Opportunities for Students
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Undergraduate research assistants are an important element to our research. Students in our lab gain hands-on experience collecting diverse types of data from parents and young child, cleaning physiological data (such as heart rate), coding observations of parent-child interactins, entering data, and preparing data files that will be analyzed to answer research questions.
Many students involved with the Early Experiences Lab have completed independent projects, Honors Theses, and/or UROP projects and presented their findings at conference presentations. The research experience and skills gained from working in the Early Experiences Lab are applicable to many different career paths. Previous research assistants from our lab have gone on to graduate programs in education, social work, school counseling, developmental psychology, and Industrial/Organizational psychology.
Requirements
The requirements for research assistants in the lab are:
- 3.25 GPA
- 8-10 hours of per week of lab work (depending on assigned projects)
- A two-semester commitment (one of those semesters can include the summer)
- Be interested in developmental psychology or a related area
- Be self-motivated and dependable
How to apply
If you are considering joining our team, please download an application and email the completed application to utahcanlab@gmail.com.
Current Undergraduate Research Assistants
The Early Experiences Lab encourages undergraduate RAs to engage in research on a deeper level and has proudly supported many successful student-led research projects in the past. This includes Honors Theses, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) projects, Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) projects, and independent projects. Students benefit from these types of research experiences in several ways. For example, students gain a more in-depth and hands-on understanding of the scientific research process, acquire experience using statistical analyses to answer research questions and disseminating research findings, and develop critical thinking skills that will translate to careers.
At times, a high number of students are interested in pursuing these research projects. Dr. Raby wants to ensure he can effectively mentor students, so limits on the number of students who are pursuing these projects are necessary at times. In other words, involvement in the lab does not guarantee that Dr. Raby will agree to mentor your Honors Thesis or UROP project. If you are interested in one of these research opportunities, please review the following requirements and if you believe you are a good fit, fill out a mentorship request form and send it to utahcanlab@gmail.com.
Requirements
- Be a top performing RA in the lab
- A strong GPA (3.7 in Psychology courses)
- Regular attendance at weekly lab meetings
- Submit a mentorship request at least 3 months before the deadline for their project
Timelines for an Honors Thesis and UROP Project:
- Honors Thesis : These are typically completed during the last two semesters of one's undergraduate education. The initial proposal is due two semesters before student begins work (e.g., the spring of student's 3rd year if the student is graduating the spring of the 4th year). For more information, review the Psychology Honor's website.
- UROP : The initial proposal is typically due halfway through the semester before beginning the project (e.g., middle of the Fall semester for UROP project during the following Spring semester). For more information, visit the Office of Undergraduate Research's website
How to develop an idea for a research project?
- Consider the general topics or questions that interest you about Psychology and made you want to get involved with the Early Experiences Lab.
- Generate a list of potential questions you could possibly address with a research project by drawing on information you learned in your classes, by being a member of a research team in the lab, and discussions at the weekly lab meetings. If you have a lengthy list, select the one or two questions that interest you the most.
- Once you generate a research question, Dr. Raby will help you fine tune it.
Earning Research Credit (for Honors or for Major)
- The first semester of a student's involvement as a RA is volunteer only. This allows students and lab manager the time to decide whether the lab is a good fit for the student.
- After the first semester, students can register for 1-3 credits per semester. Keep in mind that 42 hours of lab work are required for each hour of credit.
- Honors students only : 6 hours of research credit are required for the Honors program. Therefore, students are encouraged to apply to be involved with the lab as early as possible in order to have time to complete the research hours and to develop the research skills and knowledge needed to complete an Honors Thesis.
