Faculty Research Labs

Faculty in the Department of Psychology are actively engaged in research that spans many different areas and subfields of psychology. Students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty on research projects. Interested students should contact the particular faculty member with whom they would like to work and ask about available projects.

ADHD Lab – Dr. Liz O’Laughlin

Dr. O'Laughlin's lab is engaged in a number of projects related to evaluation for ADHD among children, including focus on parent, teacher and child self-report of behavior and influence of parent mental health and parenting style of child behavior.

Current Projects:

Informants tend to provide discrepant ratings of child behavior, which can complicate the process of assessing behavior problems in children. The limited research on child self-report of behavior suggests that children may be better informants than parents or teachers in regard to internalizing symptoms. This project aims to enhance our understanding of the utility and limitations of child self-report in assessment for ADHD by identifying factors that contribute to discrepancy in parent-child report of symptoms.
Better understanding of factors that contribute to impairment among children with ADHD, such as emotional dysregulation, may result in more effective assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD and comorbid diagnoses. Recent studies in the lab have explored parenting emotional regulation (i.e., ability to regulate one’s emotions in the context of parenting), parent orientation to child emotions, parenting style, and child behavior (internalizing/externalizing behavior).
A few different projects in the lab focus on maternal self-report of ADHD and other diagnoses and potential influence on perceptions of child behavior and parenting. One study specifically looks at maternal mental health, positive and negative parenting practices, and child externalizing behavior. A second study, still in development, will explore maternal mental health, attributions of child behavior, and help seeking interest (interest in seeking child and/or family focused services).

Learn more about the ADHD Lab

Correctional & Forensic Psychology Lab - Dr. Jennifer Schriver

Dr. Schriver’s lab focuses on correctional and forensic populations and issues related to the intersection of psychology and the criminal justice system.

Current Projects:

We are currently examining ethical violations committed by psychologists that have resulted in disciplinary actions. We are particularly interested in learning about the types of violations related to correctional and forensic work.
We have recently completed a project on the use of bibliotherapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression in female offenders. Bibliotherapy involves reading self-help materials for therapeutic benefit, and it is a cost-effective treatment that requires minimal contact with a mental health professional. We found that symptoms of depression and anxiety were both significantly reduced after women read a workbook focused on ACT principles of mindfulness. We intend to continue exploring treatment needs of incarcerated women.
Suicide rates in correctional populations and correctional officers are high. Using suicide theories that examine the progression of ideation to suicidal behavior, our lab will investigate factors associated with increased suicidality in correctional officers and incarcerated individuals.

Group photo of eight students and faculty members posing outdoors on a sunny day. Four individuals are seated on a park bench over cobblestone, and four are standing behind them, with trees, a grassy lawn, and park lamps visible in the background.

Evolution, Violence, and Empowerment (EVE) Lab – Dr. Becka Hahnel-Peeters

The EVE Lab investigates how women navigate threats of sexual violence through evolved psychological mechanisms, social alliances, and strategic behavior. The EVE Lab studies questions such as: How do women defend themselves—physically, emotionally, and socially—against the risk of sexual aggression? What roles do women’s social allies (i.e., “bodyguards”) play in women’s evolved defense systems? How do individual differences shape sexual and social relationships across development, context, and culture?

Current Projects:

We've built the largest taxonomy of the behaviors women perform to defend themselves against an impending, ongoing, or completed sexual assault — including over 35 behavioral strategies.
We're examining how both men's and women's fear of specific crimes are likely influenced by the relationship between oneself and the perpetrator.
This project examines the cultural similarities and differences in moral judgments about sexual behaviors across 20 countries.

Metacognition for Recovery, Growth, and Engagement (MeRGE) Lab – Dr. Courtney Wiesepape

In the MeRGE Lab, we study how metacognition can support recovery, personal growth, and meaningful engagement for individuals living with serious mental illness.

Current Projects:

This study explores how metacognition relates to self and interpersonal difficulties in personality disorders, with the goal of better understanding how people make sense of themselves and others.
This project investigates how different mental health symptoms evoke varying levels of stigma in society, highlighting how public perceptions can shape opportunities for recovery and inclusion in serious mental illness.
This project surveys doctoral clinical training directors about current training in serious mental illness, including training practices, barriers, and resources, to help inform future doctoral-level training efforts.
We are committed to building connections with the Terre Haute community to help shape our research priorities. We hope to partner with local organizations and people with lived experience to develop research that responds to the needs and priorities of our community.

Nine people stand side by side outdoors beneath large trees, posing for a group photo on a grassy area with a brick campus building in the background.

Social & Environmental Psychology Lab – Dr. Virgil Sheets

Dr. Sheets Lab conducts research on 4 things:

Close relationships. This includes studies of friendship, love, sexuality, jealousy, & breakups.
Environmental symbolism & meaning. This includes studies of the use of possessions and places to represent or expand your sense of self, including spiritually.
Socio-spatial behavior. This includes studies of territoriality, place attachment, and environmental preferences.
Evolutionary bases of behavior. This includes studies of the scientific application of evolutionary models to human behavior, in the areas listed above as well as others, e.g., social attitudes.

Current Projects:

This laboratory study examined the effect of territorial displays on perceptions of other people. Data entry is underway.
This project explores the power of mountains to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for some people. Data collection is underway.
Matt Johnson's master's project involves coding online singles ads for heterosexuals, homosexuals, and trans individuals to explore differences in mating preferences of these groups. Data coding is under way.
Tyler Good's master's project involves examining gender-related perceptions of people based on the type of vehicle they drive. Data collection is under way.
Paige Bedore's dissertation will explore how parasocial relationships are similar vs different from ordinary social relationships. A research proposal is being developed.
Karina Koo is exploring the role of different orientations toward causality in romantic relationships. Data collection is about to begin.
Hunter Krampe's dissertation explored the basis of negative perceptions of relationships formed when partners are on the "rebound." A defense will be scheduled soon.
Michael Bailey's master's project explored the role of the physical environment of home study spaces on students' success in online classes. A manuscript is under review.

Learn more about the Social & Environmental Psychology Lab

Social & Environmental Psychology Lab group photo, 2025

Social Mechanisms of Identity, Language, and Experiences (SMILE) Lab - Dr. Erika Rosenberger-Knowles

In the SMILE Lab, we study how one's social identities and the language used in a setting affect one's experiences in that environment. We aim to understand how consequential settings, such as educational healthcare, political, and workplace settings, could become more welcoming to people with various identities.

Current Projects:

This line of work examines how certain words, (e.g., generic masculine pronouns, he/him), may be perceived as exclusionary to certain groups (e.g., women). The purpose of this research is to identify exclusive language and to investigate ways to improve belonging in a space.
We are currently validating a scale that measures one's motivations for ghosting. While validating this scale, we are also examining if there are differences in ghosting motivations among majority-identity (e.g., men; straight people) vs. minoritized identity (e.g., women, non-binary people; queer people) individuals.

Learn more about the SMILE Lab.

Stress, Health, Adversity, and Resilience Across Environments (SHARE) Lab - Dr. Julie Brisson

Stress is a universal experience that shapes health and well-being across the lifespan, but its characteristics and outcomes vary across individuals. To explore these phenomena, the SHARE Lab places a strong emphasis on development by studying adolescent and young adult populations before many long-term health problems emerge; and protective factors that may offset the risks of stressful experiences.

Lifespan Cognition & Brain Stimulation (LCABS) Lab – Dr. Ted Maldonado

Dr. Maldonado's lab has several projects related to evaluating cognition in young and older adults, using non-invasive brain stimulation. We specifically focus on how the cerebellum contributes to non-motor cognitive behavior across the lifespan.

For current projects and to learn more about the LCABS Lab

Institutions and the (Re)production of Inequality in Society (IRIS) Lab

The IRIS Lab investigates how systems of inequality become embedded in institutions and organizations through formal and informal rules, enforced social norms, and material and structural design — focusing on how these processes shape the lived experiences of marginalized individuals, with a particular emphasis on gender. By examining these interconnected processes, the IRIS Lab seeks to understand how institutions contribute to the production and reproduction of broader social inequities, with the goal of holding institutions accountable and promoting systemic change.

Learn more about the IRIS Lab