Sundé M. Nesbit
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Research Assistants Needed!!
Spring 2008

If interested in any of the below listed projects/opportunities, please contact Dr. Nesbit at 278-5471, or through e-mail at snesbit@csufresno.edu. (E-mail may be a more efficient way to contact me, as I tend to respond more quickly that way!)

Description of Current Projects

The Research on Aggressive Driving (R.A.D.) Lab has multiple projects either ongoing or in the works:

1.  Personality Characteristics Associated with Driving Behaviors.  This project is a questionnaire-based study designed to assess various personality characteristics and tendencies that may be predictive of positive and negative driving outcomes. 
R.A. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROJECT:  Students are needed to run questionnaire sessions. Interested students will be required to have 1-3 hours available each week (hours will need to be defined and consistent every week, in order to schedule sessions for participants).  Running sessions entails passing out questionnaires to participants and providing instructions at the beginning of the session.  Sessions usually last approximately one hour.  Students will also be expected to conduct data entry tasks associated with this project; these can be done during the 1-hour sessions or outside of the sessions.  This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in getting involved in the research process and are new to involvement in a research lab.  Students can gain data entry skills and supervisory skills within a group setting.

2.  Assessment of Driving Behavior.  This project is an ongoing project designed to assess the thoughts and behaviors of drivers.  Unlike much research in the field, this study utilizes a computer-based video paradigm, where participants watch driving provoking situations and then respond in a "typical" way (as though they were actually driving in those situations). 
R.A. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROJECT:  Students are needed to run sessions.  Sessions range from 30 - 60 minutes, depending on the project (which allows for more scheduling flexibility for students).  Running sessions in this study, at a minimum, entails providing instructions to students within a lab setting and monitoring their progress in the study from a separate setting (along with the guidance of a research supervisor).  However, motivated students can also obtain additional experience with programming computers for this project (our lab utilizes MediaLab, which is a computer-based experiment management program) and/or training to become a research supervisor for these projects in an upcoming semester. This is an exciting opportunity for beginning researchers to not only get involved in the research process, but also obtain experience using interviewing skills.

3.  Other Opportunities.  R.A.'s may also be expected to engage in other tasks, such as assisting the research supervisors or faculty supervisor in the writing process assisting in the continued development of the research lab.  Assistants will be expected to be available for  one hour each week to meet with the faculty supervisor and research supervisors, to discuss ongoing lab projects as well as have an opportunity to read and discuss interesting developments within the field of aggressive driving, as well as how various theories in clinical psychology (and social psychology) may explain negative driving outcomes.

4.  RESEARCH SUPERVISORS NEEDED.  Advanced undergraduate students and master's level students who are interested in this area of research are encouraged to get involved in the R.A.D. lab.  Supervisors will have the opportunity not only to gain involvement and skills within a research setting, but will also have the opportunity to train and supervise research assistants in the above projects.  Further, supervisors can use this opportunity to develop a research project of their own and see it to completion.  Supervisors must be advanced level students and have had previous experience within a research lab setting (either with Dr. Nesbit or with another faculty member).  Supervisors are required to make a 2-semester commitment to the team, particularly if a research project is being developed.

 

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