Information for Students
Volunteers and Psychology 499 Students
Information for volunteers and 499s
For most of the studies in the ECCL, we rely on undergraduate research assistants who are directly involved in testing. Right now we are primarily doing visual habituation research with 10- and 12-month-old infants, and research assistants play the roles of presenters (sitting in front of the infant performing a simple action) and observers (coding infant eye gaze) in these experiments. Research assistants are also responsible for subject recruitment, coding from video, data entry, video editing, occasional babysitting, and other miscellaneous tasks. Because training for our lab takes a few weeks to complete, we prefer research assistants who can commit to the lab for at least two quarters. Daytime availability is required. We are a Macintosh based lab, so experience with Macs and Excel are a bonus. We also prefer that our research assistants have experience working with children and have taken relevant courses (209, 306, etc.)
Why the ECCL?
The ECCL is an excellent place to be a research assistant because our undergraduates and volunteers are directly involved with testing, which they often are not in other labs. Research assistants are also encouraged to get as involved with the research as they would like to, and there are opportunities to contribute to study design and even be a co-author on a paper. You will also gain valuable skills and experience that will look great on grad school applications and resumes. The ECCL is also a fun environment in which you can meet people with similar interests and skills.
Interested in applying to be a research assistant?
Both 499 students and volunteers must complete an application and come in for an interview in order to be granted a position in the lab. If you feel you would like to apply, please click here to download an application. Fill the application out on your computer and email it to eccl@u.washington.edu to schedule an interview.
Questions?
Please feel free to email us at eccl@u.washington.edu for more information.
Information for honors thesis students
Students interested in pursuing individual projects concerning early physical and social reasoning in infancy, or preschool children's memory development have the opportunity to pursue an honor's thesis in the lab. The honor's experience includes completing 499 credit during the winter and spring quarters of your junior year. During this time students learn a variety of research skills and help out with general lab duties including scheduling participants, testing participants, data entry and management, digital video editing, and behavioral coding from videotapes. During their senior year, honors students pursue an independent project under Professor Sommerville's supervision, which involves collecting data, coding behavior, analyzing the results of the study, and writing it up as an honor's thesis. For general details about the honor's program, please contact Professor Bassok at mbassok@u.washington.edu. For information about pursuing an honor's thesis under Professor Sommerville's supervision, please contact her at sommej@u.washington.edu.
Information for graduate students
The Psychology Program at the University of Washington provides graduate students with critical research and thinking skills necessary for careers in academia or other research-related settings. Our program follows a basic mentorship model. Students work one-on-one with a core faculty member of their choosing, and also receive supervision from a co-advisor. Our program is unique in that it features faculty with both a broad range of research interests, along with a common interest in social cognition, a topic that is at the vanguard of current research in developmental psychology.
During the course of graduate studies, students undertake a series of research goals that culminate in the proposal and completion of a doctoral thesis. In addition, students broaden and deepen their training by taking course work that includes classes in core concepts (e.g., biological basis of development, cognitive and linguistic development, social and personality development), statistical training, and also have the opportunity to take out-of-area classes and in-depth seminars that explore cutting-edge topics in developmental psychology and related fields. Funding is available in the form of teaching assistantships and research assistantships.
Graduate students also have access to faculty across a range of areas (cognition and perception, behavioral neuroscience, social and personality psychology, clinical psychology, animal behavior, and quantitative psychology). A priority of our department is to foster and encourage interdisciplinary connections and research.
Our department is consistently ranked among the top psychology departments in the nation for graduate training based on annual rankings by U.S. News and World Reports. Seattle is also a marvelous place to live. Why not pursue graduate studies in a world-class research environment, while living in a city with a range of urban events and outdoor opportunities?
We invite you to apply. Please click here to see a brochure with faculty research interests. Students with an interest in Professor Sommerville's work are encouraged to contact her directly for more information (sommej@u.washington.edu).
