Undergraduate Training

Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors Laboratory

Louisiana State University

Undergraduate training

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Pictured: Undergraduate research assistants collecting physiophysiological data during an anxiety-induction protocol

An important facet of the Anxiety & Addictive Behaviors Laboratory is to mentor undergraduate students at Louisiana State University so that they can better understand clinical psychology research and practice. A research position with the Anxiety & Addictive Behaviors Laboratory is designed to provide direct one-on-one mentoring regarding graduate school training and professional development.

Undergraduates receive formal, didactic training on the ethical conduct of research, DSM-IV-TR symptoms of anxiety and substance use disorders, and other relevant areas. Other responsibilities can include attending individual and group weekly training meetings, working on various aspects of the research process, and attending professional conferences to help present projects that have been completed in the laboratory. Opportunities within the lab may also include:

* Learning how to utilize data entry & analytic software (e.g., SPSS, Excel, surveymonkey.com)

* Serving as an experimenter and/or confederate in psychological experiments

* Collecting psychophysiological data

* Collecting ecological momentary assessment data

* Working with clinical populations

Application Process

Students must apply to work with the Anxiety & Addictive Behaviors Laboratory. These positions can be quite competitive and only mature, reliable, and hard working students should consider applying. Typically, students work at least two consecutive semesters with our laboratory, but many end up working in our laboratory for several years. Requirements include:

* A 3.2 GPA or higher

* A specific interest in pursuing graduate education in clinical psychology or related fields

It is advisable to submit your application one semester ahead of the time that you want to actually start work (e.g., in the Fall prior to the Spring you want to work). You can download an application here or e-mail to learn more about current research assistant position openings.

Students can receive PSYC 2999 or 4999 credit for working as an undergraduate research assistant in our laboratory.

Congratulations to former RAs who’ve gone on to graduate school!

* Megan Penzato, accepted to the Tulane University Master’s in Social Work program

* Andrea Pusser, accepted to The Citadel’s Master’s in Counseling program

* Brittany Melvin, accepted into the Florida State University combined Counseling and School Psychology Doctorate program

* Emily Carlson, accepted into the University of Maryland Social Work Master program

* Tony Ecker , accepted into LSU’s PhD program in Clinical Psych

* Rebecca Graham, accepted into the PhD program, University of New Orleans

* Rachel Gingles, accepted into the University of Memphis Master's of Psychology program

* Rachel Chatham, accepted into the Boston University Master's of Social Work program

* Samantha Morel, accepted into the Fordham University Master's of Mental Health Counseling program

* Elizabeth Wilson, accepted into the University of Texas Master's of Psychology program

* Margaret Caffery, who was accepted into NYU's master's of social work program

Pictured: Jourdan Brown presenting her award-winning (first place!) poster at the LSU Undergraduate Research Conference.