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Undergraduate Research Opportunities
PSYCH 290, Research Experience in Psychology, and PSYCH 494, Advanced Research in Psychology, provide research opportunities to undergraduate students. Credit hours are granted based on the scope of the work provided.
PSYCH 290s tend to be "entry-level" experiences. You may be doing data entry, transcribing tapes, or photo-copying. Some PSYCH 290s are more extensive and allow you to participate in lab meetings, for example. PSYCH 290 credit is graded as S/U. Your work in the lab will be determined "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory". 290 hours count toward your overall credits in Psychology and UIUC. They do not effect your GPA and cannot satisfy any specific requirements. Consider PSYCH 290 credit as elective hours.
PSYCH 494s allow students the opportunity to study a topic in greater depth. This may include continuing a PSYCH 290 in more detail/responsibility or just the desire to challenge yourself in a laboratory setting. PSYCH 494 credit is letter graded. Your work in the lab will be graded "A-F". 494 hours count as "advanced hours" in LAS. These hours can be used toward your Psychology and LAS requirements.
Research Fair: Each semester, the department sponsors an informational fair that allows research labs the opportunity to showcase their work. Students are invited to attend this informal fair, ask questions, apply for positions, etc.
Labs can also post research opportunities on this web page. These may be positions available for PSYCH 290/494 credit or paid positions. If you don't see an enticing opportunity now, check back next semester.
Current Research Opportunity Listings:
- Social Cognition Lab: We’re looking for mature, enthusiastic, and dedicated psychology students for 290 positions in our lab for the Spring 2009. Position responsibilities will include running experimental sessions, recruiting participants, coding and entering data, and will total an average 8 hours a week. You’ll learn the techniques researchers use to study questions related to social cognition. Preference given to students who have taken PSYC 201 (Social Psychology) and to psychology majors.
Contact: Florian Fessel [Email] - The Cognitive Development Lab is looking for responsible, self-motivated undergraduate students to work with our lab in a study of child scale errors. 290s will be doing live observation of infants and preschoolers in a daycare setting. More information and applications are available in room 361.
Contact: Stevie Schein [217-244-0716 | Email] - The Culture, Family and Mental Health Lab is looking for bilingual (English/Spanish) students who are interested in research pertaining to Latino Youth and Families. Individuals will gain experience conducting interviews with parents and adolescents in Chicago, video-recording parent-child interactions, conducting ethnographic observations, doing qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and building collaborative relationships with schools and communities.
Contact: Michelle Cruz-Santiago [Email] - The Preschool Project seeks undergraduate research assistants for the spring 2009 semester. Students will participate in weekly team meetings and complete live observations at the Child Development Laboratory Preschool at 1105 Nevada Street in Urbana. We are looking for motivated students who are interested in learning about the emotional and social development of young children while gaining valuable research experience. You must enroll for 2 credit hours to participate in this project.
Contact: Rebecca Swartz [Email] - The Childrearing Lab is recruiting research assistants for Spring 09. We explore intra and inter cultural variability in parental beliefs and practices concerning childrearing focusing on storytelling and self-esteem. The lab is beginning work on the environmental vocabulary project to challenge the language deprivation theory. We also study racial socialization. Three hours in the lab equals one credit hour. 290 tasks include transcribing and coding data from home observations and interviews
Contact: Ben Boldt [815 228 6063 | Email] - The Language Acquisition Lab has openings for undergraduate research assistants in the Spring & Fall semesters, and Summer Session II, every year. Our research explores how 1- to 3-year-olds identify words, learn word meanings, and comprehend sentences. Responsibilities include testing children in experiments, and coding data. If you are interested, please go to our web site to fill out an application form.
Contact: Dinah Armstead [244-6098 | Email | Language Acquisition Lab] - PSYCH 290 Opportunity - Seeking motivated undergraduate research assistants for Fall and Spring 2008-09 -- Interested in how sexual orientation identity development impacts mental health? Want valuable experience in study design and data analysis? This is a great project with the possibility to turn the Psych 290 into a Psych 494 for Spring 2009.
Contact: Eric Clausell, MA [217-979-1015 | Email] - 290 positions available in the COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT LAB! You will work closely with Dr. Andrei Cimpian, a new Assistant Professor in the Developmental division, to study how language influences the development of children's thinking. Responsibilities include testing children and adults, coding videotapes of children, phone calls to parents. Some testing is done in schools, so having a car is a plus. 10 hour/week, 2-semester commitment also preferred. Please apply below if you're interested!
Contact: Andrei Cimpian [Email | Apply here!] - The language Production Lab has openings for undergraduate research assistants in the spring and fall semesters. Our research examines the way adults produce speech. Research assistants will assist in running studies, transcribing the produced speech, coding the transcriptions, and participate in reading group meetings. Please email the contact person for an application.
Contact: Matt Rambert [217.244.5494 | Email | Language Production Lab] - The Communication and Language Lab (CaLL) is recruiting 290 research assistants. CaLL studies how people use information in the speech signal to facilitate communication. Job duties include data coding, transcription, running experiments, and design of experimental materials. If interested, please fill out an application at: http://www.psych.uiuc.edu/~dgwatson/prospective.html
and send the application to Tuan Lam at the listed email address.
Contact: Tuan Lam [Email | Applications can be found at this web link.] - Are you interested in how people communicate in conversational settings? The conversation lab has openings for 290 positions during the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters. Responsibilities include stimulus creation, coding of conversational speech data, subject testing, etc. A 6-10 hour/week commitment is required. We are particularly interested in Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors who could continue working in the lab for more than 1 semester.
Contact: Sarah Brown-Schmidt [Email] - Are you interested in learning about racial minority status and its psychological implications? The Cultural Heritage and Racial Identity Lab is seeking undergraduate students who are eager to gain valuable experiences in literature review, data collection, data entry, and participant recruitment related to projects that answer these important research questions. Please email for an application.
Contact: The Heritage Lab [(217) 244-0671 | Email] - 290 research opportunities for a fluent Spanish speaker. The Biological Processes Project examines children's understanding of death from a cross-cultural perspective. Applications can be found in room 361.
Contact: Isabel Gutierrez [Email] - The Early Emotion Lab, which examines family development, is seeking 290 students to help with research. Responsible, self-motivated students will have a chance to work with families, infants, and preschoolers; to conduct interviews and collect data; to code video tapes of experimental sessions; to enter data on computer; to perform tasks related to developmental research. Applications can be found in room 361.
Contact: Stevie Schein, lab coordinator [244-0716 | Email | Family Development Project Website] - The Center for Parent-Child Studies is looking for highly competent 290 students who enjoy working with families for the 2008-2009 school year. We are examining how parents become involved in their children’s academic lives, and affect motivation, as well as how parents may shape the development of children’s competence. Duties include interviewing participants, coding, and data work. About 3 hours a week required per credit. Please contact Lauren Brenner for more information.
Contact: Lauren Brenner [217-244-9342 | Email] - The Human Ecology of Caregiving Lab is looking for students interested in: * Cross-cultural aspects of coping with family conflict, * Latino adolescent mental health, * Family caregiving for adults with serious mental illness. Training opportunities include data-entry, coding family conflict, and conducting interviews with parents and adolescents. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred but not required. Volunteers needed during the summer. If interested e-mail: ecocare@cyrus.psych.uiuc.edu.
Contact: Jorge Ramirez [Email] - Curious about the impact of immigrant cultures/communities on 2nd-generation mental health? Want to learn about working with focus group data and qualitative inquiry? The Culture & Emotion Lab is looking for energetic, highly motivated, creative research assistants for the summer (and fall) for our Chicagoland South Asian American Emerging Adulthood project. You will assist with running focus groups, transcribing data, conducting lit reviews, developing surveys and analyzing data, as interested.
Contact: Nausheen Masood [Email | Lab Website & 290 Application] - The Language & Brain Lab needs motivated, responsible students who are native speakers of Mandarin Chinese and want research experience for Psych or Ling 290 credit (2-4 credit hours). Join our lab at the Beckman Institute & gain experience in creating stimuli, analyzing data, & running participants in both behavioral and brainwave studies of English and Mandarin. You must be able to work at least 6 hours/week & come to lab meetings.
Contact: Yowyu (Brian) Lin [Email] - HPP lab at the Beckman Institute has a research assistant position available starting this summer. You will get experience running participants through the fMRI protocol; analyzing fMRI data and help with running a video-game training study. There are also possibilities open for independent research projects. Preference will be given to students with some sort of a programming experience. If you are interested, please email Ruchika Prakash at rprakash@uiuc.edu
Contact: Ruchika Prakash [244-4461 | Email] - The culture and group process lab is looking for creative and motivated students for the Spring and Summer semesters. Our ongoing research projects examine intercultural communication, cultural processes, biculturalism, intergroup relations, romantic relationship, and self-schema. Duties of the position include designing and conducting experiments, generating research ideas, and other administrative work. If you are interested, please contact Melody Chao.
Contact: Melody Chao [Email] - Are you interested in learning how to live a healthier, happier life while helping others do the same? Join the Social Action Lab as a 290 this semester. The Social Action Lab does work on communication, persuasion, and attitude change, with applications to goals and HIV-prevention. We are looking for highly motivated and conscientious students who are interested in learning about social psychology and the research process.
Contact: Wei Wang [Email | Social Action Lab] - The BTW After-School Program is looking for interns who are interested in community-based action research with Latino and African-American children and families. 290/494 Interns will gain experience working with K-8 students, conducting interviews, doing qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and building collaborative relationships with schools and communities. In addition, interns will learn a great deal about community-based action research.
Contact: Michelle Cruz-Santiago [Email] - The Neuroeconomics Lab is looking for students to participate in independent study. Research credits are available in Psychology , Neuroscience, or Economics. Responsibilities will be tailored to your skills and interests. Examples of projects include financial decision-making, aging, and moral decision-making.
Contact: Ming Hsu [217-244-1122 | Email | Neuroeconomics Laboratory] - The Language & Brain Lab needs motivated, responsible students who are native speakers of Mandarin Chinese and want research experience for Psych or Ling 290 credit (2-4 credit hours). Join our lab at the Beckman Institute & gain experience in creating stimuli, analyzing data, & running participants in both behavioral and brainwave studies of English and Mandarin. You must be able to work at least 6 hours/week & come to lab meetings.
Contact: Hsin Yi Lu [Email] - The culture and group process lab is looking for creative and motivated students for the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters. Our ongoing research projects examine intercultural communication, cultural processes, biculturalism, intergroup relations, romantic relationship, and self-schema. Duties of the position include designing and conducting experiments, generating research ideas, and other administrative work. If you are interested, please contact Melody Chao.
Contact: Melody Chao [217-721-5098 | Email] - The Children’s Social Development Project is seeking students to assist with child research visits, code observations of parent-child and child-child interaction, and enter data. These experiences provide excellent preparation for graduate school. We are looking for students who enjoy working with preschool-aged children, have good interpersonal and communication skills, are well-organized and responsible, and have a strong interest in child development.
Contact: Nancy McElwain [217-244-7168 | Email] - The Cognition and Brain Lab is looking for highly motivated research assistants for the current semester, with the opportunity to continue working in future semesters. Our research examines the neural basis of memory and language, by recording brainwave data and eye movements. 290s primarily assist with running subjects, and can also help prepare new experiments and analyze data if interested. More information can be found at our website, which contains a 290 application form.
Contact: Karen Evans [244-7334 | Email | Cognition and Brain Lab] - The Cognition and Brain Lab is looking for highly motivated research assistants for Fall 2006, with the opportunity to continue working in future semesters. Our research examines the neural basis of memory and language, by recording brainwave data and eye movements. 290s primarily assist with running subjects, and can also help prepare new experiments and analyze data if interested. More information can be found at our website, which contains a 290 application form.
Contact: Karen Evans [244-7334 | Email | Cognition and Brain Lab] - The vision lab is looking for a 290 to help with subject running and experimental design during the summer. If you are interested in visual cognition research and would like a summer 290, please contact us. We are looking for motivated students willing to put in 6-10 hours a week.
Contact: Mike Ambinder [244-4461 | Email | Vision Lab] - The Vision Lab is looking for an undergraduate research assistant (Psych 290) for the Spring '06 semester and beyond. Our research involves scene perception and visual attention, and takes place both in computer labs as well as virtual environments (e.g. the CUBE). RAs in this lab will help design and run experiments, and will be given the opportunity to gain valuable experience in computer programming. If you are interested and are able to commit 6 or more hours per week, please contact us.
Contact: Brian Levinthal [Email | Vision Lab] - The Visual Cognition Lab has openings for 290 research assistants (and possibly paid research assistant positions). Students in the lab help with ongoing studies of change blindness, attention capture, and scene perception. We also do some eye tracking research and some of our projects use virtual reality environments. Responsibilities include stimulus creation, subject testing, etc. A 6-10 hour/week commitment is required. We are particularly interested in freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who could continue working in the lab for more than one semester.
Contact: Daniel Simons [Email | Visual Cognition Laboratory]