Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robin Phaneuf

Faculty Mentor's Department: Psychology

Contact: Jessica Hall

Email: jahall@memphis.edu

Phone: 678-2684

Project Description: Dr. Robin Phaneuf and Dr. Randy Floyd are investigating ways to measure early learning in preschool age children. They have developed some preliminary tasks for math labeled Early Numeracy Indicators (ENIs). Some preliminary investigation of the ENIs has been conducted, but their effectiveness as general outcome measures has not yet been demonstrated. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the ENIs as general outcome measures, field validations of the task must be conducted over longer periods of time with large and diverse groups of children, to establish three characteristics. The characteristics are as follows: the sensitivity of the tasks to growth and development over time, growth and development specifically in response to an intervention and the social validity of the tasks. The primary goal of this research project is to validate the ENIs developed by Dr. Robin Phaneuf and Dr. Randy Floyd as general outcome measures. Research Assistants will be working with preschool age children by giving them fun and brief number and language tasks. Training and materials will be provided.

Requirements: We need students who can work morning hours for one week every month. Students must provide their own transportation.

Start date: September

Method of Compensation: stipend or academic credit

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Faculty Mentor: Dr. Katherine Kitzmann

Faculty Mentor's Department: Psychology

Telephone Number and/or E-mail: 678-4683; k.kitzmann@mail.psyc.memphis.edu

Project Description: We are working on a large-scale meta-analysis of interventions for childhood obesity. Meta-analysis is a statistical procedure that allows researchers to integrate the results of many studies to draw an overall conclusion about a body of research. In this case, we want to know how effective these treatments are, and whether some treatments are more effective than others. We need help with identifying studies that have already been done, obtaining copies of these studies, reading the studies and coding information obtained from them, and entering data about each study into SPSS format.

Requirements for Student Applicants: Honor student or A average; ability to attend weekly lab meetings and Child and Family Research Area meetings, both on Friday afternoons. We also want to know that you are not already overextended (too many course or work commitments already).

Starting Date: Fall 2005, Spring 2006, Summer 2006, and possibly Fall 2006.

Method of Compensation ( Volunteer, Academic Credit, or Stipend): Course credit, requiring about 3 hours of work (including meeting time ) for each course credit earned.

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Faculty Mentor(s): James P. Whelan, PhD & Andrew W. Meyers, PhD

Faculty Mentor's Department: Psychology

Telephone Number and/or Email Address: 678-3491 and 678-7867; gambling@memphis.edu

Project Description: T.I.G.E.R., founded in 1998, is a nonprofit organization housed within the Psychology Department and Psychological Services Center at The University of Memphis. The Institute was founded after three years of gambling related research, and shortly after receiving requests from individuals and families seeking services to help with gambling related problems. Our mission is threefold: 1) to conduct basic and applied research on gambling and problem gambling behavior, 2) to provide quality low cost services to Mid-Southerners who experience gambling-related problems, and 3) to provide education to individuals, community organizations, and business and industry about problem gambling. We presently have a number of projects that are in progress. For example: the effects of alcohol on gambling, gambling influence on testosterone, family structure and function on the gambling behavior of African-American adolescents, and treatment of co-occurring gambling and alcohol problems.

Requirements for Student Applicants: Students interested in being involved on an ongoing basis and are willing to commit a minimum of 5 hours per week to lab projects.

Starting Date: anytime.

Method of Compensation: volunteer or academic credit.