The discipline of psychology is undergoing a shift toward more real-world applications, and Wake Forest’s department of psychology is beginning to catch on to this trend. Research projects are moving beyond the doors of Greene Hall, where the department is housed, and into other areas of campus.
“We’re not an island,” Alycia Silman, a professor of psychology said.
Silman said there’s a thread running through the different research areas of psychology, whether it’s personality or developmental. Psychology, she says, is reorienting itself as a hub science. Traditionally, psychology has remotely studied the human mind and its functions.
But increasingly, psychology researchers at Wake Forest are conducting their studies in conjunction with other departments, or cross-collaboratively.
The Character Project, an ongoing study at Wake that examines the consistency and structure of character, combines psychology with philosophy and theology research.
Another project blends computer science and cognitive psychology to model human behavior in computer programs.
Another is based out of a biology lab in Winston Hall and examines the neural mechanisms in rats to mimic how people respond to natural rewards.
Silman said the development of cross-collaborative projects is exploding because the discipline can provide a better understanding of human nature that other fields of study will find useful.
Lauryn Bryant, a senior psychology major interested in the psychology behind consumer marketing, says this is the primary reason she was interested in the major.
Bryant says the department’s emphasis on data collection and research makes the major more substantial and applicable for the real world, instead of just focusing on psychology theory.
“By understanding how the consumer thinks, you can more effectively create a marketing strategy or product that speaks directly to the consumer,” Bryant said.
While there’s research in the department that studies consumer psychology, there aren’t any plans to integrate these classes into the curriculum.
If students want a further look into these real-world applications, they have to help conduct research within the department.This summer, senior psychology major Maggie Gigler studied the quality of life of people with borderline personality disorders, or BPD, with William Fleeson, a professor of psychology.
Their research found that people with a higher frequency of symptoms for BPD, such as instability in relationships, fear of abandonment and impulsiveness, are more likely to have a lower quality of life and be on government aid or probation in the criminal justice system.
The BPD research is part of a five-year study, so funding isn’t an issue right now, but they still have to prove that their efforts are worthwhile and that there are larger implications for their findings.
“Beyond the empathetic level, this study can affect how communities identify and care for people with BPD,” Gigler said.
Studies such as these show the potential benefits that can come with recognizing psychological trends in research and then applying those findings in practical settings. In the case of BPD, Gigler said the research could prove useful for lawyers and sociologists.
E. J. Masicampo, a professor of psychology whose research looks into decision-making, resisting temptation and willpower, says that people are starting to appreciate the research that psychology churns out.
Within the discipline, there’s a greater sense of purpose for what can be accomplished, and the element of cross-collaboration with other departments at Wake is emerging.
“Now with any field that’s interested in people, psychology is going to have something to say,” Masicampo said.