Social Development Lab News

Welcome back!

We've had a successful start to the 2024-2025 academic year and are eager to see what research will come from those in the SDL. The lab has welcomed two new members, Emily Gagliano and Jon Bannister. We are still looking to add a few more members. Please contact Dr. Cipra (acipra@govst.edu) or Kelly Rosenthal (krosenthal2@student.govst.edu) for more information. We welcome students from all disciplines and encourage collaboration. The SDL is a place for creativity and scientific inquiry. Whatever experience you bring to the lab, we aim to build upon it and encourage your interests as they develop in the lab space. Again, all disciplines/majors, skills, and knowledge levels are welcome.

SDL members have selected their topics for this year's projects. Some student work is focused on issues such as intimate partner violence, intersectionality and identity development, and social-emotional learning.

The Wellness & Education Conference (WE) is scheduled for October 24th-26th. SDL members presenting at the conference include Megan Rodgers, Alyssa Voss, Grace Meeks, Jessica Beckmann, and Kelly Rosenthal. Visit https://www.weconferences.org for more information.

This month's lab spotlight is on Kelly Rosenthal. She has taken on the roles of SDL Lab Coordinator and copyeditor of the Journal of Applied Disciplines. She is continuing to work on a review article focused on social-emotional learning with Jessica Beckmann and Dr. Cipra. Kelly has previously presented at Governors State University Research Days and is looking forward to more conference presentations for the current academic year. Kelly has also volunteered at an equine-assisted therapy facility for children and adults.

To further explore the Journal of Applied Disciplines, click this link: https://opus.govst.edu/jad/. This is an open access, peer reviewed journal that accepts both student and professional research.

Lab Recommended Reads:

Potential Risks of Content, Features, and Functions: A Closer Look at the Science Behind How Social Media Affects Youth

Barriers and Facilitators: The Contrasting Roles of Media and Technology in Social–Emotional Learning

Happy Spring! We are continually looking to recruit new research assistants for the 24-25 academic year. Please feel free to contact either Dr. Cipra (acipra@govst.edu) or Jessica Beckmann (jbeckmann@student.govst.edu) for further information.

Our research lab has a busy month coming up! We have multiple presentations for GSU Research Day on Wednesday, April 17th from 11:15 – 1:15 in the GSU library. We also have various presentations at Midwestern Psychological Association (April 18 – 20th) this year. We are very excited to see everyone’s hard work come to light! We are continuing to work on various research topics such as: social emotional learning, religious influences, athletic motivation, visual presentation of academic posters, and many others!

This month’s lab spotlight is on Kelly Rosenthal! Kelly is currently completing her second year in the lab and working on research focused around Social Emotional Learning with Dr. Cipra and Jessica Beckmann. Her research interest for the future is the incorporation of animal-assisted interventions in SEL and school settings. Kelly also plans to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy and continue her involvement in research. Upon completing her educational goals, she hopes to work with children and adolescents, focusing on psychosocial health and development. A fun fact about Kelly is that she enjoys creating crossword puzzles in her spare time.

To further explore the Journal of Applied Disciplines, click this link: https://opus.govst.edu/jad/. This is an open access, peer reviewed journal that accepts both student and professional research.

Lab Recommended Reads:

Alphas, Millenials, and Boomers: The Science of Population

Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction

Welcome back to the Spring semester!

The lab has been growing, and we are working with new members this semester, including Alyssa and Michaela. We are looking to recruit new research assistants for the 24-25 academic year. Please feel free to contact either Dr. Cipra (acipra@govst.edu) or Jessica Beckmann (jbeckmann@student.govst.edu) for further information.

Our research lab has been working on various projects. We have continuing research with UIC. We also have students working on studies regarding neonatal facial features, preferences in visual presentation of academic posters, social emotional learning, religious influences, and much more!

This month’s lab spotlight is on Megan Rodgers. Megan is a Master’s finishing her last semester in the Criminal Justice Master’s program at Governors State University. Megan is currently working with Dr. Cipra on a research presentation titled Building Self-Control in Children to be presented at MPA in April. Megan has presented at numerous conferences, including a recent presentation in Italy! Prior to returning to school, Megan worked as a Machinist and made custom parts for race cars, including parts for cars on the Discovery Channel show Street Outlaws. In her free time, Megan loves going on road trips! Last year she traveled from Indiana to Sedona, Arizona on the famous Route 66.

To further explore the Journal of Applied Disciplines, click this link: https://opus.govst.edu/jad/. This is an open access, peer reviewed journal that accepts both student and professional research.

Lab Recommended Reads:

What's New in Psychology?

Media & Tech in SEL

Happy Fall! It appears Fall is in full swing, and we have just passed midterms. The lab has been working with new members this semester, including Grace, Inala, and Emely. Currently, we are looking for one or two new lab members – please feel free to contact either Dr. Cipra (acipra@govst.edu) or Jessica Beckmann (jbeckmann@student.govst.edu) for further information.

We have been busy! We held our first Research Development Program meeting on Thursday, October 19th. We also had three presentations by graduate students sponsored by the Path to Graduate School Intellectual Life Grant. Congratulations to Megan, Daniel and Jessica, and Rachel on such wonderful presentations! We have multiple continuing projects – a collaboration at UIC, a meta-analysis on SEL, a student project focusing on neotenous features, and another student project about athlete motivation.

This month’s lab spotlight is on Emely Oviedo! She is a first-generation student, being the first in her immediate family to receive a bachelor's degree. She is also the eldest daughter in a Hispanic household and the middle child of three. This will be her third semester involved in research and her first in the social development lab. Her previous research presented at MPA and GSU Research Day focused on attachment styles and regret under the supervision of Dr. Karadogan. Emely’s current research focuses on Athlete motivation and performance. She is currently a Psychology major and hope to continue in a Sport Psychology program following her graduation in December. Lastly, on top of being a full-time student, she is a student athlete and have two part time jobs as a certified nursing assistant and student athletic training aide!

To further explore the Journal of Applied Disciplines, click this link: https://opus.govst.edu/jad/. This is an open access, peer reviewed journal that accepts both student and professional research.

Lab Recommended Reads:

Guo, L., Gu, L., Peng, Y., Gao, Y., Li, M., Kang, Q., Chen, C., Hu, Y., Xu, W., & Chen, J. (2022). Online media exposure and weight and fitness management app use correlate with disordered eating symptoms: evidence from the mainland of China. Journal of Eating Disorders, 10, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00577-y

Hu, S., Gan, J., Shi, V., & Krug, I. (2023). Chinese TikTok (Douyin) challenges and body image concerns: a pilot study. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00829-5

Welcome back to the research lab! This year we are a bit smaller but yet have some familiar faces that have been with us for several years (Megan, Rachel, David, Brenda, and Daniel) and our lab coordinator (Jessica). Currently, we are looking for new lab members – please feel free to contact either Dr. Cipra (acipra@govst.edu) or Jessica Beckmann (jbeckmann@student.govst.edu) for further information.

We are exploring a number of topics this semester and are excited to see where they go! Currently we have various new projects in progress – The Research Associate Development Program (RAD), a collaboration with a faculty member at UIC, and have an interesting student project surrounding Neotonous Features.

The lab spotlight this month Jessica Beckmann who is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s program. She expects to graduate in May of 2024. Jessica has been involved in the research lab for five years and has acted as the Lab Coordinator for three. Outside of the lab, Jessica is a counseling intern at a therapeutic day school. Jessica is acting as our new copy editor for the Journal of Applied Disciplines. She is working as a graduate assistant this semester and will be aiding in the Journal of Applied Disciplines as well as research with Dr. Cipra.

To further explore the Journal of Applied Disciplines click this link: https://opus.govst.edu/jad/. This is an open access, peer reviewed journal that accepts both student and professional research.

• The Science of Milestone Birthdays


• Peers, Play and Performance to Build Social Salience in Autistic Youth: A Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial

The fall is always a busy semester as we reorganize for the current academic year and recruit both researchers and participants. Because Dr. Cipra was on sabbatical for the Spring 2022 semester (more on that later), this fall is like a rebirth of the lab working group. We are excited to welcome back Research Assistants that have been with us for several years (Megan, Rachel, David, and Daniel) and our lab coordinator (Jessica). Additionally, we are happy to welcome a few new undergraduate RAs (Lauren, Brenda, Inala) to the lab. We look forward to a wonderful year in the SDL!

We have several new and ongoing projects and plan to provide updates on one or more projects in each newsletter this fall. Congratulations to Rachel Beckmann, who is preparing to collect data on her Rational Love project, which she will co-present at NCHCC 2022. This project examines personality typing (enneagram) with conflict resolution styles in romantic or platonic interpersonal relationships and builds on the popular work of Love Languages for the 7 Enneagram types. We look forward to hearing more about the results of this study.

We are excited to announce that Dr. Cipra has founded a new academic journal hosted at GSU. The open access, peer-reviewed journal is called the Journal of Applied Disciplines (JAD). This launch provides RAs in the SDL the unique opportunity to engage in the research process from another angle – that of publication and copyediting. Check out JAD here: https://opus.govst.edu/jad/.

• Another Hurdle for Women Professors


• The Dangers of Conspiracy Theories

We’re really ramping up with our Interdisciplinary Research Fair planning. We’re hopeful for a great turnout and participation. We may have a few remote or online presentations, but we’re looking forward to a mostly in-person fair on the Governors State University campus. RAs Daniel, Rachel, and Ruben, as well as lab coordinator Jessica have been working hard on organization and recruitment. Our Interdisciplinary Research Fair is sponsored by the Intellectual Life Grant. We hope this will become an annual event. Look for updates and details in next month’s newsletter.

We are still working with Dr. Kim Boland-Prom on a research study about ethics and master’s level counselors or social workers. Dr. Lamise Shawahin has also joined the team. We have weekly meetings and are making steady progress on this project.

This month’s lab spotlight is on Jessica Beckmann! Jessica is a graduate student pursing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She graduated from Governors State University with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and double minors in History and Gender & Sexuality Studies. Her career aspirations are to work with adolescent clients in a counseling setting. Jessica has been involved with SDL for 3 years and has served as the Lab Coordinator for one year. Jessica’s research interests include social expectations, decision-making, trauma, and resilience. Outside of the lab, Jessica works for GSU’s School of Extended Learning.

• Faculty-Student Research Collaboration


• Why Student Engagement


• Student Engagement in Higher Ed: a Systematic Evidence Map

On September 14th, 2021 we welcomed our Research Assistants back IN PERSON for the first time in a year and a half! Following CDC guidelines, our team was able to step foot in our recently renovated lab located on the third floor of the D building. This semester’s lab is smaller than usual, but we’re an experienced and enthusiastic group. Currently, we are focusing on planning and hosting our first ever Interdisciplinary Research Fair on GSU’s campus on November 4 & 5, 2021. We are actively recruiting students, faculty, and student organizations who are interested in volunteering, presenting, or hosting a table to recruit for their own research.

To sign up, please fill out the participation.

Please contact our lab coordinator Jessica Beckmann at jbeckmann@student.govst.edu with the subject line SDL Research Fair for more information or Research Assistant Daniel Kirby at dkirby@student.govst.edu.

In addition to the Interdisciplinary Research Fair, the lab is collaborating with Dr. Boland-Prom on a study about the responsibilities that state regulatory boards have to consumers in their public protection efforts. This study investigates the fields of clinical psychology, counseling, and social work. RAs involved in this project meet with Dr. Boland-Prom in addition to their weekly SDL lab meetings.

A second collaboration is with Dr. Danel Koonce. Drs. Koonce and Cipra are working with a small group of psychology and counseling faculty to investigate mentoring practices for pre-tenured Unit A faculty at Governors State University. The goal is to identify current mentoring practices as well as needed support for pre-tenured faculty.

This month’s lab spotlight is on Rachel Beckmann! Rachel is a senior pursuing an undergraduate degree in English with a double minor in Marketing and Psychology. After graduation, Rachel plans to pursue a Master’s degree in communication, Media, and Performance. Her career aspirations are to become a writer, designer, or photographer in brand marketing. Rachel has been involved with the SDL for three years with research interests in social expectations, personal influences, and decision-making. Outside of the lab Rachel is a tutor, marketing intern, and a designer for GSU;s Art & Literary Journal Reconstructed.

As a side note: Dr. Cipra’s first textbook was recently published. It is an e-book titled An Introduction to Critical Thinking & Research Writing in the Social Sciences and is published by Kendall Hunt.

• 6 Tips for Returning to In-Person Learning


• Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Academics

Exciting news! Governors State University has purchased a SONA license. SONA is a subject pool management system. This means that our lab, other GSU labs, and even student researchers will soon have access to an internal pool of possible participants for studies. We’ll also be able to prescreen the pools. Additionally, SONA integrates with several of the survey systems already in use at GSU and has the ability to run simple surveys directly in the system. This is another big step in our research rebirth at GSU, and we are pleased to take part. SDL director, Dr. Alli Cipra, will be the new administrator of the SONA system at GSU. She hopes to have it in use before the fall 2021 semester.

GSU Research Week will be held April 5-9, 2021. All sessions are virtual and many are prerecorded to be viewed at any time. This is the first time GSU has conducted a virtual research week. We are thankful to all the staff, faculty, and administrators who worked to put this together. Two of our own SDL research assistants present their work at a session this week. This work is especially important to the GSU population and our mission. Rue Lopez and Eunice Gomez will present their poster talk titled Assessing Learning Community Practices to Implement Student Retention and Belongingness. Additionally, the lab is happy to sponsor a student researcher not currently working in the SDL. Abrea Ramadan will present her poster talk on First Generation Students, Sense of Belonging, and Higher Education. Congrats to all the presenters and good luck!

• First Generation College Students & Retention


• Learning Communities & Part-Time Students

We’re making progress on several projects and have clearly defined individual and lab goals. Our lab continues to grow and we have a consistent group of core RAs that are doing awesome work and learning various aspects of the research process, even the not-so-fun parts. Our newsletters are a way to highlight the work being done in the SDL as well as some of the individuals doing that work. This semester we have 2 external RAs, Joseph and Ruqia, both of whom are gaining research experience in preparation for advanced degrees in psychology.

Joseph has undergraduate degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology and a master’s degree in Public Health. He is interested in family dynamics and paternal factors. He is currently working with public datasets to answer some important questions centered on the paternal role in the development of personality characteristics in children and how paternal emotional expression influences child emotional development. As a father, these questions are of personal and professional interest to Joseph. Joseph plans to apply to PhD programs in Social Psychology.

Ruqia is making a big career change! Currently working as a software engineer, she wants to pursue a PhD in psychology but plans to start with the Clinical master’s program at GSU. Ruqia is also interested in family dynamics and using public datasets to investigate her questions. Her research focuses on parenting styles and child development, including decision-making and anxiety. Both Joseph and Ruqia are working step-by-step to design their projects. We know they will produce great work!

The SDL is also preparing for GSU Research Week coming up in April. Previously, GSU hosted a Research Day on campus. The continuing pandemic necessitated a change to a virtual format over 3 days. We look forward to seeing the sessions that various lab members will present at Research Week. More information will be included in next month’s newsletter.

• Bullying & Brains


• Power of Positive Thinking

It feels great to be back! After a long and cozy vacation, we welcomed our team back to the (virtual) lab last week. It was great seeing the old and familiar faces as well as welcoming new and eager ones. We welcomed one new student, Eunice Gomez, one student returning after an absence, Victoria Gutierrez, and one new external research assistant, Joseph Stull. We are eager for the great contribution our new RAs will bring to the lab!

This semester, as the last one, will continue to be remote. We will meet virtually and complete our work all while staying home and safe. We are planning for a very prosperous and productive semester with both new and continuing data and projects. This semester our projects will focus on family dynamics, learning communities in higher education, and working in academia during a pandemic. This semester Dr. Cipra will present as an invited speaker at MPA while Jessica and Rachel Beckmann will present their poster on Cognitive Dissonance in Major Declaration. The conference will be held virtually this year in April. Other RAs are focused on continuing research with presentation and publication goals.

The lab is also working on increasing our presence in the GSU community and beyond. Check out our lab Recommended Reads! We are very excited to get this semester started and meet all of our goals as a team. We can’t wait until we can all get back on campus in the fall! Here’s to a productive and amazing semester!

• College Students Needs to Avoid Burnout in the Era of COVID-19


• Father’s Influence on the Development and Well-being of Children


• Applications for Next Year’s Freshman Class are on the Rise with Warning Signs for Equity

As we look back on the changes brought by 2020, we realize how resilient we truly are. During 2020 the nation, the world, and our Social Development Lab became remote. We were separated from friends, family, and co-workers. In the name of safety, we minimized trips outside of the home. Many of us felt isolated as we learned to navigate our new way of life. Several institutions, including Governors State University, made the decision to go nearly fully remote for the Fall 20 and now Spring 21 semesters. All of these changes were difficult, but we used innovation and technology to accomplish our goals and maintain social connections. College courses were taught online, lab and committee meetings were held via Zoom, and virtual socialization and game nights became the new meeting method. We made it through 2020 and now, particularly with the recently approved vaccines, we can look forward to a productive and healthy 2021.

The SDL met virtually all semester. We slowed our progress on some fronts but were quite productive in many other respects. The Cognitive Dissonance in Major Declaration study began preparations for phase II of data collection and continued progress on the poster presentation for the Midwestern Psychological Association virtual conference scheduled for April 2021. We welcomed new lab members both internal and external to GSU and outlined several new lab pursuits and trainings for the coming year. Our research labs were remodeled and are ready for use once we can safely return to campus. We are excited to continue our research in 2021!

• Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study


• How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain