Posted: Thursday, May 7, 2015 6:28 pm
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Updated: 12:12 am, Fri May 8, 2015.
The Diamondback
In hopes to better the community and society around them, some psychology students at this university have worked all semester to develop changes to social issues.
The students in PSYC 424: Communication and Persuasion, split into four groups in the beginning of the semester to produce and evaluate an evidence-based approach they created to make a positive psychological change on social causes of their choice. The students presented their findings to a panel this week.
“It’s really exciting to see all the work they have done this semester come together and see them represent the work they did and the significant results from the evaluation of it,” said psychology professor Scott Roberts. “It shows when we train scholars to think scientifically, they can actually make meaningful change on people.”
As part of the semesterlong project, students were asked to set a psychological goal, construct a video outlining their social cause and work on a study to address it. Some groups conducted studies to raise awareness and cultivate activity in the university community, such as educating students about vaccination or encouraging more male students to identify themselves as feminists.
Each social cause focused on making a specific change at this university, but the goal was to reach as many communities as possible, Roberts said.
“I learned so much from the course. It pushes you to think about an issue facing our generation today and learning how to change people’s minds, and teaches you to make a difference,” said senior psychology major Nicole Rogers, who was part of the course.
Rogers’ group worked on a project called Words Matter, with the goal of ridding the use of hurtful words and phrases in daily conversation.
Students applied lessons they learned in the course to try to have a meaningful impact on their communities, Roberts said. By addressing social problems students see on the campus, they hope to encourage people to start fixing problems seen all over the world.
Senior Emily Whittie, a kinesiology and psychology major, was part of the group project called VacciNation, which aimed to educate college students about vaccines and have them take a pledge to vaccinate their future children.
After completing the research, students presented the projects to and fielded questions from a board of psychologists and university administrators this week. The panel provided criticism as the students defended their data and work.
Students had to convince the board that their social cause is important, as well as present an argument dismissing negative stigmas or stereotypes and refute counterarguments. For example, the group that focused on feminism wanted to try to erase the stigma around it;that is, feminism is focused on superiority rather than equality.
“I would definitely recommend this course to other students looking to make a difference in their community,” said junior Susan Roberts, a physiology and neurobiology and psychology major. She was part of team VacciNation as well.
Professor Roberts said projects like these, and scholarship-in-practice courses in general, help provide useful skills for all students to use and benefit the community.
“[It’s] not just learning information, but how to use it,“ Roberts said. “Especially giving [students] the opportunity in class to come into a room and present like professionals. … If you can present in front of this board, then you can do it anywhere.”
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Thursday, May 7, 2015 6:28 pm.
Updated: 12:12 am.
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