Research Opportunity: Examining Judgment Bias and Social Perception

The following is an excerpt from a situation questionnaire designed to measure interpretation and judgment bias of social situations in people with social phobia. If you read this excerpt and think to yourself, “Wow, that answer is obvious!” this research opportunity might not be for you. If, however, you read it and consider a variety of options or postulate that your roommate/friend/mom/shy classmate’s answer might be different than yours, read on!
“You are introduced to a friend of one of your best friends. This new person doesn’t say anything to you.
Why isn’t this new person talking to you?” (IJQ; Voncken et al, 2003)
I can think of countless friends and family members who would approach and answer this question differently. This is why research in judgment and interpretation bias is so fun – anyone can relate to it and everyone has a different perspective. For my Master’s thesis, I’m examining the differences (if any) between people who do vs. do not stutter in terms of social perception, judgment and interpretation bias. When I was an undergraduate UHP student at GW, the UHP was an invaluable resource in helping me pursue my research interests. Now, as a graduate student, I’d like to offer a budding researcher the chance to gain some hands-on research experience.
Participation details:
Who: Undergraduate students with an interest in developing more research experience, particularly those with an interest in social dynamics, social perception, being social, or avoiding being social. Coursework may include (but is not limited to) Speech and Hearing Science, Psychology, Anthropology, and/or Linguistics.
What: Part-time Research Assistant position in a stuttering research lab directed by Dr. Shelley Brundage within the Speech and Hearing Science Department. Position is unpaid (sorry! poor graduate student over here!)
When: Fall 2014 and possibly Spring 2015 semesters. Flexible schedule. Weekly time commitment varies, estimated 4-6 hours.
Where: Dr. Brundage’s lab is located in the GW Speech and Hearing Center, conveniently located at the corner of 21st and G streets, within close proximity to free coffee and occasional food at the UHP!
If interested, please email Katie Winters at kwinters@gwmail.gwu.edu for more information.