MIND POWER!

is the publication of Adelphi University Psychology Club. The Psychology Club is dedicated to facilitating an understanding of psychology among the student body. The club promotes interaction between students and faculty within the department, throughout the university, and in the larger community.

MINDPOWER! Fall 2011

MIND POWER! Fall 2011
Page 1

Letter from the President

Greetings, and welcome to the Fall 2011 semester! Psychology has always been a field of study that I have found exceedingly interesting and overwhelmingly enticing. Being able to study and understand the human mind and its functions affecting behavior is simply amazing. When I began taking psychology courses as a freshman here at Adelphi University, I knew I had found my passion in life. I have found the faculty and my fellow students to be exceptional. I have learned so much from this brilliant faculty and from my determined peers. These intellectually stimulating experiences have truly shaped the person that I am today and the psychologist that I wish to become. In addition to learning about psychology in the classroom, I became further immersed and enlightened when I had joined the Psychology Club. The former President, Hara Stephanou, had done a phenomenal job running the club and kept members engaged in all of our lectures, activities, and events. The Psychology Club has been an exceptional resource, providing students with intellectual foundations through lectures, as well as on and off-campus opportunities. Since freshman year, I have always felt warmly welcomed by the Psychology Club. It is an honor to say that I am part of this club and that I am affiliated with such a fine group of individuals. The Psychology Club is a fabulous club to join. We are always looking to add new members to our group and to expand our services around campus! This year we are making it our goal to become increasingly involved in community service and to collaborate with other community service clubs, such as Breaking Boundaries and C.A.L.I.B.E.R. Regardless of class status or academic major, we are looking to develop a communal organization where students feel connected and intrigued with what they are presented with. I have extremely high hopes for the Psychology Club this year and am excited for what is ahead. I am beyond thrilled to represent the Psychology Club and am making it my personal obligation to benefit and promote its members and existence.

Crista Gallo, Psychology Club President

Inside this issue:

Powerful Minds
Letter from the Chair 2

Powerful Voices
Letter from our Club Adviser, Dean

Plug into the Source

Faculty Spotlight & Recommended Reads

Powered Up
Student Achievements

Fall 2011 Schedule Psychology Club Executive Board

10

11

Crista E. Gallo

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MINDPOWER! Fall 2011

Powerful Minds: Letter from the Chair

Dear Students, Welcome to the Fall 2011 semester. This semester marks the implementation of our new curriculum. Students entering the University this fall will be required to complete a Comprehensive Portfolio Assessment (CAP) during their first two years. Successful completion of the portfolio will allow students to continue in the Psychology Major. The key to successfully completing the CAP is advising. In sum, students will submit their written assignments and grading rubrics from six CAP courses to their Moodle CAP Portfolio (199, 299 & 399) under their advisers names: - Writing in Psychology (PIA 199) - History of Psychology (PIA 299) - Psychological Research (PIA 399) - Three Domains in Psychology Introductory Courses (one each to PIA 199, 299 & 399) Advisers will review the grading rubric to ensure students received a passing grade (80 or better) and will either Accept (passing grade), Decline (failed assignment) or Waived (selected transfer cases ) the requirement. Students will receive a grade of Pass/Fail/Incomplete from their advisers indicating successful completion of the portfolio (CAP I, II & III). The faculty do encourage students to take advantage of resources including the Learning Center, Writing Center, and their instructors office hours to assist them in completing their CAP assignments successfully. The Faculty expect the key assignments in the portfolio to demonstrate that students have achieved an adequate level of competency in writing (Writing in Psychology), an ability to use technology to critically explore psychological problems and issues, an ability to think critically (Psychological Research), and beginning knowledge of psychological theories and the history of psychology (History of Psychology). Key assignments from introductory courses Biological and Cognitive Perspectives, Developmental, Social and Personality will also be included in the portfolio and used to demonstrate a level of competency in these content areas. Should you have additional questions about the CAP, please contact the graduate assistant coordinator at [email protected]. Since Advising is central to the successful completion of the CAP, I am providing a few thoughts about how to make the most out of you advising experience. What is an adviser? The Undergraduate Psychology Department adopts a developmental academic advising approach aimed at developing competence, autonomy, and purpose in the undergraduate student. Students are encouraged and supported to take responsibility for their own learning. In collaboration with advisers, students learn to evaluate and determine their What is the best way to prepare for meetings with my adviser? 1. Review the plan of study charts for years 1 & 2 and complete the Student Study Plan. 2. Bring the study plan to your advising meetings with your adviser. 3. Prepare questions ahead of time that you need answered during your meeting. academic needs and to develop career goals and problem solving and decision making skills. Advisers are available to guide you in the plan of study towards completion of the Psychology Major. Advisers are also available to discuss your career options and pathways towards advanced studies in psychology. - Advise students about academic requirements and selection of courses. - Assist students with career planning. - Monitor student registration activities and recommend solutions to academic difficulties. - Maintain systematic and frequent contact with advisees. When do I get an adviser? Once you declare Psychology as your major, you will be assigned to an adviser. During the course of your studies, you will have two advisers. During the first two years, you will have a Comprehensive Assessment Portfolio (CAP) adviser. Once you have successfully completed the CAP, your adviser will be Reassigned to an adviser matching your career interests.

Dr. Francine Conway, Psychology Department Chair

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MINDPOWER! Fall 2011

Powerful Minds: Letter from the Chair

How do I best prepare for advising?

Getting to Know Karen DeMartino

Advisers are not familiar with the demands on your time and cannot select courses that suit your work schedule, traveling preferences, and other commitments. You must take the time to figure out the times that would work best for your schedule prior to your meeting. - Map out a schedule that suits your needs. - Always prepare an alternate schedule. Are there opportunities in the Psychology Department that will assist me in making decisions about graduate schools, career options, and so on? The Psychology Department features the following programs which are available to all Psychology Majors. Please be sure to read more about the criteria to participate in these programs on the Derner website: - Psychology Club - Psi Chi International Honor Society - Psychology Internship Program - Emerging Scholars Program Karen DeMartino is the administrative assistant to the Chair of the undergraduate psychology department. Karen has a BA in Computer Science from CUNY Queens College and began her career as a programmer for medical billing software systems. She later became a Board Certified Optician and accepted a position in an ophthalmologist's office in Astoria where she worked for 13 years. She has been married for twenty-one years and has two children. Karen is also an alumna of Adelphi University, having graduated with a dual masters degree in Elementary Education and Special Education, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA. She taught in both private and public elementary school systems, most recently at a public school in Queens County as a special education teacher. She has been a member of the Derner family for almost three years now and contributes greatly to the organization and smoothly flowing processes in the undergraduate psychology department. We are extremely fortunate to have Karen as part of our department. With her welcoming attitude, warm smiles, and plethora of knowledge about the undergraduate psychology program, she is an excellent resource for students. If you have not already, please introduce yourself to Karen. She sits at the front desk in the Blodgett 212 suite.

Dr. Conway
[email protected] 516 877 4729 Blodgett 212A

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Student Name: ___________________ Student ID #_________________ Adviser: _______________

MINDPOWER! Fall 2011

My Plan of Study: Psychology Major 1st Year Plan out your schedule before meeting with your adviser! Use the following as a guide:

Fall (Year) 0501-101 0952-100 0952-110 First Year Seminar (3 Credits) *Comprehensive Assessment Portfolio I, PIA 199 (0) *Writing in Psychology PIA 103 (3) (Must also take PIA 199) *Domains in Psychology Introductory Course (3 Credits) -Biological & Cognitive Sciences (250, 272 or 292) -Developmental (115) Free Psychology Elective (3 Credits)

Spring (Year)

0122-107 0836-102 STEP Orientation Seminar

General Education Course

General Education Courses (3 Credits) General Education Courses (3 Credits) Total Credits 15

Total Credits 14
*CAP Course

General Education Courses: Distribution Requirements Arts (2 courses), Humanities (2 Courses), Natural Science (1 Course), Formal Science (1 Course); Learning Goals Global Awareness/ Civic Engagement (2 courses), Quantitative Reasoning (1 course). It is recommended to complete these requirements by your junior year.
2nd Year

Fall (Year) *Comprehensive Assessment Portfolio II, PIA 299 (0) Psychological Statistics PIA 137 (4) *History of Psychology PIA 240 (3) (Must also take PIA 299) *Domains in Psychology Introductory Course (3) -Biological & Cognitive Sciences (250, 272 or 292) -Developmental (115) -Social & Personality (262 or 284) Free Psychology Elective (3 Credits) General Education Course (3 Credits) Total Credits 16

Spring (Year) *Comprehensive Assessment Portfolio III, PIA 399 (0) *Psychological Research PIA 245 (4) (PIA 137 prerequisite) (Must also take PIA 399) Free Psychology Elective (3 Credits) *Domains in Psychology Introductory Course (3 Credits) -Biological & Cognitive Sciences (250, 272 or 292) -Developmental (115) -Social & Personality (262 or 284) Free Psychology Elective (3 Credits)

General Education Courses (3 Credits) Total Credits 16

MINDPOWER! Fall 2011

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Powerful Minds: Letter from our adviser

Dear Students, Welcome to the 2011-2012 academic year at Derner! I hope that the beginning of your semester has been going well and that you are getting involved in all the activities the department has to offer. The Psychology Clubs Executive Board has arranged an exciting meeting schedule for the fall 2011 semester please see the wonderful speakers featured both internal and external to Derner. I hope to see many of you at the Wednesday 1:15pm meetings. As a developmental psychologist, I wish each of you much intellectual and social growth and change over the course of the academic year. I believe that so much learning occurs outside the classroom via discussions with classmates and faculty members, attending wonderful lectures, and applying your course material to your daily interactions. I hope that you enjoy experiencing growth and change during your studies at Derner. To quote Ghandis wise words about change within ourselves: If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do. My fall office hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 11am to 1pm, and Wednesday, 2:30 to 4:30pm, in Blodgett 212E. Feel free to stop in to introduce yourselves and say hello. Dr. DeRose

Dr. Laura DeRose, Psychology Club Adviser

Powerful Minds: Letter from the Dean

Welcome to a new academic year at Adelphi and at Derner. Walking around the campus during the summer, I could not help but see the signs: Aim High. I wondered what students thought about these signs. In the meantime, you may consider aiming high in different areas of your life: in your intellectual pursuits, in your social relationships, in your physical activities, but also with respect to building your character and your values. Aim high in those different areas of your life. Why did I include character and values in this list? The main reason was that in order to succeed, one need many things besides wits, good manner and luck just to name a few. One also needs dedication, perseverance, curiosity, and willingness to learn, especially when it comes to learning from failure. In the past, people referred to character in this context. In my brief introductory comments for the undergraduate convocation, I also mentioned that I wished somebody would have asked me to reflect on the question, how does one reach meaningful achievements? For example, consider the question: How does someone become an athlete? How does one become a top chess player? How does one become a top musician? Practice and perseverance are the obvious answers in addition to acquiring the basic knowledge of these occupations. It is likely to apply even if, for example, you wish to become a top gamer for Call of Duty. If that is your goal you will need to require mastery of the maps and controls, as well as knowledge of other player's tendencies. In addition, you would need practice. Practicing and learning are indeed important. You may even consider the fact that in order to learn, one often needs to fail. I hope that your professors here at Adelphi will repeat this message and will encourage you to practice and to overcome your failures. It seems important to repeat this message, since it is difficult to accept this simple truth and it is hard to learn from ones mistakes. If you know of another way, please let me know. In summary, if you would like to succeed at Adelphi, or anywhere else in your life, you must apply the same dedication and commitment as you would have applied if you wanted to become an athlete. Please challenge yourselves in your studies as you would have challenged yourselves in athletics. Dr. Barber

Dr. Jacques Barber, Dean of the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies
* Dr. Barber will deliver the annual Lindemann Lecture for Human Development on October 26th in the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom in the Ruth S. Harley University Center at 7:00 p.m.

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MIND POWER! Fall 2011

Plug Into the Source: Faculty Spotlight

Professor Susan Petry, Ph.D.
What message do you wish to convey to your students? Studying the mind is the most exciting and rewarding thing that one could do with ones life. Id like my students to take an approach to learning that includes taking responsibility for collecting the data, oneself, through observation and introspection. What classes do you enjoy teaching most? Practicum in Experimental Psychology is a course that I designed, and it always winds up being a lot of fun. Theres a point in the semester when a lot of coalescing occurs and students become mutually supportive of one anothers project. I also love teaching Psychology of Perception so that students can reason through and understand the continuity of information from the stimulus outside the human all the way to the conscious experience itself. So what would you say your research interests are? Face perception and the psychology of art and creativity. Recently Ive started work on self-portraits, too. What was the goal of the Van Gogh project? The idea was this: modern self-portrait painting is supposed to be indicative of the artists character and individuality. So two other students and I decided to compare VGs self-portraits to his other portraits, as well as to a control group of selfportraits by other artists. We measured some structural characteristicsquantitative features that can be subjected to statistical analysis. We looked at a number of aspects and found something quite significant: VGs head size (compared to canvas size) was larger on average. Although its not very clear, we can propose that VG was narcissistic based on these findings as well as his other documented neurological symptoms and research on face-ism from the 80s. So you were invited to speak about the project in Italy, right? Yes, it was delightful! I was invited to present my work on Van Goghs self-portraits at the Fifth International Conference on Psychoanalysis and Art that was held in May in Florence, Italy. There was a large group in attendance, mainly composed of artists, psychoanalysts, and psychiatrists. It was very wellreceived! Some were not fond of me using temporal lobe epilepsy as an explanation for the findings, but overall, it was wonderful to present in the presence of such an august and unusual group. What is the overall relation of art to human thinking? I have thought about this relation quite a bit. My belief is that an artist projects an aspect of his or herself into his or her work, albeit not in the content but in the style. But this belief would have to be translated into studies with predictable outcomes. Do you have any theories on why we partake in and enjoy art? Many of the common explanations communication, religious observanceare all well and good but dont appear to be compelling to me. My theory is threefold. First, art is perceptual problem-solving in which we make sense out of something that allows us to observe the operation of our mind. There is something enjoyable in observing the way in which our minds work. Second, the process of understanding art includes a dual awareness. That is, we are observing something that is portrayed to be real but is not itself real. I think we receive enjoyment out of this somehow. Third, we humans find a certain resonance with a nonverbal and nonconscious part of ourselves through certain types of art.

Power Lines: Recommended Reads

The Tell-Tale Brain

By Dr. Susan Petry

In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction

by VS Ramachandran A neuroscientists quest for what makes us human.

By David Perrett Why are we attracted to some faces more than others, and why are our brains so sensitive to faces?

MIND POWER! Fall 2011

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Powered Up: Undergraduate Psychology at Adelphis Research Conference

Congratulations to all of our undergraduate psychology students and their advisers who presented at Adelphi Universitys Annual Research Conference, Spring 2011. ** = award winner *=honorable mention

Faculty Adviser: Prof. Robert Bornstein

Deconstructing Gender Differences in Interpersonal Dependency: Impact of Pre-Test Prime on Free-Response Dependency Scores, presented by Shira Mechanic
Faculty Adviser: Prof. Francine Conway

Object Relations of Hospitalized Adolescents Engaged in Self-Injurious Behaviors, presented by Geena DiGuilio
Faculty Adviser: Prof. Laura DeRose

**Raising a Thinking Child: Associations with Family Emotional Expressiveness and the Social Behavior of Children, presented by Jessica Alcaraz **Development of an Observational Coding System for Patient-Child Interactions during Joint Story-Telling Activity, presented by Hara Stephanou
Faculty Adviser: Prof. Jennifer Durham

Pre-Adolescent Female Perspective on Cyberbullying, presented by Brittany Colon

Faculty Adviser: Prof. Gabriel Feldmar

The Effects of Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Deprivation on Test Grades, presented by Michelle Sacco, Carlos Aviles, and Lena Carlisi
Faculty Adviser: Prof. Katherine Fiori

Self-Esteem and Depression: Does Destructive Overdependence Moderate this Relationship in College Freshman?, presented by Jacqueline Arcuri and Jennifer Lee The Effect of Family Support on Self-Esteem and Depression of Incoming College Freshmen, presented by Chelsea Huttner and Erin Gallagher Perceived social support and life satisfaction in students' first year of college, presented by Brian Kornobis, Carissa Grimaldi, and Dana Wershaw Big Five Personality Traits and Work/Family Stress Spillovers of Adults in their 60s, presented by Christina Li and Raquel Castello *To Commute or Not To Commute: Attachment Style and Well-Being in First-Year Students, presented by Christina Marini Attachment Style and Depressive Symptomatology: Is living away from home the right decision for everyone?, presented by Kathleen Matusewicz and Samantha Sanchez Social Interactions and Stress: Do Academic Program and Dorming Choices Matter?, presented by David Olivares and Colleen Fasone Stress, Depressive Symptoms and the Moderating Effects of Social Support, presented by Rachel Robles Social support and Self Esteem, presented by Jennifer Sonsky and James Mohrman

MIND POWER! Fall 2011

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Powered Up: Undergraduate Psychology at Adelphis Research Conference

Faculty Adviser: Prof. Susan Petry

A Comparative Analysis of the Portraits and Self-Portraits of Vincent Van Gogh: A Psychological Perspective, presented by Eric Garr Ongoing Research Projects in Practicum in Experimental Psychology, presented by Anitamarie Cardoza, Ashley Gabler-Colleti, Camille Brown, Christina Theodore, Daniella Baglivo, Eric Garr, Janaya Hunt, Jason Schaefer, Johanna Terry, Lawna Telford, and Lindsay Davis
Faculty Adviser: Prof. Caroline Springer

Risky Behavior among Adolescents Living in India, presented by Abelardo Mendo

Faculty Adviser: Prof. Betti Stanco

The Prevalence and Impact of Alcohol Use on Sexual Behavior in College Students, presented by Crista Gallo, Andrea Alestra, and Danielle Maracic
Faculty Adviser: Prof. Kate Szymanski

Objective Analysis of TAT Protocols to Distinguish Between Victims of Chronic and Acute Trauma, presented by Adam Clark

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MIND POWER! Fall 2011

PSYCHOLOGY CLUB MEETING SCHEDULE Fall 2011

Our meetings take place from 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. every Wednesday in Blodgett 211, unless otherwise noted. Speakers/Topics are subject to change.

SEPTEMBER
September 28th Psi Chi Lecture Dr. Wendy DAndrea Trauma in Body and Mind: How Early Adversity Impacts Cognition and Physiology Campbell Lounge Rooms 2 & 3 (1:00 2:00)

OCTOBER
October 5th Derner Colloquium Jack Drescher, MD Queer Diagnoses: Homosexuality, Gender Variance, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) Alumni House (1:00 2:00) October 12th Community Service Meeting October 19th Dr. Conway New Curriculum Lecture October 26th Dr. Larry Josephs Risk Factors for Infidelity November 2nd Dr. Bornstein From Surface to Depth: How Psychodynamic Concepts Enhance DSM Axis II

NOVEMBER
November 9th Kaplan GRE Review! November 16th Dr. DeRose (with 2 Derner graduate students) Preparing for Grad School November 23rd No meeting Thanksgiving break November 30th Dr. Szymanski Trauma

DECEMBER
December 7th Last meeting

MIND POWER! Fall 2011

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2011 Psi Chi National Honors Society Inductees

ADELPHI UNIVERSITY
Blodgett Hall 212 1 South Avenue Garden City, New York 11530

Andrea Alestra 13 Christopher Bagan 11 Crystal Bianchi 13 Nancy Cantalino 11 Scott Cermak 12 Avery Davis 11 Danielle Demola 13

Maria Guzman 13 Allison Harvey 13 Chelsea Huttner 13 Maria Guzman 13 Allison Harvey 13 Chelsea Huttner 13 Danielle Improte 12 Brian Kornobis 12 Ariana Lenox 13 FrankieLynn LoCascio Lauren Lucas 12 Danielle Maracic 13 Krista Marcovecchio 13

Charles Meinecke 12 Kristin Minicucci 12 Christina Papathomas 13 Rebecca Parisi 11 Patrycja Puchala 13 Suzanne Rinaldi 12 Stephanie Roth 12 Samantha Sanchez 13 Jennifer Sonsky 11 Jamie Spiegel 12 Lisa Szenher 11 Geelita Williams 13

Email us, go on OrgSync through eCampus, or visit us on Facebook for more information! Email: [email protected] OrgSync: Log into eCampus on the Adelphi web site and access OrgSync on your eCampus home page. Search for Psych Club and request to join no password needed! Facebook: Search Adelphi Universitys Psychology Club

Madeline Dressner 13 Colleen Fasone 13 Michelle Forni 13 Crista Gallo 13 Gerald Garland 12 Eric Garr 13

2011 Emerging Scholars and their Advisers

Colleen Fasone -- Dr. Fiori Ashley Gabler-Colotti -- Dr. Petry Crista Gallo -- Dr. Weinberger Gerald Garland -- Dr. Josephs Eric Garr -- Dr. Petry Brian Kornobis -- Dr. Fiori Kathleen Matusewicz -- Dr. Durham Suzanne Rinaldi -- Dr. Springer Stephanie Roth -- Dr. DeRose Stephanie Sepulveda -- Dr. Conway Sarika Singh -- Dr. Springer Rebecca Stacy -- Dr. Bornstein

MIND POWER! Fall 2011

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ADELPHI UNIVERSITY
Blodgett Hall 212 1 South Avenue Garden City, New York 11530

Our Executive Board

Crista Gallo 13 President

Maria Guzman 13 Co-Vice President

Email us, go on OrgSync through eCampus, or visit us on Facebook for more information! Email: [email protected] OrgSync: Log into eCampus on the Adelphi web site and access OrgSync on your eCampus home page. Search for Psych Club and request to join no password needed! Facebook: Search Adelphi Universitys Psychology Club

Raquel Castello 13 Co-Vice President

Viviana Petreanu 13 Treasurer

Kathleen Matusewicz 13 Secretary

MindPower Editor Eric Garr 13