This REU site at the University of Cincinnati, Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Complex Psychological Systems, aims to broaden participation of underrepresented individuals within the STEM disciplines by recruiting, engaging, and training undergraduates with an interest in psychological science. Undergraduate students are trained in an interdisciplinary approach to exploring psychological science that emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between basic and applied science. Employing the integrative framework of complex systems, students are exposed to theories and methodologies that promote understanding and investigation of psychological phenomena that emphasize how the interactions that bind components of an environmentally situated, complex human system give rise to emergent and self-organized patterns of behavior. Intellectual Merit: The primary objectives of this REU are to (1) provide undergraduate students with direct scientific experience and enable an in-depth understanding with the field of complex systems and psychology, (2) offer the preparation necessary for graduate training, (3) engage students through professional development and immersive mentoring to facilitate engagement with the field, and (4) broaden the participation of underrepresented groups through targeted recruitment and mentoring. Specifically, students gain experience in all aspects of scientific work as they daily conduct individual research projects with a faculty mentor and the faculty member?s lab. Students are also afforded an opportunity to learn about all aspects of psychological science beyond their specific project across such sub-disciplines as social, cognitive, clinical and community psychology, through weekly faculty colloquia and community and industry networking opportunities. At the end of the program, students present the outcomes of their training to the University community in a day-log symposium. In addition to research, students participate in a series of weekly professional development workshops designed to prepare them for the different career paths of psychology, including preparation for graduate school admission, GRE preparation, skills training, and scientific methods and discipline specific practices. Finally, students work and interact with an ethnically and racially diverse group of mentors and graduate students that provide not only critical research skills, but also important role models that can engender a sense of belonging and efficacy within the discipline.
Broader Impacts: A number of broader impacts will emerge for participants in this REU. First, students gain the valuable experience of developing long-term collaborative relationships that will result in scientific and scholarly research products. Second, this REU is specifically designed to promote engagement and development of underrepresented undergraduates within psychology. As such, it broadens participation in the STEM disciplines by creating pathways that ensure a more diverse supply of interested and prepared future doctoral candidates. This program further promotes sustainability of pathways through proactive recruitment practices and collaborative, cross-institutional networking. Finally, this REU also provides an innovative training opportunity unlike any other in both its focus on complex systems and psychology, and its synergistic approach to basic and applied science.
