"Located in the heart of NYC, NYSCAS encourages its students to connect with the world around them and pursue limitless academic opportunities including completing vital research," said Dr. Carrie DiMatteo, Assistant Professor and Deputy Chair of Psychology at NYSCAS. "Attending the Eastern Psychological Association Conference which took place a stone’s throw from our campus at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square helped our students feel like they were part of the broader psychology community and envision their future as researchers, scholars, and even professors. We’re proud to offer an array of research opportunities through our Psychology Honors program."

Touro NYSCAS student research posters addressed vital psychological and social factors shaping workplace inclusion; the impact of personality traits on social media behavior; and an analysis of crucial factors driving teacher motivation.

Workplace Attitudes Toward Disabled Individuals

In their study, NYSCAS student researcher Avroham Ross and psychology Professor Dr. Cheryl Dym tested whether virtual collaboration interventions could positively impact workplace attitudes towards people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Nearly seventy undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a virtual collaboration scenario, where they stimulated working with a colleague with IDD, or an educational intervention, where they watched an informational video about IDD. Before and after the interventions, participants completed surveys measuring their workplace attitudes and supportive behaviors.

Findings showed that attitudes before the interventions played a key role in future collaborative projects as participants with initial positive views of IDD showed improved workplace attitudes after the virtual collaboration experience. Those with negative initial attitudes saw no noticeable change.

“I chose this research topic because I’ve seen firsthand how workplace attitudes shape opportunities for individuals with IDD. My research highlights the importance of thoughtful, hands-on approaches to workplace inclusion, with the goal of helping to empower as many individuals as possible through employment. Understanding how to make these interventions more impactful can help organizations build more inclusive environments,” said NYSCAS Psychology Honors student and researcher Avroham Ross.

Conformity in Online Communities

NYSCAS student researcher Filisa Mohabir and psychology Professors Dr. Carrie DiMatteo and Dr. Riratou Lamarre studied the ways in which college students interact with social media content on Instagram and TikTok. They closely analyzed introversion-extraversion personality traits and self-esteem to see if the likelihood to follow or like content depends on a user’s personality and the presence of others.

Nearly sixty participants viewed social media content in two categories: unambiguous profile content (which displayed the number of followers and posts) or ambiguous video content (no information about followers and posts). Participants then responded to questions about the likelihood of engaging with the content including following, subscribing, liking, sharing, or commenting.

“I chose this research topic because I wanted to delve into the social aspect of herd behavior online and how it influences cancel culture. One very interesting finding was that individuals with low self-esteem were more likely to post negative comments. It’s evident that more research must be done to analyze how low self-esteem plays a role in cancel culture and the ways in which negative online behaviors can lead to a decline in mental health,” said Mohabir.

Personal Factors in Teachers’ Meaning-Making

NYSCAS student researchers Sheria Newsome, Amanda Vlacamcich, Renee Barton-Rose and psychology professor Dr. Jill Ordynans investigated the ways in which teachers make meaning of their work. In line with Bandura's theory of Triadic Reciprocal Causation, which suggests that behavior is influenced by three factors including personal characteristics, the environment, and the behavior itself, findings revealed that the teacher-student bond plays a crucial role in teachers’ decisions to either remain educators or leave the profession. Teachers’ dedication to students oftentimes helps them overcome various challenges that may arise in their role. Other factors that teachers point out as vital to finding meaning in their work include supportive school administration and colleagues, as well as buy-in from parents and key stakeholders in the community and their own personal belief system.

“Our findings show that the teacher-student bond really reinforces the beliefs they hold for themselves personally. For example, the belief in their ability to be good teachers is vital to educators feeling like they are making a positive difference in the lives of their students.,” said NYSCAS psychology honors student and researcher Renee Barton Rose.

The Eastern Psychological Association is the oldest regional psychological association in the United States and this year’s conference featured over 1,000 papers, posters, keynotes, symposia and events with hundreds of attendees.