Psychology Research Labs

Community Health Psychology Lab

Director: Abbey Mann
Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/mannak/research/community-health-psychology-lab/
The Community Health Psychology Lab is engaged in community-based research on healthcare access, primarily with sexual and gender minority groups. Current work includes analyzing interview and survey data for a study about the healthcare experiences and needs of nonbinary adults (HENNA) and a number of local community-based projects.

Recent representative publications:

Mann, A. K. & Manasfi, N. (2025). Transgender adults’ narratives of gender identity and access to care: A timeline study. Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Issues, (TBD). https://doi.org/10.1080/29933021.2025.2526818

Mann, A.K., Fredrick E. G., & Wilkins B. (2024). Growing up in a rural area social support, and internalized transphobia: Understanding Appalachian transgender mental and physical health. Stigma & Health, 9(4), 582-592. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000425

Williams, S., Van Leuven, E. G., Wilkins, B. T., &  Mann, A. K. (2024). A moderated mediation model of minority stress in Appalachian transgender and nonbinary individuals Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (TBD) https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000756

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of Health Psychology: Access to healthcare, Sexuality- and Gender-Related Health Issues, community-based projects related to wellbeing

COnnection AND RELATIONAL EXPERIENCES (CARE) LAB

Director: Daisi R. Brand

Research in the CARE Lab examines how people develop and experience meaningful social and romantic connections, and how these connections contribute to our well-being. Recent projects have investigated the processes involved in forming interpersonal closeness between two people, as well as the everyday contexts and experiences that can foster social connection more broadly. We are particularly interested in how factors such as self-disclosure, perceived responsiveness, shared experiences, and other relational processes may strengthen connections and promote positive outcomes.

Recent representative publications:

Brand, D. R., Proctor, A. S., Harvey, M. W., Abney, D. H., Slatcher, R. B., & Holt-Lunstad, J. (2026). Actively participating in live events as an avenue for social connection. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 17(4), 436-446. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506251360041

Brand, D. R., Leckfor, C. M., & Slatcher, R. B. (2025). “Is it (un) romantic in here or is it just me?”: Examining the effects of physical settings on relationship initiation processes. Collabra: Psychology, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.140690

Guilty Pleasures & Ambivalence (GPA) Lab 

Director: LaCount “JJ” Togans
Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/togansl/gpa-lab/

Research in the GPA lab examines how people think, feel, and behave when experiencing ambivalence (e.g., feeling simultaneous positive and negative emotions, seeing “both sides” of a topic). Current projects involve investigating the psychology of indulging in guilty pleasures, as well as exploring how self-conscious emotions (e.g., nostalgia, embarrassment, pride) influence the strength of people’s opinions. We are also interested in exploring how the experience of ambivalence varies cross-culturally.

Recent representative publications:

Togans, L. J., & McConnell, A. R. (2025). How should I feel about this? Investigating the emotions and processes involved in indulging in guilty pleasures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Advanced online publication. DOI: 10.1177/01461672251327440

Togans, L. J., & McConnell, A. R. (2024). Blinded by wistfulness: On how nostalgia strengthens attitudes. Cognition and Emotion, 38, 913-927. DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2336196

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of social psychology of attitudes and persuasion, emotion and cognition, nostalgia, culture and cognition, the self

Human Factors, Perception, & Cognition Lab

Director: Michael Nees
Website: http://sites.lafayette.edu/neesm
Research in the HFPC lab examines theoretical and applied aspects of human interactions with technology. Current research topics and interests include auditory displays, human interactions with automation, driving safety, and accessibility.

Recent representative publications: 

Nees, M.A., Liu, C.**, & Bogan, K.**. (2024) Speech, Nonspeech Audio, and Visual Interruptions of a Tracking Task: A Replication and Extension of Nees & Sampsell (2021). Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 72(5), 309-316. https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22604 https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/64dbm

Nees, M.A. (2024). Auditory versus visual Interruptions: A skeptical perspective on auditory preemption and suggestions for advancing theory. Auditory Perception & Cognition, 7(2), 140-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/25742442.2024.2311054

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of Human Factors, Psychology of Technology, Perception, Disabilities/Assistive Technology

integrative worker assessment with technology-enhancement research (inwater) lab

Director: Chu Chu

The InWATER lab looks at various ways that individuals differ from one another, with a focus on worker characteristics such as interests, values, goals. We investigate how to measure individual differences, how traits develop throughout the lifespan, how various traits interact with each other, and how they influence educational, career, and life outcomes in an integrative manner. In addition, we examine ways to involve modern technological tools (e.g., AI, LLMs, Chatbots) in understanding and assessing worker characteristics.

Recent representative publications:

Hoff, K. A., Chu, C., Wu, F., Einarsdóttir, S., Hanna, A., Damian, R. I., Van Egdom, D., Rounds, J., & Oswald, F. L. (2026). Personality, Interests, and Life Goals: Their Relative Importance for Predicting Early Career Outcomes. European Journal of Personality, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070261476197

Chu, C., Hoff, K. A., Liu, Z., Heimpel, N. F., Greco, A., Oswald, F. L., & Rounds, J. (2026). Interest Fit Beyond the RIASEC: The Comprehensive Assessment of Basic Interests—O*NET (CABIN-NET). Journal of Career Assessment, 34(2), 286-310. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727251322520

Liu, Z., Hoff, K., Chu, C., Oswald, F., & Rounds, J. (2024). Toward Whole-Person Fit Assessment: Integrating Interests, Values, Skills, Knowledge, and Personality Using the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Journal of Applied Psychology. 110(5), 623-647. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/apl0001232

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of I-O Psychology, psychological testing & measurement, and individual differences psychology

Intergroup Bias & Social Cognition Lab 

Director: Deja Simon-Jennings

Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/simonjed/

The Intergroup Bias & Social Cognition Lab studies how intergroup biases (e.g., pertaining to race or skin tone) influence person memory and perception. We investigate 1) why people pay attention to, thus better recognize, some individuals more than others, 2) ways that face recognition can be improved, and 3) how people’s outward characteristics influence others’ perceptions and judgments.

Recent representative publications:

Simon, D., Chen, J. M., Sherman, J. W., & Calanchini, J. (2023). A recognition advantage for members of higher-status racial groups. British Journal of Psychology, 114, 188–211.

Stelter, M., Simon, D., Calanchini, J., Christ, O., & Degner, J. (2023). Real-life outgroup exposure, self-reported outgroup contact and the other-race effect. British Journal of Psychology, 114, 150-171.

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of intergroup bias, person perception, person memory, stereotyping and prejudice.

Lafayette Kids Lab

Director: Lauren J. Myers (myersl@lafayette.edu)
Website: https://proflaurenmyers.com/

The Lafayette Kids Lab conducts research about developmentally appropriate use of digital media by infants and children under the age of 5 years. We also collaborate with investigators and students at the University of South Dakota, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University and Penn State-Brandywine. Students in the lab have the opportunity to co-author presentations and publications and recent students have presented at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (past thesis students Samantha Montague ’26, Gabby Pedula ’26, Lauren Daniels ‘25, Abigail Milhaven ‘24); Cognitive Development Society (Kate Crotty ’27, Sofia Alvarez ’26, Iris Peluso ’26); and International Congress on Infant Studies (Maya Taylor-Prince ’28).

Recent representative publications: 

PDFs available at website https://proflaurenmyers.com/ (* indicates undergraduate student author from Lafayette):

Neely, L.I.*, Piper, D.J., Myers, L.J., Zosh, J.M., Strouse, G.A., Troseth, G., Barr, R. (2026). In the living room and across the screen: Intergenerational Play between infants and grandparents. Infancy, 31(1), e70065. 10.1111/infa.70065

Myers, L.J., Strouse, G.A., McClure, E.R., Keller, K.R.*, Neely, L.I.*, Stoto, I.*, Vadakattu, N.S., Kim, E., Troseth, G.L., Barr, R.F., & Zosh, J.M. (2024). Look at Grandma! Joint visual attention interactions over video chat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infant Behavior and Development, 75, 101934. DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101934

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of child development and children & media

MemLab

Director: Jennifer Talarico
Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/talaricj

MemLab studies how individuals remember personally-experienced events (i.e., autobiographical memory). Broadly speaking, our research questions examine the relationship between event features and how those events are later remembered and how what we remember is influenced by how a memory is brought to mind.

Recent representative publications:

Talarico, J. M. (2023). Flashbulb Memory. In L. M. Bietti & M. Pogacar (Eds.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Memory Studies (pp. 1–11). Springer International Publishing. [pdf]

Thomsen, D. K., Talarico, J. M., & Steiner, K. L. (2021). When does a wedding mark the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 62 (5), 675-682. [pdf]

Available to provide honors thesis mentorship in the areas of Memory, Social/Emotional Influences on Cognition

Mood Processing & Treatment Lab

Director: Susan Wenze
Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/wenzes/research/mood-processing-and-treatment-lab/

The Mood Processing and Treatment (MPAT) Lab conducts research on mood disorders and related conditions, including cognitive and emotional processing and mental health treatment needs and outcomes. Recent projects examining daily stress and coping in college students and parental mental health following the birth of multiples reflect our present focus on perinatal and emerging adult well-being.

Recent representative publications:

(* indicates undergraduate student author from Lafayette)

Wenze, S. J., Santos, Â. N., *Karnibad, C., *Soldat, J., & Fonseca, A. (2025). Feasibility and acceptability of a postpartum mental health internet intervention in mothers of multiples. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 1-14. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2025.2558695

Gorlin, E. I., Huong, C., Warren, C., Weissman, S., Kansas, M., Durso, J., Johnson, R. T., *Mikula, C., Gaugler, T., & Wenze, S. J. (2024). Honesty starts from within: Conceptualization and multimethod measurement of self-honesty as a core value. The Journal of General Psychology, 152(4), 625-667. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221309.2024.2433289

Available to supervise honors theses in the areas of mental health, especially perinatal mental health, depression, & bipolar symptomatology

Motor control and motor cognition lab

Director: Luis F. Schettino
The motor control and motor cognition lab explores the neural bases of sensorimotor behavior through kinematic and gaze analysis in humans and how spatial perception affects our cognition.

Recent representative publications:

Furmanek, M. P., Schettino, L. F., Yarossi, M., Mangalam, M., Lockwood, K., Adamovich, S. V., & Tunik, E. (2025). Involvement of aSPOC in the online updating of reach-to-grasp to mechanical perturbations of hand transport. Journal of Neuroscience, 45(12).

Furmanek, M. P., Schettino, L. F., Yarossi, M., Adamovich, S. V., & Tunik, E. (2025). A comparison of the Dorsomedial and the Dorsolateral reach-to-grasp pathways’ roles in response to virtual visual perturbations of object goal. NeuroImage, 121428.

NeurodEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS & BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE Lab

Director: Lisa Gabel
Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/gabell/

Research in my laboratory focuses on understanding the biological and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders.  My work spans both animal and human research. We use genetic animal models to investigate underlying neural and behavioral mechanisms, and examine how these findings translate across species to inform our understanding of neurodevelopment, learning and behavior in humans.  A major focus of my human research is the early identification of reading impairment, including the development of behavioral measures that may help to identify children at risk for dyslexia before they begin to struggle with reading.

I also co-direct a multidisciplinary research program with Prof. You-Choung Yu (ECE) focused on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).  This work brings together neuroscience and engineering to develop and improve EEG-based systems that allow users to interact with computers using signals recorded from the brain.

Recent representative publications & presentations:

Kaushik P*, Yu Y-C, and Gabel LA. (2025). Oversampling Methods and Parallel Classification of Multiple ML Models for Dyslexia Classification on Hebb-Williams Mazes, 2025 International Conference on Control, Automation and Diagnosis (ICCAD), Barcelona, Spain, pp.1-6, doi: 10.1109/ICCAD64771.2025.11099157.

Yu Y-C, Fisher H*, Busheska A*, Thompson L*, and Gabel LA, (2024) A Hybrid BCI for Robotic Navigation, 2024 58th Annual Conference on Information Sciences and Systems (CISS), DOI: 10.1109/CISS59072.2024.10480176

Gabel LA, Battison A*, Truong DT, Lindström ER, Voss K*, Yu Y-C,  Roongruengratanakul S*, Shyntassov K*, Riebesell S*, Toumanios N*, Nielsen-Pheiffer C, Paniagua S, Gruen, JR (2022) Orthographic depth may influence the degree of severity of maze learning performance in children at risk for reading disorder, Developmental Neuroscience

Neurodiversity Lab

Director: Jessie L. Greenlee

Website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/greenjes/

Research in the Neurodiversity Lab aims to understand factors associated with the socioemotional well-being of neurodiverse children and youth and their families. We use multiple methods to explore how and why some neurodiverse individuals do well (build resilience) while others are at increased risk for mental health challenges. Current research topics include using electrodermal activity as a biomarker for child dysregulation, parenting experiences in the context of autism, and risk and resilience in neurodivergent college students.

Recent representative publications:

Greenlee, J., Putney, J., Hickey, E., Winter, M.A., & Hartley, S. L. (2024). Quantifying the Resilience Process in Response to Disruptive Life Events in Autistic Children. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2024.102371

Huynh, T., Greenlee, J. L., *Dasoo, M., Jenkins, M., Piro-Gambetti, B, & Hartley, S. L. (2025). Parent Dyadic Coping and Parent-Child Relationship Quality in Families of Autistic Children. Research in Autism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2025.202695 

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of Developmental Psychology, Neurodiversity, Social/Emotional functioning in neurodevelopmental disorders, Family Science

Reactions to Traumatic Stress Lab

Director: Susan Hannan

The Reactions to Traumatic Stress Lab has historically conducted research on identifying and understanding risk and resiliency factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following trauma exposure. Our current focus is shifting to a more qualitative understanding of other traumatic stress reactions aside from PTSD, such as manic and psychotic experiences. 

Recent representative publications:

Hannan, S. M., & MacDonald, G. (L ‘23). (2022). Exposure to an Anonymous Survivor Instagram Account is linked to Institutional Betrayal among Campus Sexual Misconduct Survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38, 2207-2217.

Hannan, S. M. & Orcutt, H. K. (2020). Emotion regulation in undergraduate students with posttraumatic stress symptoms: A multi-method study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12, 643-651.

Available to supervise honors thesis mentorship in the areas of adult clinical psychology, especially traumatic stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychotic experiences, stigma as it relates to mental health, mindfulness/meditation