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Psychology Majors from New Jersey Colleges Present Their Research Projects at College of Saint Elizabeth

Large research posters – 26 of them – with such themes as Impact of Nutrition on Cognitive Performance on College Students and the Moderating Effect of Mood and Self-Esteem and The Relationship Between Travel and Open-mindedness decorated the lower level lobby of the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE) Annunciation Center on April 19, 2012, when CSE hosted the Fourth Annual Tri-Collegiate Psychology Student Research Symposium. Students from Drew University, Bloomfield College, The Center of Alcohol Studies in Rutgers University, Caldwell College, and Fairleigh Dickinson University presented their year-long research projects.

Students from West Morris, Mendham, the Science Academy at Morristown, and Raritan High Schools also had the opportunity to present their psychology research. The topics ranged from the effects of learning through classroom desks’ organization, the effect of using blue paper for students’ exams, and whether females recycle more than males. All research conducted by students was uncovered through first-hand experience, surveys, and hands-on experiences. 

The winners were Emy Monday from Drew University, who placed first with a project entitled, Perceptions of Young Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Rutgers University students at the Center of Alcohol Studies, Alyssa Defuria and Arthur Tomie, placed second with Intergender Effects on Drinking of Ethanol and Water in CD-1 Mice. Emma Pallarino, a student at the Science Academy at Morristown High School, placed first in the high school division with Groups, Rows, and Semicircular Desk Arrangement in Elementary School Classrooms; The Impact on On-task Learning Behavior.

The keynote address, From Wealth to Well-being: Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness, was delivered by Dr. Lara Aknin from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Aknin, who has studied the emotional consequences of specific spending choices and whose work has been covered in more than 300 media outlets and a number of peer journals, suggests that money can buy happiness …  if you spend it on others.