Right now, Lewis & Clark Psychology students are working with Dr. Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell (recently named the National Professor of the Year), in the Behavioral Health and Social Psychology research lab.

They’re studying emotional development in infancy and early childhood with Dr. Jennifer LaBounty, and examining stereotypes of mental disorder in the Social Construction of Madness lab with Dr. Tom Schoeneman. With Dr. Erik Nilsen, they work in the field of Human Computer Interaction, asking questions about using computer simulations and games for pro-social purposes: can a game called Peacemaker change people's attitudes concerning the Israeli/Palestinian Crisis? Can Mind Habit Trainer increase self-confidence in college students?

The opportunity to conduct innovative research alongside nationally-recognized faculty members is the cornerstone of the Department of Psychology at Lewis & Clark. Faculty-student collaboration allows students to combine theory with practice and get first-hand experience with clinical and scientific methods. Within a curriculum of intensive and diverse coursework, students are able to freely determine their area of interest, whether it’s clinical, community, social, physiological, experimental, or developmental psychology.

What do people do, and why do they do it? As they tackle these basic yet complex questions, our students study individuals and groups, and learn to take into account the environmental, physiological, and cultural factors that influence behavior and the human mind.