REU Site: NYU Center for Behavioral Statistics and the Study of Motivated Perception

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project is supported under the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program, which is an NSF-wide program although each Directorate administers its own REU Site competition. This program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in an effort to introduce them to scientific research so as to encourage their continued engagement in the nation's scientific research and development enterprise. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects designed especially for the purpose. The REU program is a major contributor to the NSF's goal of developing a diverse, internationally competitive, and globally-engaged science and engineering workforce. The Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) sciences Directorate has awarded this REU Site grant to New York University with the goal to provide opportunities in STEM areas that increase engagement through the use of research-based learning communities. This REU Site integrates research and learning for undergraduate students using a group-learning approach to research and mentoring. Interns are diverse across race and gender and the project targets students at non research extensive universities. Research conducted at this REU Site aims to improve outcomes for minority group members. The students are trained and mentored through all stages of research, data collection, publication and presentation. The purpose of the NYU REU Site project is to afford interns the opportunity to conduct research that could be theoretically transformative, translational, and interdisciplinary. The work in this project connects vision, group dynamics, psychophysiology, and cognition. This REU site designs research experiences using a learning community approach - one of the most effective means for increasing belonging-ness within the sciences. This site accepts 10 interns for 8-weeks each summer. The primary objective is to provide extensive, immersive training in basic and advanced behavioral statistics. The second objective of the site is to develop critical thinking skills in the science of motivated perception. Interns apply the theory of motivated perception by conducting original research in any two of the following areas: (1) interpersonal emotion, (2) politics, (3) health and fitness and (4) legal decision-making. In addition, interns are trained in social cognitive techniques including eye tracking, psychophysiology, and behavioral coding. The third objective is to increase a sense of belonging in STEM fields for underrepresented students which serves as a primary psychological factor predicting retention. Guided by PhD students and PIs, interns participate in research teams composed of peers and serve as the team leader for one of the projects. Further, interns present their research results at conferences and receive continued mentorship even after their REU term is over.