Remote Style SUMMER RESEARCH - Lessons in Academia as Asian Women Finding Meaning in the Pandemic Experience
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SUMMER 2021 | VOL 25 | NO 4 SUMMER RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS Remote Style PAGE 30 Lessons in Academia as Asian Women PAGE 12 Finding Meaning in the Pandemic Experience PAGE 44
CONTENTS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Features
WWW.PSICHI.ORG
SUMMER 2021 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 4
EDITOR
Susan Iles
susan.iles@psichi.org
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Bradley Cannon
bradley.cannon@psichi.org
DESIGNER
Taylor Brown-Stone
taylor.stone@psichi.org
Published by Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
Founded September 4, 1929, at the Ninth International Congress of
Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Member of the
Association of College Honor Societies. Eye on Psi Chi, ISSN 1092-0803
(print) and ISSN 2164-9812 (online), is published quarterly by Psi Chi, the
International Honor Society in Psychology. All contents ©2021 by Psi Chi.
The publication schedule follows the academic year: fall, winter, spring, and
summer. All opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors and/or Psi Chi.
EDITORIAL OFFICE:
Psi Chi Central Office
Street Address: 651 East 4th St., Suite 600 | Chattanooga, TN 37403
Telephone: +1-423-756-2044 | Fax: +1-423-265-1529
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persons wishing to utilize any of the above materials must write to the
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editions. All persons wishing to utilize any of the above materials are 30 · CAREER ADVICE
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liable for any and all licensing fees required. All persons wishing to utilize
any of the above materials must include copies of all permissions and
credit lines with the article submission.
Summer Research Internships: Remote Style
Camilla McMahon, PhD
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by Psi Chi of the advertiser or the product. Psi Chi neither endorses nor is
responsible for the content of third-party promotions.
PSI CHI Board of Directors
24 · PERSONAL GROWTH
SOCIETY PRESIDENT
Fostering Resilience in College Students
Deborah Harris O'Brien, PhD
president@psichi.org Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
PAST-PRESIDENT
Regan A. R. Gurung, PhD Denise Carballea, MS, and Rita M. Rivera, MS
pastpresident@psichi.org
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Ngoc H. Bui, PhD
presidentelect@psichi.org
EASTERN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Marianne Fallon, PhD
easternvp@psichi.org
28 · DISTINGUISHED MEMBER
MIDWESTERN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Lindsey Root Luna, PhD
Succeeding as a Latina Woman
midwesternvp@psichi.org
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
in Psychology
Leslie D. Cramblet Alvarez, PhD
rockymtnvp@psichi.org
Interview With Melba J. Vasquez, PhD
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Darren Bernal, PhD
Bradley Cannon
southeasternvp@psichi.org
SOUTHWESTERN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Lisa Rosen, PhD
southwesternvp@psichi.org 34 · INTERNATIONAL
WESTERN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Jill Yamashita, PhD
westernvp@psichi.org
An International Psychologist's
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Take on Empowering Women
Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD
martha.zlokovich@psichi.org Interview With Judith Gibbons, PhD
Bradley Cannon
38 · DISTINGUISHED LECTURER
How Tests Without Cross-Cultural Depth
ABBREVIATIONS
APA American Psychological Association
APS Association for Psychological Science
EPA
MPA
Eastern Psychological Association
Midwestern Psychological Association
Could Be Affecting Your Success
NEPA
RMPA
New England Psychological Association
Rocky Mountain Psychological Association
Interview With Kurt F. Geisinger, PhD
SEPA
SWPA
Southeastern Psychological Association
Southwestern Psychological Association
Bradley Cannon
WPA Western Psychological Association
2 EYE ON PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� CONTENTS
Columns Departments
06 · PSYCHOLOGY IN THE HEADLINES 04 Executive Director's Message
Another Pandemic Year Begins, 05 Women's History Month Resources
But All Is Not the Same 18 Psi Chi Central Office
Shawn R. Charlton, PhD
23 Merchandise
48 Chapter Activities
14 · RESEARCH
The Strange and Surprising
Origins of the t Statistic:
Using Math to Make Life Better
Ethan A. McMahan, PhD
Advertisements
16 · THREE HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE 11 Alliant International University
Questions (and Answers) About Whether 19 Psi Chi/Inez Beverly Prosser Scholarship
to Take Time Off Before Graduate School for Women of Color
Julie Radico, PsyD, ABPP, R. Eric Landrum, PhD, 19 Psi Chi eBook
and Scott VanderStoep, PhD
22 Psi-Chi-ology
20 · CONTEMPORARY PSYCH 52 Psi Chi Store
Personality Psychology:
For the Snowflakes
Ethan A. McMahan, PhD
44 · PERSONAL GROWTH 12 · DIVERSITY
Finding Meaning in the Lessons in Academia
Pandemic Experience as Asian Women
Susan E. Becker, PhD An Invitation to Women of Color for Change
Seungyeon Lee, PhD, and Albee Mendoza, PhD
COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 EYE ON PSI CHI 3
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Seeking Truth: Put Your
Training in Psychological
Science to Use
Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD
Psi Chi Executive Director
W
hat is truth? Who is telling you the truth? coronavirus, and the views of Republicans and Democrats contin-
How do you decide if television programs, ued to diverge even more over the year (Deane et al., 2021). Many
social media, newspapers, political parties, or people, even governors, believe and act on their belief that mask
the person in front of you are telling the truth? wearing is of no health benefit. Although most of us are hoping to
It certainly feels to me as if such questions get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, 15% of adults say they
have been asked more often over the last year. Since March 2020 will not get it, and another 22% say they will wait and see (Kaiser
we’ve all tried to make sense of conflicting information about the Family Foundation, 2021). And although it might have felt like
seriousness of the coronavirus, the safety of vaccines, the validity conspiracy theories exploded over the last year or so, Enders and
of opposing political viewpoints, and election integrity. Smallpage (2018) argue that most Americans (over 55%) believe in
But those of us who study psychology have an advantage. at least one conspiracy theory, and that conspiracy theories are not
We can apply the scientific method generally, and psychological new in U.S. politics.
science research findings specifically, to these questions. This per- Whether you are concerned with determining the answers to
spective fits perfectly with Psi Chi Board President Dr. Deborah questions about these issues or with communicating effectively
Harris O’Brien’s presidential theme, Psychological Science: We with a family member or friend, psychological science has answers.
Have Answers. Answers start with the basics of scientific inquiry. Is science biased?
In last quarter’s Eye, Dr. Harris O’Brien wrote about hope in It certainly could be but scientific methods were developed to elim-
the context of her theme. “Psychology can play a role in amelio- inate as much bias a possible (think about a blind vs. a double-blind
rating, coping with, and even preventing a repeat of some of the study, for example). Clear descriptions of hypotheses, research meth-
most terrible global issues and events that we have experienced ods, analyses, and conclusions allow others to evaluate the degree
in the past year” (Harris O’Brien, 2021). She even speculated that of bias. In addition, converging evidence over time can eventually
“Perhaps the course of the pandemic would have been different overcome the biases of any particular researcher or project. Aspects
had psychological science been more integrated into the response. of good scientific method such as describing who is conducting the
In the same issue, past Vice-President of the southwestern region," research, acknowledging who funds it, building on previous findings,
Shawn Charlton (2021), wrote about the growing partisan divide and describing hypotheses before collecting data allow reviewers to
in the United States. Charlton described research indicating that, judge the quality of the research and the researchers’ conclusions
in the United States, political parties more often appeal to their prior to publication. These aspects also allow readers to consider
voters in terms of what they would lose by voting for the other the quality—the truth—of the findings after publication. Scientists
party’s candidate than what they would gain from voting for may disagree about applicable theories, interpretation of findings, or
their own party’s candidate. Furthermore, he described hostility importance of results, but ideally they engage in robust discussion
toward others as predominating over affiliation for members of of all views. Many journals even publish responses or rebuttals from
one’s own party. In addition, Harris and Van Bavel (2021) recently dissenting researchers to earlier research publications.
described a replication of the finding that, while conservatives How does this relate to judging other kinds of information?
tend to be more dogmatic than liberals, people with the most Look at who wrote or produced the information. If you cannot
extreme beliefs, both conservatives and liberals, are the most dog- even tell who it is, that is a red flag for disinformation. Are facts
matic and likely to perceive their views as being superior. presented with citations you can verify, or is the messenger simply
Health, political, and economic concerns continue to be the attempting to inflame your emotions rather than describe the facts
most pressing issues as we enter spring and summer 2021. In the of the matter at hand? Can you apply psychological concepts such
face of pulling together to meet those challenges, in the United as confirmation bias, group think, or stereotyping to your assess-
States (and elsewhere) we are doing so as a country that cannot ment of the information?
agree on who is telling the truth. About one third of adults— Does scientific knowledge change? Yes. However, this is how
but 76% of Republicans—believe there was widespread voter science is supposed to work! Scientific knowledge is an ever-evolving
fraud in the 2020 presidential election (Quinnipiac University body of findings that incrementally improves and adjusts with every
Poll, February 4, 2021). Although most Americans thought new research finding and with improved methods over time (e.g.,
the virus was a significant economic problem in early March Edlund et al., 2021). A willingness to acknowledge that one’s initial
2020, Democrats were more worried about health impacts of contentions may be only partially true, or even completely incorrect,
4 EYE ON PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI
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is an integral part of building the most accurate, scientific, body of knowl-
Celebrate
edge. A dogmatic insistence that new findings must be illegitimate if
they contradict what was “known” at an earlier time indicates a complete
misunderstanding of how scientific knowledge progresses. In fact, unwill-
ingness to acknowledge even the possibility of scientific advances or new
information in order to adhere to old beliefs is another red flag indicating Women's
History Month
that seeking the truth may not be the messenger’s goal.
Think about writing the introduction for a research paper. How do
you decide which citations to include, which are from legitimate and
recognized sources? Although the occasional anonymous quote might March was Women’s History Month, a
be included in scientific writing, the bulk of citations leading up to justi- time to recognize women's successes
fication for introducing a new research project cannot include citations
to advance psychology knowledge
that are not attributable to a specific author, or work that was not peer
reviewed by others in the field and published in reputable journals or
and create a better and more
books, or work that is simply opinion. Readers must be able to find your equitable world for future generations.
sources themselves and judge for themselves if the work you cited is Throughout the past month, we have
applicable in the way you described, or if you left out relevant research actively expanded our collection,
findings that did not fit your point of view. which recognized notable women
Does researcher bias influence projects chosen, hypotheses explored,
in psychology and features gender-
or conclusions generated? Of course (e.g., Eagly & Carli, 1981)! Research
is a time-consuming endeavor, so being passionate about the topic related content geared to close the gap
contributes to our job satisfaction and happiness. But the processes of with regard to women in leadership
the scientific method are built around both reducing bias as much as positions, income, and diversity.
possible and alerting readers to possible biases that could qualify find-
ings or recommendations or improve future research. When messengers
Visit https://www.psichi.org/page/WomenHistoryMonth
purport that only “others” are biased, this is another red flag indicating
communicating the truth may not be their goal.
As I mentioned at the outset, we are lucky to have both scientific
method and psychological research findings to “light our way” as we
seek truth. If your chapter used the formal induction ceremony, you may
remember recitation of the Platonic Myth. It goes something like this:
All mortals come into this world barren of knowledge and innocent of all
truth. Of reality we know nothing. Bewilderment is the lot of us all. Often
we perceive only models of the truth. But we must go yet farther and find
the very source of things with which we are dealing. We strive to free
ourselves from the shackles of imperfect knowledge and attempt to come A Few Resources
closer to a clear understanding of human thought and activity.
ARTICLE: Why Aren't More Women Involved
References
Charlton, S. R. (2021, Spring). Understanding the growing partisan divide in the United States. Eye on Psi Chi, 25(3), 9.
in Certain STEM Disciplines?
https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye25.3.6 With Jane Stout, PhD
Dean, C., Parker, K., & Gramlich, J. (March 5, 2021). A year of U.S. public opinion on the coronavirus pandemic. Pew Research
Center website. https://www.pewresearch.org/2021/03/05/a-year-of-u-s-public-opinion-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (1981, January). Sex of researchers and sex-typed communications as determinants of sex differences BLOG: Psi Chi Distinguished Members—
in influenceability: A meta-analysis of social influence studies. Psychological Bulletin, 90(1), 1–20. Who Happen to Be Women!
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.90.1.1
Edlund, J. E., Cuccolo, K., Irgens, M. S., Wagge, J. R., & Zlokovich, M. S. (2021, in press). Saving science through replication
studies. Perspectives on Psychological Science. PODCAST: Surprising Gender Stereotypes:
Enders, A. M., & Smallpage, S. M. (2018). Polls, plots, and party politics: Conspiracy theories in contemporary America. In J. E.
Uscinski (Ed.), Conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190844073.003.0020
How Views of Women Have Changed
Harris, E. A., & Van Bavel, J. J. (2021). Preregistered replication of ‘feeling superior is a bipartisan issue: Extremity (not direction) With Alice Eagly, PhD
of political views predicts perceived belief superiority.’ Psychological Science. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620968792
Harris O’Brien, D. (2021, Spring). Psychological science: Making hope our goal. Eye on Psi Chi, 25(3), 4–5.
JOURNAL: Anything He Can Do, She Can Do
https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye25.3.4 Better: Children’s Attitudes About Gender
Kaiser Family Foundation. (March 5, 2021). Interactive tool: Vaccine intentions by demographic groups.
https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/dashboard/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-dashboard and Occupations
Quinnipiac University Poll. (2021, February 4). Interactive tool: Vaccine intentions by demographic groups.
https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3689
COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 EYE ON PSI CHI 5
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE HEADLINES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Another Pandemic Year Begins,
But All Is Not the Same
SECTION EDITOR:
Shawn R. Charlton, PhD
University of Central Arkansas
T
he COVID pandemic just turned one (and I refuse to depleted we are—isn’t that where so many of us are right now?—
wish it a happy birthday). I have found dealing with a the more prone we are to creating simple categorical evaluations
1-year-old pandemic to be a very different experience. of our experiences. So while comparing April 2020 and April 2021
I can no longer look back a year and reminisce on pre- may result in the same categorical judgment—we were and are
COVID life. There is no more, “Well, last April [2019] in a pandemic—a more nuanced, careful comparison shows that
I was able to attend the Southwestern Psychological Association we are not in the same place. For example, restrictions have been
(SWPA) convention, we had students on campus for the Arkansas relaxed, more people are vaccinated, we have a better scientific
Symposium for Psychology Students, and I could leave the house.” and medical understanding of COVID-19, and our use of technol-
A thought that was then followed up with optimistic visions of ogy to connect with others has increased immensely. Cultivating
2021 looking much more like 2019 than the 2020 experience. a habit of seeing life experiences along a continuum, not as a
Looking back a year ago now, puts me right back in the pandemic. dichotomy, helps build resilience and supports healthy optimism.
My challenges adjusting to the second year of COVID are an And, even as we enter year two of the pandemic, psychological
example of categorical versus continuous thinking. We have a science moves forward. As you will see in the following headlines,
strong tendency to view life categorically. We see this categorical recent research advances our understanding of the impact of the
thinking with the pandemic as well as in how we evaluate expe- pandemic on our health, technology and its interface with our
Photo Credit: iStockphoto.com/ Syuzann
riences (good/bad), race relations (Black/White), gender (female/ psychology, and how our personality impacts our interpretations
male), politics (Democrat/Republican), and morality (right/ of others. Just as parents of a toddler keep moving forward despite
wrong). And the more stressed and cognitively and emotionally the challenges of parenting, psychological science presses forward.
6 EYE ON PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI
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Multitasking: Does It Work
as Well as We’d Like to Think?
Kalista Pettus, Merritt White Tate, Quin Price,
and Felex Nelson
University of Central Arkansas
Multitasking is a ubiquitous aspect of modern living.
The question is: Does multitasking really work? Does it
actually allow us to be more efficient and productive?
Fortunately, psychological science can help us gain a better
understanding of how multitasking works and what effect
it has on the human brain.
When we attempt to multitask, we rely on our brain’s
ability to process information. Lui and Wong (2020)
identified three limitations of our information processing
capabilities while multitasking: (a) response selection, (b)
task-set reconfiguration, and (c) retrieval and maintenance
of task information. Response selection is the process
of choosing a response to a stimulus; response selection
must be fast and efficient to be able to do things such as
answering a phone call while simultaneously opening a new
computer tab. Multitasking delays our response selection.
Task-set reconfiguration is the action of switching task sets
in order to perform a new task. The limitation of task-set
reconfiguration is that one’s brain cannot properly create a
list of things needed to do for each task and organize them
in a manner that can be completed while flipping between
tasks. Retrieval and maintenance has to do with the ability
to remember information about the task, which is impaired
when managing multiple tasks. Due to these limitations
with information processing, multitasking is considered to
be less effective and efficient than completing each task in
turn.
Multitasking is also related to our brain’s executive
functioning. Cherry (2020) explored the executive func-
tions of the brain and how they manage multitasking.
These functions decide when, what, and how tasks are
completed. Executive function includes both goal shifting
and role activation. Goal shifting is when you decide to do
one thing over the other. Role activation is changing from
rules of a previous task to rules of a new task. Excessive
switching between the two stages (multitasking) can cause
burnout, affecting productivity and brain health.
A concise summary of the current science of multi-
tasking is: Just because it seems like we can do two things
at once, doesn’t necessarily mean that we should. However,
if you do find yourself distracted or tempted to multitask,
Schmidt (2020) suggests that you can instead try to take
a break, remove distractions, or work on the task for a set
amount of time. Trust the researchers’ advice on this—your
brain and your work will thank you!
References
Cherry, K. (2020). The cognitive and productive costs of multitasking. Verywell Mind.
Photo Credit: Unsplach.com/ Luis Villasmil
https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003
Lui, K. F. H., & Wong, A. C. N. (2020). Multiple processing limitations underlie multitasking costs.
Psychological Research, 84(7), 1946–1964. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01196-0
Schmidt, S. J. (2020). Distracted learning: Big problem and golden opportunity. Journal of Food Science
Education, 19(4), 278–291. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4329.12206
COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 EYE ON PSI CHI 7
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE HEADLINES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
How Research About Bystander Behavior and instilling an automatic negative judgement toward bullying.
According to Hinduja and Patchin (2019), adolescents tend to
Can Improve Anti-Bullying Programs follow masses, making peer pressure another important factor that
Aley Mayden, Charity Cameron, Dominique Sellers, can influence bystander behavior. Anti-bullying programs should
and Merritt White Tate focus on teaching positive bystander behavior tools to adolescents
University of Central Arkansas in their efforts to initiate change.
Studying the different aspects of bystander behavior is vital to
Bullying is a pervasive issue that presents itself at school, work, understanding why people choose to intervene in situations where
and online. Gini et al. (2020) explain that bystander behavior plays people need their help, especially when it comes to bullying. A
a large role in predicting who will take action to stop bullying. number of anti-bullying programs are used in schools and other
Several studies have been conducted providing extensive infor- places that could greatly benefit from considering the research
mation on why people choose to intervene and this information done on bystander behavior. Patrick et al. (2019) suggest that, by
can be beneficial in designing effective anti-bullying programs in applying more focus on adolescents’ moral identity, self-efficacy,
schools (Gini et al., 2020; Longobardi et al., 2020; Patrick et al., empathy, and motivation to defend, anti-bullying programs could
2019; Troop-Gordon et al., 2019). be much more successful in influencing adolescents to take action
Park et al. (2021) assert that cyberbullying among adolescents in a bullying situation rather than being a passive bystander.
is an increasing concern. Cyberbullying presents aspects we don’t
see with many other forms of bullying: anonymity and a sense of References
distance from the situation. You and Lee (2019), in their study of Gini, G., Thornberg, R., & Pozzoli, T. (2020). Individual moral disengagement and bystander behavior in bullying:
The role of moral distress and collective moral disengagement. Psychology of Violence, 10(1), 38–47.
bystander behavior and cyberbullying, demonstrated that bystand-
https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000223
ers decisions to act depends on their consideration of anonymity, Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2019). Cyberbullying: Identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research
the number of bystanders, and the types of intervention behaviors Center, 1-9. https://cyberbullying.org/2019-cyberbullying-data
Longobardi, C., Borello, L., Thornberg, R., & Settanni, M. (2020). Empathy and defending behaviours in school
possible. With this under consideration, it is easier to understand bullying: The mediating role of motivation to defend victims. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 90(2),
why someone witnessing bullying on the internet would just pass 473–486. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12289
right by, but what prevents firsthand bystanders from acting? Park, M. S., Golden, K. J., Vizcaino-Vickers, S., Jidong, D., & Raj, S. (2021). Sociocultural values, attitudes and risk
factors associated with adolescent cyberbullying in East Asia: A systematic review. Cyberpsychology: Journal of
A number of factors influence a person's decision to intervene Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2021-1-5
in a bystander situation, especially when it comes to bullying. Patrick, R. B., Rote, W. M., Gibbs, J. C., & Basinger, K. S. (2019). Defend, stand by, or join in?: The relative influence
of moral identity, moral judgment, and social self-efficacy on adolescents’ bystander behaviors in bullying
Troop-Gordon et al. (2019) found that low levels of perceived
situations. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(10), 2051–2064. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01089-w
norms for defending and a lack of empathy in adolescents pre- Troop-Gordon, W., Frosch, C., Totura, C., Bailey, A., Jackson, J., & Dvorak, R. (2019). Predicting the development of pro-
dicted behavior that perpetuated bullying. A possible solution:
Photo Credit: Pexels.com/ Keira Burton
bullying bystander behavior: A short-term longitudinal analysis. Journal of School Psychology, 77(0022-4405),
77–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2019.10.004 .
Longobardi et al. (2020) found that helping behavior can be You, L., & Lee, Y. (2019). The bystander effect in cyberbullying on social network sites: Anonymity, group size, and
taught by placing emphasis on self-motivated habits to defend intervention intentions. Telematics and Informatics, 45(5), 101284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101284
8 EYE ON PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI
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What Does Pandemic- and Political-Related
Stress Mean for Your Health?
Bradley Cannon
Psi Chi Central Office
April is Stress Awareness Month! And it seems clear that this
opportunity to reflect on and attempt to relieve people’s stress is
much needed.
A recent survey by the American Psychological Association
(2021) in January found that 84% of U.S. adults are experiencing
at least one emotion related to prolonged stress. These are the
highest self-reported levels since the early months of the pan-
demic. Of the 2,076 participants, top reasons for stress included
the nation’s uncertain future (81%), COVID-19 (80%), and politi-
cal unrest (7%).
Before this short article adds to any personal stress that
you may be experiencing, keep in mind that stress is actually a
natural biological response to threats. Stress boosts your heart
rate, heightens energy supplies, and sharpens your mind. It even
increases your body’s ability to repair tissues (Mayo Clinic Staff,
2019).
In the short-term, all of these effects can be useful in order
to help you avoid danger. But that being said, it is fairly common
knowledge that too much long-term stress can result in a variety
unpleasant issues such as depression, headaches, heart disease,
weight gain, and even memory impairment. These issues occur
because, when stressors are constantly present, the ongoing
overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones disrupts your
body’s other processes such as the digestive system, the reproduc-
tive system, and growth processes (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2019).
It is important to recognize the differences between good
anxiety and bad anxiety, the latter of which you should especially
seek to reduce. Good anxiety is normal—it helps keep you
productive and motivated to study, etc. On the other hand, an
example of bad or irrational anxiety is to worry about things
beyond your control such as what would happen if a family
member suddenly passed away or frequently distressing yourself
by reading argumentative news articles (Center for Growth, n.d.).
Here’s some good news. There are many relatively straight-
forward (and enjoyable) ways to reduce your stress. Consider
these brief tips (APA, 2021; Drayer, 2021):
• Turn off social media and the news.
• Make a point to stay connected with friends and family.
• Schedule daily exercise, meditation, and/or yoga.
• Seek out nature, music, and hobbies.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Get professional counseling when needed.
References
American Psychological Association. (2021, January). Stress in America: January 2021 stress snapshot
[Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/stress-snapshot-january.pdf
Center for Growth. (n.d.). Good vs. bad anxiety. https://www.therapyinphiladelphia.com/tips/good-vs-bad-anxiety
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com/ solarseven
Drayer, L. (2021, February 8). Habits that reduce stress during a pandemic. CNN.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/habits-that-reduce-stress-during-a-pandemic/ar-BB1duswj
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019, March 19). Chronic stress puts your health at risk. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037
COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 EYE ON PSI CHI 9
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE HEADLINES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
If You Are “Less Agreeable,” You Are More The findings indicated that certain personality traits make
those participants judge the writers more rigidly. Those who were
Sensitive to Typos and Grammar Errors introverts showed more harsh criticism toward grammar errors.
Seungyeon Lee, PhD Those who were less agreeable felt aggrevated or upset when they
University of Arkansas at Monticello saw typos and grammatical errors. Neither typos nor gram-
matical mix-ups affected those who were neurotic. The authors
Some people feel super-sensitive, aggravated, or bothered when
concluded that individuals who are less agreeable seem to be “less
they see emails, papers, and social media with grammar errors.
tolerant of deviations” from social norms. How personality affects
Are you one of the kind? If the answer is yes, you are less likely to
individuals’ mental processes in language processing is definitely
be “agreeable.”
interesting, so future researchers may want to develop broader
Boland and Queen (2016) published their study in PLoS
research questions (e.g., how certain personality traits affect peo-
One, showing that participants’ personality traits affect how they
ple’s language interpretation).
respond to syntactic errors and typos. The main goal of their study
was to examine the social judgements participants made about References
the writers. A total of 83 participants were asked to read email Boland, J. E., & Queen, R. (2016). If you’re house is still available, send me an email: Personality influences reactions
responses to an advertisement for a housemate. Those responses to written errors in email messages. PloS One, 11(3), e149885. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149885
John, O. P., Donahue, E. M., & Kentle, R. L. (1991). The Big five inventory—versions 4a and 54. University of California,
consisted of one of the following: (a) typo-free errors, (b) some Berkeley, Institute of Personality and Social Research.
typos, or (c) “grammatical mix-ups.” Then, they judged those
writers based on what they had perceived. They also provided Shawn R. Charlton, PhD, earned a BA degree from Utah State University
responses on whether they detected any grammatical errors or (2001) and a MS and PhD from the University of California, San Diego (2006).
His research interests explore decision-making in a variety of contexts.
typos in the emails and the degree to which the errors bothered Research on professional development in higher education is a growing
them. They also filled out a Big 5 personality assessment (John et emphasis for his Behavioral and Social Decisions Laboratory.
al., 1991) that measures them on the Big 5 dimensions of personal-
ity (i.e., openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness,
and neuroticism—[OCEAN]).
Do you know about a major contemporary event
Submit to related to one of the many areas of psychology?
This Series
Share it with us for potential publication in this series!
Photo Credit: Pexels.com/ fotografierende
Recurring Contributors are also wanted.
For full submission guidelines, visit www.psichi.org/page/PsychologyInTheHeadlines
10 EYE ON PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHIADVERTISEMENT COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 EYE ON PSI CHI 11
DIVERSITY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Lessons in Academia as Asian Women
An Invitation to Women of Color for Change
Seungyeon Lee, PhD Albee Mendoza, PhD
University of Arkansas at Monticello Wesley College
M
arch is designated as “Women’s History Month,” in students, who are often immigrants, women, and ethnic minorities
which we see the notable contributions of women, (Galina, 2018), these small acts can provide them with knowledge and
especially women of color (WOC), and recognize empower them to advocate for themselves. Another strategy is to stay
their outstanding achievements over the course abreast of current trends in research for knowledge itself, and how it
of American history in the field of psychology. affects our positions (e.g., Open Science Framework promotes diverse
This year, the theme for International Women’s Day is “Women in scholarship). With a pandemic, teaching and research are virtually
Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World” (UN available, as international scholars engage in online platforms. We see
Women, 2020). In the COVID-19 era, WOC must find pathways to more of this coming, so this cultural shift may yield a more socially
balance a concerted effort to advance their education while engaging equitable future. Additionally, specialties like health psychology and
in teaching, mentorship, and service as well as carve out time for applied behavior analysis are targeted fields for female and minority
both scholarship and professional development activities. As WOC, students, including early career psychologists, to make important
specifically Asian women in academia, Drs. Lee and Mendoza discuss contributions in their work and research studies. More importantly,
their views on the topics of diversity/inclusion/social justice, work/life as teachers of psychology, we need to understand our own biases in
balance, and tenure/promotion. Both women work in teaching- the face of racial tensions and be aware of how to address them, and
focused institutions, are early career psychologists, are involved in we cannot shy away from having difficult conversations about race,
institutional and national service, and were born outside the United privilege, and mental health with our colleagues and students. We are
States (South Korea and the Philippines, respectively). They offer an thankful to be in the psychology field, where resources are available
invitation for other WOC to reflect on their own experiences, be more to educate ourselves about these issues. In addition, organizations like
aware of issues affecting personal and professional development, and Psi Chi promote diversity, inclusion, and equity with action such as
take steps for change. offering educational and financial assistance (e.g., Mamie Phipps Clark
As WOC in academia, how do you promote Diversity Grant, Inez Beverly Prosser Scholarship for WOC) to benefit
minority scholars and WOC.
diversity, inclusion, and social justice and shape
a more socially equitable future? Some WOC express that they may experience
Psychology is considered highly competitive. There is no obvious solu- discomfort in higher education, such as when to
tion to promote equal opportunity. We advocate for minority women, say “yes” and “no” when demands are presented.
international students, and early career scholars, as they are affected by What are some ways to improve work-life
certain issues, which influence higher education in general. For exam-
ple, as immigrants, we know what it is like to be a student with parents balance, including yours?
who did not go to college in this country. Thus, one strategy is to build In academia, the topics of diversity and inclusion come up frequently;
however, a good work ethic is necessary, but insufficient to convince
Photo Credit: Pexels.com/ Mentatgdt
students’ cultural capital in the campus setting (e.g., giving reminders,
walking them to offices, introducing them to staff/faculty), which others you belong. We are grateful to be part of an ethnic minority,
may be seen as “hand-holding.” However, for first-generation college but wonder what “feelings of belongingness” really mean. Clashing
12 EYE ON PSI CHI SUMMER 2021 COPYRIGHT © 2021 PSI CHI�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� DIVERSITY
theoretical perspectives can have a strong influence on us, which was These mentors can empower us in writing letters of support as part
researched by many White scholars (Roberts et al., 2020). Why this is of the T/P process. Another strategy is to use the Eisenhower Matrix
important is because these attitudes affect the types of opportunities to deal with time management more efficiently: what to “do,” what to
available to us and how we are perceived when we say “no.” We are “delete,” what to “delegate,” and what to “decide.” This helps to take
the only Asian women in our respective departments, and one of conscious control of time, and overcome some challenges in the T/P
the few in our institution as WOC. However, being a solo faculty of process as very few colleagues showed us “how” to prepare for tenure
color (FOC) carries with it added anxiety and stress as we can feel and promotion, even more so with minimal guidance of “what” to do.
like exemplars for our race/gender/culture. Specifically, we have had Lastly, it is important to consider that faculty members who per-
thoughts at times when we were overwhelmed with tasks such as “All ceive a sense of community and who have positive teaching/schol-
faculty are as busy as me,” “It is what it is,” “Who am I to complain?,” arship/service experiences are less likely to leave their institutions
“Who am I to raise questions?,” “I should say yes because I don’t (Rosser, 2004). Retention of faculty aids in departmental stability
want to seem ungrateful,” and “I should say yes because I don’t want and institutional productivity; thus, even though we have experi-
to seem like I don’t know what I am doing.” In the beginning of our enced discomfort in the workplace as WOC, our contributions have
careers in academia, we felt like we had to say “yes” to everything and been recognized and commended by a network of understanding
say “yes” quickly, which created lines in our vitas but these behaviors colleagues and mentors. We invite other WOC to share their experi-
were not sustainable, especially as we became mothers. In our current ences and consider us sources of support.
positions, we see this as a timing issue—when to say “yes” or “no”—
but wonder about the optimal time to be proactive and/or disagree References
when necessary. Given the current pandemic, our workload has Dylan, K. E., & Rouse, C. E. (1997). The underrepresentation of women in economics: A study of undergraduate
economics students. The Journal of Economic Education, 28(4), 350–368.
been challenging, with more demand for online teaching and Zoom https://doi.org/10.1080/00220489709597939
meetings, etc. Work has taken precedence in our lives, even before Flaherty, C. (2017, April 12). Relying on women, not rewarding them. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/
the pandemic lockdown, which seems to be getting worse, especially news/2017/04/12/study-finds-female-professors-outperform-men-service-their-possible-professional
Galina, B. (2018). Teaching first-generation college students. Vanderbilt University. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/
for early career scholars and FOC. A strategy to help with when to guides-sub-pages/teaching-first-generation-college-students/
say “yes” and get something in return, “yes, but” with conditions or Ginther, D. K., & Khan, S. (2004). Women in economics: Moving up or falling off the academiccareer ladder?
“no” (Whitaker, 2018) is to create a needs assessment that aligns with Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(3), 193–214. https://doi.org/10.1257/0895330042162386
Roberts, S. O., Bareket-Shavit, C., Dollins, F. A., Goldie, P. D., & Mortenson, E. (2020). Radical inequality in psychological
the tenure/promotion trajectory. For example, in one year’s time, you research: Trends of the past and recommendations for the future. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(6),
would like to chair an honors thesis committee, support students in 1295–1309. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620927709
hosting a community event, and start an interinstitutional research Rosser, V. J. (2004). Faculty members’ intentions to leave: A national study on their worklife and satisfaction. Research
in Higher Education, 45(3), 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:RIHE.0000019591.74425.f1
project. As opportunities arise, you can revisit your needs assessment UN Women. (2020, November 10). International Women’s Day 2021 theme—‘Women in leadership: Achieving
to see if you say “yes” (e.g., cosponsoring a 5K because it aligns with an equal future in a COVID-19 world.’ UN Women. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/11/
your goal and is a line in your vita for community engagement), announcer-international-womens-day-2021
Whitaker, M. (2018, July 1). How to advocate for yourself as an early career scholar. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
say “yes, but” (e.g., representing your department at orientation in https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-advocate-for-yourself-as-an-early-career-scholar/
exchange for not attending open house), or say “no” (e.g., not volun-
teering for a task force). Seungyeon Lee, PhD, was born in Seoul, South Korea and came to the United
States at age of 20. Dr. Seungyeon Lee is an associate professor of psychology
Piggybacking on the topic of work-life balance, at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in Monticello, Arkansas. She received
how do you meet expectations for tenure/ her PhD in educational psychology from the University of Kansas (KU) in
Lawrence, KS. Dr. Lee was honored by UAM as the recipient of the Outstanding
promotion (T/P)? Have you encountered any School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Award (2016); the Regional
Faculty Advisor Award of Psi Chi, Southwestern Region (2017); the American
challenges being a WOC? Psychological Association’s Early Career Achievement Award (2020); and the
Arkansas Psychological Association’s Academician of the Year Award (2021). Along with Dr. Mendoza,
Unfortunately, despite a clear path to academic promotion, there is
she is currently serving as a member of the Psi Chi Diversity Advisory Committee as the Southwestern
still a huge wage gap (as assessed in Economics), with fundamental Regional representative. During this time, she has also served on the Psi Chi Research Award Committee
issues occurring in the promotion rate of male and female academics for the Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA). She is the chair of Mentorship of Teachers
(Dylan & Rouse, 1997; Ginther & Khan, 2004; Roberts et al., 2020). Award Committee for the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), as well as an active member of
As WOC, T/P can be difficult, as service duties that pile up unless the American Psychological Association (APA). In January 2021, Dr. Lee was selected as the first Psi Chi
we learn how to say “no” to protect ourselves. In fact, Flaherty (2017) Faculty Support Director. She can be reached at Faculty.Support.Director@psichi.org.
discussed how female faculty take on more service work than their
male colleagues; thus, having a heavy workload at home and at work. Albee Mendoza, PhD, was born in Manila, Philippines and immigrated to
This service imbalance may be a disadvantage when applying for T/P, the United States at the age of 7. As one of the few WOC in her program, she
received her PhD in health psychology with a specialization in pediatric school
especially since the notion of “publish or perish” has been a harsh
psychology from East Carolina University. Currently, Dr. Mendoza works at
reality for years. One strategy that we strongly recommend is to Wesley College as an associate professor of psychology. Institutionally, she
carefully review your institution’s faculty handbook in order to better serves as a faculty advisor for psychology majors and minors, a mentor for the
understand expectations as well as to comprehend who will be review- annual undergraduate celebration, and an instructor for students in courses
ing your materials and making decisions about your status. As WOC, like Educational Psychology and Psychological Testing. Nationally, Dr. Mendoza
we wanted to understand institutional culture, so that our academic engages in service by being actively involved as an associate editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological
Research as well as the Eastern Regional representative for the Psi Chi Diversity Advisory Committee.
achievements were seen as being in alignment. Though there is a lack of Specific to the teaching of psychology, Dr. Mendoza is involved in the Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology
WOC in leadership positions in our institutions, we are lucky to have (MATOP) Conference Committee, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP)’s Partnerships Small
found mentors in the broader field of psychology by being involved Grants Committee, and the STP’s Early Career Psychologists Committee. Dr. Mendoza shares her favorite
in organizations such as Psi Chi. Finding like-minded and more Filipino dishes (e.g., lumpia, siopao, adobo) with her husband and daughter. She can be reached at
advanced mentors can help in the area of professional development. albee.mendoza@wesley.edu.
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