that
act to maintain the feeling of "fullness" between meals.
Project
2: Taste Effects of Satiety Factors
Students
will train rats to drink from a variety of solutions (mostly sugars
or salts). Once baseline indices of intake are established the rats
will be injected with putative satiety factors (ones that have previously
been demonstrated to reduce food intake) to determine if they act
by reducing the oral reinforcing properties of the solutions. In
other words, do the satiety factors make the good stuff not taste
so good anymore. Results will establish taste as one of the mechanisms
of action for the satiety peptides.
Project
3: Taste Thresholds for Developmentally NaCl restricted rats
Students
will determine the taste thresholds of rats that have been developmentally
NaCl restricted. This restriction produces numerous anatomical and
neurophysiological changes in the rat. One such change is severely
reduced neural response to NaCl. However, it has yet to be determined
if such physiological changes correlates with similar behavioral
changes. This project will determine if the neurophysiological deficits
are also expressed behaviorally.
For
all 3 projects please contact Kurt Thaw at 974-1380 (thawak@millsaps.edu).
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