Psychology Requirements

The program of research of the Social and Organizational Psychology Research Lab investigates the process by which people regulate and control their social interaction with others at home and at work.

The Barker Lab is part of the Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Institute at Rutgers University. The goal of the lab is to anatomically and functionally characterize brain circuits that are involved in drug addiction as well as in comorbid disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or pain, to name a few. 

Disorders of learning and memory are a major issue facing many people and families today. My laboratory focuses on the neuroplasticity of the brain, and in particular how neuroplasticity supports information processing and storage when animals (like humans) learn and remember something new. What are the biological mechanisms that control learning-induced plasticity in the brain? And how does neuroplasticity contribute to long-term memory about newly learned information?

The Regulation, Action, and Motivated Perception Lab is currently recruiting motivated research assistants interested in a rich and comprehensive research experience. The RAMP Lab, directed by Dr. Shana Cole, studies the social cognitive and perceptual processes that predict and promote effective goal pursuit. Current projects explore the role of motivated visual perception in managing relationship, dieting, smoking, political, and exercise goals.

In our clinical/community psychology lab, we conduct research projects related to social-emotional learning and character development (SECD), primarily (but not only) with urban school districts in New Jersey. We aim to engage young people in schools to take action and make positive changes in their communities. The Rutgers students who join our team will have the opportunity to  help out with three different projects (listed below), and receive course credit for their work. Please check out our website for more information about each project.

My research concerns perceptual organization, grouping, visual similarity, shape representation, object categorization, and other aspects of human visual cognition.

Lab Name:  Foels LCR Lab This branch of the Foels/Tomcho LCR lab studies the causes and consequences of social injustice. The theoretical approach involves a blend of cognitive complexity, social identity, and social power. Those with a strong feminist or racial identity are more cognitively complex. Cognitively complex individuals in turn are more socially aware and engage in less intergroup bias, In contrast, those with high social power are less cognitively complex and engage in more intergroup bias. Therefore being raised with high social power (e.g., dominant ethnic, gender, or economic group) makes one less cognitively complex, which in turn makes one more likely to engage in prejudice and support social injustice. Current projects include: the role of feminist identity and cognitive complexity on the acceptance of myths regarding victims of sexual assault understanding early perceptual processes related to cognitive complexity manipulating cognitive complexity to reduce intergroup biases political ideology and cognitive complexity Future projects: gender differences in cognitive complexity (women are more complex) feminist pedagogy how prejudice and discrimination are presented in textbooks how gender dysphoria is presented in textbooks Qualifications for working with Dr. Foels include: sophomore or junior status an earned A in one of Dr. Foels' classes GPA of 3.5 or greater strong library skills commitment to 9 hours a week of research activities

  The Morningside Center Whole School Restorative Practices (RP) research project is a randomized control trial evaluation of a school wide discipline reform program based on integrating restorative practices, social emotional learning curriculum, and racial equity in K-12 public schools in Brooklyn, NY. We, Dr. Anne Gregory and her Rutgers Evaluation team at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, are interested in recruiting highly motivated undergraduate research assistants to play a vital role in collecting data to evaluate the impact of the whole school RP and Racial Equity Project.   

Our lab is broadly interested in how our prior expectations influence our memory and decision making. Specifically, our research addresses how expectations compensate for noisy and incomplete memory (e.g. for color or objects in scenes) and impact our decision making for the future (e.g. patient health choices)..

My research is concerned with mental time travel, that is, how we think about the past and future and how memory and foresight abilities develop. We currently have a number of studies underway that examine various aspects of autobiographical memory and future thinking in children and adults:

Current projects on which undergraduates could assist include:

Much of the research on suicide has measured suicidal ideation and its risk factors with long periods of time (e.g., years, months) between measurements.Our research group uses wearable physiological monitors and smartphone-based real-time monitoring technology (i.e. Ecological Momentary Assessment) to explore the day to day or hour to hour variation in suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Through the use of these new methods and technologies we are able to assess the contextual factors associated with suicide risk and resilience as they actually occur. Students interested in joining my lab can complete the online application found on lab’s website.

The nervous and immune systems share a mutually interactive relationship, which promotes various forms of physiological and behavioral adaptations in the face of pathogenic challenges from viruses and bacteria. The focus of my lab is on understanding this relationship through (I) studies that determine the mechanisms by which stress affects immune function, and (ii) studies that examine the cognitive and emotional consequences of immune system activation. These studies involve animal models of immunological activation and/or stressor exposure. Interested students should therefore be prepared to learn and conduct research that involves sterotaxic surgery, behavioral testing, and collection and processing of brain and lymphoid tissue for histological and biological assessment. This would be appropriate for students wishing to progress towards graduate education in Biopsychology/Behavioral Neuroscience, as well as in areas of Health Psychology that focus on Psychoneuroimmunology.

In the Affective and Biological Underpinnings of Anxiety and Substance Abuse (ABUSA) lab we seek to identify underlying vulnerabilities that place individuals at risk for co-occurring anxiety pathology and substance use disorders, and/or may serve to maintain associated dysfunction.

I use the rodent olfactory (smell) system to study how the brain processes sensory stimuli. I am especially interested in how the brain changes based on an animal's environment and prior experience. In my lab we use a wide variety of techniques, including behavioral experimentation, optical imaging of neural activity under a microscope, and tissue assays for various proteins and neurotransmitters. Students who wish to work in my lab should have taken Physiological Psychology or an equivalent undergraduate neuroscience course and should submit a resume and transcript. Please see my website for more information.

Based on our needs, we offer opportunities for undergraduate students to join our lab and participate in the research we conduct. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with strong organizational and interpersonal skills willing to commit for at least two consecutive semesters.

(Sponsor- Maurice Elias) The Rutgers – Data-Driven Instructional Coaching Model (RU-DDICM) is a model demonstration project designed to implement a technology assisted data-driven coaching model to enhance teachers’ reading intervention practices and improve student outcomes for K-3 students with or at-risk for reading disabilities. Students experiencing early reading performance deficits have lower school performance throughout middle and high school and are at an elevated risk for school dropout (i.e., 2.5 times more likely to drop out), which has devastating effects on future adult employment and wellness. DDICM aims to build local school-based coaches capacity to support reading interventionists and classroom teachers with knowledge and skills in research-based data-driven reading interventions, ultimately leading to improvements in K-3 students’ early reading performance. The effectiveness of DDICM will be evaluated based on a multi-method and multi-data source process during the fall, winter, and spring over the course of four years, from Fall 2021 through Spring 2025. Data will be collected on students’ reading performance and outcomes through a standardized reading assessment battery, the Woodcock Johnson IV Achievement Test (WJIV), along with universal screening, and district specific reading assessments. Data will also be collected on data-driven reading intervention practices using knowledge and perception surveys and online logging, as well as data on coaching sessions through qualitative coding of audio recordings. This is a tremendous opportunity for students to obtain experience interacting with elementary grade students and conducting a standardized reading assessment, as well as gaining new skills in conducting meaningful school-based educational and psychological research. The project is interested in recruiting highly motivated undergraduate research assistants to play a vital role in collecting students reading performance data. This will be an outstanding opportunity for students who are interested in early reading assessment and intervention research focused on improving teachers’ and reading interventionists’ evidence-based practices for students with or at risk for early reading difficulties.   Objectives Undergraduate research assistants working on this project will:  Participate in multi-site research in public elementary schools throughout New Jersey Receive training on administering and scoring the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement  Conduct WJIV reading performance assessments for 200 students in grades K-3 across 9 schools  Receive training on qualitative coding audio sessions for the fidelity of coaching protocols  Design, administer, and monitor online survey and data collection forms in Qualtrics  Assist in the processing of research data, including data entry, quality control, and analytics for student performance data, student behavior rating scales, surveys, and coaching integrity data Interact and engage with school-based personnel to coordinate data collection activities   Requirements A 2-semester commitment for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. A minimum of 9 hours per week between the hours of 8:30 am and 3 pm. Personal transportation (such as a car) is required to visit elementary schools   Application Students interested in applying to participate in the Rutgers DDICM program should send an email and a current résumé to project manager Ms. Gina Mazzariello. Gina Mazzariello Project Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Telephone: 831-331-5269

Lab Name: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at Rutgers University (DBT-RU)   Principal Investigator: Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD, ABPP   Website: dbt.rutgers.edu   The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at Rutgers University (DBT-RU) is a research and training clinic that provides comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) services to individuals in the community. DBT-RU is a research lab dedicated to improving psychological treatment for adults and teens with borderline personality disorder, suicidal behavior, and problems stemming from difficulties regulating emotions (for more information, see dbt.rutgers.edu and Youtube.com/dbtru). Students who join our lab learn about psychosocial clinical trials research, including data entry, management, and tracking of research files, as well as participate in weekly lab meetings and journal club, with readings on a variety of topics (e.g., DBT, emotion dysregulation, and BPD). For the 2022-2023 year, interested students can email Hannah Krall for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Based on our needs, we may have some opportunities for undergraduate students to join the lab and participate in our research program. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with strong organizational and interpersonal skills that are willing to commit for at least two consecutive semesters. 

The Emotion and Psychopathology Lab is currently recruiting undergraduate research assistants. The EmP Lab, led by Professor Edward Selby, Ph.D., examines how difficulties regulating emotion contribute to psychological disorders such as eating disorders, self-harming behavior, and Borderline Personality Disorder. Current studies underway in the lab include an investigation of the impact of stress on eating behavior, as well a project testing the influence of food on emotion and cognitive task performance. Upcoming studies in the lab will examine differences in emotional reactivity between individuals with Bulimia Nervosa, Major Depression, and Borderline Personality Disorder.

The way the world looks to us is a remarkable achievement of our visual system. The visual inputs we receive are just the two-dimensional images projected on our retinas. But from these our brain is able to construct representations of three-dimensional objects and surfaces laid out in space. Research in our lab is aimed at understanding how the human brain computes representations of objects and surfaces from the retinal images, and how it uses these representations for various tasks.

The research in this lab investigates the cognitive and neural bases of language. Ongoing projects fall in five general areas.

Join my lab to learn about personalized smart health! Come to learn how the brain controls bodies in motion and how we can measure brain-body interactions with high precision. Learn about the development of objective biometrics to analyze data from wearable biosensors and isolate joy from stress and pain in the motor stream that our nervous systems generate. Learn to measure how dyads interact in the social dance and how dancers project their emotions to the audience. Help us build new tools to measure the outcomes of treatments in autism, Parkinson’s disease and other medical conditions.

Our research group studies the foundations of human cognition. Research topics include, but are not limited to: how young children and adults perceive quantities, how numerical perception contributes to mathematical reasoning, what children and adults believe about the origins of human knowledge, and how changes in knowledge impact future learning. We are looking for bright, motivated Rutgers undergraduate research assistants. A two-semester commitment is required. You can learn more through our webpage https://sites.sas.rutgers.edu/cognition/.

Students attend weekly lab meetings to plan and prepare research.  Research topics include the following:

In our laboratory, we study the computational principles that make human memory efficient. We use a combination of behavioral methods and neural imaging to optimize human memory recalls. We are always looking for motivated psychology undergraduates with a quantitative background (programming skills, minor in CS or stats etc.) to join the lab!