April, 2002

Congratulations to the May 2002 Graduates

GERONTOLOGY AWARD

  The faculty representatives of the Consortium Gerontology Studies Program recently awarded the "Rosalie S. Wolf Gerontology Consortium Award" to WSC Psychology major, Suzanne Robertson.

 ON THE INSIDE

   Much of this newsletter reports on faculty and student research. Psychology students are presenting projects at several conferences this spring. We want to acknowledge their achievements and to encourage others for next year. Research publication or presentation is a major asset when applying to graduate schools.

PSYCH CLUB NEWS AND EVENTS

The Psych Club took a trip to Providence to see the Broadway hit Mamma Mia.  We had dinner at an Italian restaurant in the Federal Hill neighborhood followed by decadent desserts at a local pastry shop.  

On March 18, the Psych Club brought “sand art” to Hope Lodge in Worcester. Hope Lodge is a temporary residence for people receiving long-term cancer treatments in Boston and Worcester. Several children and some adults along with members of the club colored salt with chalk and filled bottles with the colored salt (“sand”). This is just one of the community service projects in which the club is participating. 

Recent and Upcoming Events

  BACCHUS invited the psych club to co-sponsor Alcohol Awareness Day on Thursday, April 11 in the Student Center.  Everyone was invited to attend this educational and fun event.  You could have a refreshing “mocktail,” try out “beer” goggles, test your alcohol IQ, get information and meet the members of the club!

  On Tuesday, April 09, seniors and juniors were available for peer advising. Students could stop by and get the scoop on classes from fellow psychology majors and minors.

  The Club will be cooking dinner at Hope Lodge on Monday, April 22, 2002 at 5pm.  For dessert – make your own decorated cookies!! If you want to join us contact Dr. Soltano (929-8764) or Dr. Marco (929-8703).

  Our last bake sale for the semester is on Thursday, April 25.  We usually have a variety of home-baked goodies, fruit and healthy fruit bars, juice boxes and more.  Stop by the Sullivan T from 8:30 - 1 and support the Psych Club.  Proceeds from bake sales support Psych Club events such as buying supplies for craft events at Hope Lodge.

Future Events

  WSCW, the college radio station is hosting a murder mystery. The Psych Club is co-sponsoring and will be responsible for theme and decorations. Look for this event in October.

  In the fall, the club plans to have a series of workshops on such career planning topics as getting an internship, writing your resume, and more. 

Meetings are held on Mondays at 4:30 in A105.  If you are interested but unable to attend contact one of the club advisors Dr. Chris Marco (508 929-8703, cmarco@worcester.edu) or Dr. Emily Soltano (508 929-8764, esoltano@worcester.edu). 

ESPECIALLY FOR SENIORS

  Many of you have not yet asked your professors for letters of recommendation. Perhaps you have a job and you are not going to graduate school for two or three years. Nevertheless, you may need those letters eventually and if your favorite teacher has retired and moved to Tahiti you won’t be able to get them. Forms for recommendations are available in the Career and Counseling Center in the Student Center.

  Some of you have already been accepted to graduate school. If you were not accepted or did not apply, check the Graduate Openings List at www.apa.org/ed in May to find out which schools still have spots, or consider starting next year on a part-time basis. Master’s programs usually accept two transfer courses and there is no better proof of your ability to do grad work than success in graduate courses.

  When you are accepted to graduate school or get a job for next year please tell your advisor or the Dept. secretary. We are proud of you and we want to keep track of your successes.
 

SUMMER COURSE INFORMATION

Research Methods

  Students planning to take Research Methods in summer should be aware that it is a 9-week course and is limited to 24 students.

Courses at other Colleges

  If you plan to take a summer course in your major or minor field at another college, you should obtain an approval form from the Registrar and have it signed by your academic advisor or the department chair before the end of the spring term. Without prior approval, the course may not be credited to the major/minor requirements. Also, be sure to have the other college send a transcript to WSC. 

ON-LINE COURSES

  Have you been wondering whether an on line course is right for you? On line courses or distance learning is new and exciting mode of education that allows students to learn from the convenience of their own home computer.  An advantage of this type of course is that students have the chance to learn in an asynchronous environment and you do not have to attend a scheduled class several times a week. You learn the weekly material at your own pace. Generally, students are responsible for pacing him/herself and completing assignments by the specified due dates. 

  Typically, students and the instructor participate in discussions on line or may “chat” in a virtual classroom. You don’t have the pressure of responding immediately in the discussion. You can think about your comments before you actually post them to the discussion board. 

  On line courses are not easier than face-to-face courses. You must be highly motivated in order to do well in an on-line course. Also, you must feel comfortable with using a computer for word processing, searching the Internet and sending email.   

  The following on line courses are being offered in Fall 2002 – PS110_OL: General Psychology I with Dr. Soltano, PS210 Child Growth and Development with Dr. Kanner and PS220 Psychology of Aging with Dr. Mosher-Ashley.  Look for other on line courses in the future, too.

FALL COURSES

  Registration is over and you are probably not thinking about course selection now. But if you need to do any schedule adjustments you might want to remember that the elective Psychology courses that graduate schools most often require or request are:

     Developmental Psychology (Child or Adolescent)
     Abnormal Psychology
     Psychology of Learning
     Personality
     Physiological
     Social
     Testing/Psychometrics

  Also there are still openings in some of the 300 and 400 level courses.

SPECIAL TOPICS COURSE

PS 495-Psychology And Language

Fall 2002; Monday, 1:30 - 4:15

Instructor:  Dr. Emily Soltano. Prerequisites: P110, PS111. Recommended:  PS275, PS305

  Language usage is common for all humans. Have you ever wondered how you are able to use language? This course will examine psychological aspects of language processing. We will discuss various levels of language including sounds, spelling, sentences and discourse; differences in spoken and written language; and different processes associated with speech production and perception. 

  This course will include weekly discussion of various theories and research on psycholinguistics. Students will have the opportunity to learn first hand about psycholinguistics by conducting a research project in this area.

FACULTY/STUDENT RESEARCH 2001-2002

  Graduate programs usually favor applicants with research experience. Many opportunities exist to do this type of work at WSC. In the following listings of presentations and publications names with one * are current WSC students and names with ** are recent WSC graduates whose papers were based on work done while at WSC. Those with *** are Holy Cross students.

BOOKS

Allard, M. J. and McKay, P. (2002).  Algeria.  World Education Encyclopedia:  A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide.  New York: The Gale Group, Thomson Learning.

Allard, M. J. and McKay, P. (2002).  Egypt.  World Education Encyclopedia:  A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide.  New York:  The Gale Group, Thomson Learning.   

Dawson, L., & Chunis*, M. (2002). From tailhook to tailspin: A dishonorable decade of sexual harassment in the U. S. military.   In C. Harvey and M. J. Allard (Eds.), Understanding and Managing diversity: Readings, cases, and exercises, 2nd ed.  Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Dawson, L. (2002). The murder of Barry Winchell: The ultimate failure of "don’t ask, don’t tell".  In C. Harvey and M. J. Allard (Eds.), Understanding and managing diversity: Readings, cases, and exercises, 2nd ed.  Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Harvey, C. P. & Allard, M.J. (2002).  Understanding and Managing Diversity:  Readings, Cases and Exercises, 2^nd ed.  Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Harvey, C.P. & Allard, M.J. (2002)  Instructors Manual, Understanding and Managing Diversity:  Readings, Cases and Exercises, 2^nd ed.  Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS

Charbonneau***, D. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. (in press). Comparison of age and gender in perceptions of successful aging. Educational Gerontology.

Cote*, N., Mosher-Ashley, P. M., & Kiernan*, H. W. (in press). Somerset, MA Pilot pen pal program involving senior citizens in long term care becomes a community tradition. Activities, Adaptation, & Aging.

    Dawson, L., Chunis*, M., Smith, D., & Carboni, A. (2001).  The role of academic discipline and gender in high school teachers' AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes. Journal of School Health, 71, 3-8.

    Kelly*, L. M. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M.  (in press). Combining reminiscence with journal writing to promote greater life satisfaction in an assisted living community. Activities, Adaptation, & Aging.

Kiernan*, H. W. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. (in press). Strategies to expand a pen pal program from simple letters into a full intergenerational experience. Educational Gerontology.

McGuinn**, K. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. (in press). How fearful are children about personal aging?  Educational Gerontologist

Mosher-Ashley, P. M., Futterman, A., & French**, E. M. (in press). Facilitating research and publications in aging at the undergraduate level through advanced research courses. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education.

Mosher-Ashley, P. M. & Lemay**, E. (2001). Suggestions to improve residents' life satisfaction. Nursing Homes, 50 (5), 50-54.

Mosher-Ashley, P. M. & Rabon**, C. E. (in press). A comparison of older and younger adults attending alcoholics anonymous. Clinical Gerontologist.

Slowiaczek, L.M., Soltano, E.G., Wieting, S.J. & Bishop, K.L. (in press).  An Investigation of Phonology and Orthography in Spoken Word Recognition.  The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

FACULTY/STUDENT RESEARCH 2001-2002

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

      Dawson, L. Recognizing abused children in the classroom. Workshop presented at the Instructional Assistants' Conference in Worcester, June, 2001.

Marco, C.A., McIver*, A., Lemley** P., & Ouilmette*, C. Adaptation of the Job Content Questionnaire to Assess Strain in a College Population: Preliminary data. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Barcelona, Spain. March, 2002.

Marco, C.A., Wolfson, A.R., Rabidou*, J. Wilkey* S., & LeChasseur**, K. School day and weekend sleep patterns in middle school students: A pilot study. To be presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Promotion of Sleep Science in Seattle, June 2002.

Trombley***, J., Thomas***, B., & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Massage therapy for Elders with Alzheimer’s Disease. Poster submitted to the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Conference in Boston.

Posters presented at the 2^nd Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging and The National Council on the Aging in Denver, March, 2002.

Caron*, K. A. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Working As A Team: Promoting Neighborhood Unity Through Intergenerational Cooperation..

Daou*, G. L. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Service Coordinators in Public Housing: Enhancing Quality of Life for Elderly Residents.

Kelly*, L. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Combining Reminiscence with Journal Writing to Promote Greater Life Satisfaction in an Assisted Living Community..

Miller*, J. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. A Comparison Between Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes on Resident Participation in Activities.

Prizio*, B. L. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. No More Fraud Victims! Empowering Elders through Education.

Robertson*, S. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. The Alzheimer-Friendly Environment: A Profile in Design.

.

Posters presented at the Eastern Psychological Association conference in Boston, MA in March 2002

Caron*, K. A. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M.  Impact of spirituality and religion on Social Supports of long-term care residents

Desjardins*, R. M. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Aging Anxiety Levels by Gender, Age, Visiting Contacts and Employment in Long-term Care Facilities.

Kemp*, A. J., & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. The Influence of Spirituality on Coping with Life in Long-Term Care.

Kiernan*, H. W., Silva*, J., & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Stressors and Sources of Support for Traditional and Nontraditional Undergraduates.

Lambert*, K. A. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M.  Caregiving Burden Experienced by the Caregiver’s Children..

Rabidou*, J. & Marco, C.A. “Flow” states and motivation in college students.

Robertson*, S. & Mosher-Ashley, P. M. Patterns of Confiding and Factors Influencing Mental Health Service Use in Older Adults.

All of the students in Dr. Pearl Mosher-Ashley’s Advanced Experimental Psychology class last semester had their class projects accepted for presentation as posters at the at the Eastern Psychological Association conference.

Posters accepted for the 6^th annual conference on Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, Creative, and Public Service Activities sponsored by the Massachusetts Public System of Higher Education for presentation in Boston, April, 2002

Bouchard*, Louise (Faculty Sponsor: P. Mosher-Ashley). Intergenerational community commitment promotes independence for elders..

 Jolin*, J. (Faculty Sponsor: P. Mosher-Ashley). Comparing and Contrasting Computer Education Programs for Older Adults

Melanson*, N.M. (Faculty Sponsor: P. Mosher-Ashley). Design and Implementation of a PAWS Approach to Facilitate Pet Therapy in Nursing Homes.

Powers*, Rosemary (Faculty Sponsor: P. Mosher-Ashley). Problems and Potential Solutions in Providing a “Groceries at Home” program.  

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

Faculty-student Activity

Rabidou*, J., & Soltano, E.G.  The interaction of prosody and priming in spoken word recognition.

Soltano, E.G., O'Malley*, E., & Herbst*, T.V.  The influence of word stress on language comprehension.

Honors Program

Kemp, Audrey.  Factors influencing adults’ participation in a structured wellness program. (Faculty Mentor: Pearl Mosher-Ashley)

Robertson, Suzanne.  Survey of Older Adults’ Attitudes Towards Mental Health Services. (Faculty Mentor: Pearl Mosher-Ashley)

 ESPECIALLY FOR JUNIORS

  If you are interested in graduate school, the summer between your junior and senior and year is a critical time to explore your options and prepare to apply:

  Send for program information and tentatively choose the schools you want;

  Check out financial aid sources;

  Visit schools and try to meet some faculty;

  Study preparation materials for the GRE;

  Begin to draft your resume and assemble a portfolio;

  Do volunteer work if you have no relevant job or internship experience.

For more information pick up copies of the grad school preparation materials in the Psychology Office.

 FYI

Psychology is the second largest major at WSC. By December, 2001, 609 students had declared a major in Psychology. Of these, 187 are double majors.

Good luck on finals 

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

  The growing field of Health Psychology includes a wide range of career opportunities. Health psychologists may work in behavioral medicine, substance abuse programs, public health, patient education, health maintenance and wellness programs, rehabilitation and many other areas, as well as teaching and doing research on health-related topics. Most health psychologists do graduate work in clinical psychology (especially if they wish to be practitioners) or social psychology. A limited number of graduate programs are becoming available in Health Psychology. For more information on this or other new fields of psychology ask the faculty and read the bulletin boards on the first floor of the Administration Building.

FACULTY ACTIVITIES