Senior Capstone

All Psychology majors during their senior year enroll in the Senior Capstone course. Students complete a written psychological analysis on a topic of their choosing and engage in either an independent research project, internship, or the creation of an art portfolio. 

Independent Research

Students who have a strong interest in pursuing graduate school are encouraged to complete an independent research project for their Senior Capstone. Students select a topic of interest, design the study and carry it out from beginning to end. Faculty mentors guide the process and support students each step of the way.

Recent Student Research Projects:

• The Effect of Virtual Nature Setting on Directed Attention

• Coaching Feedback on Performance Errors: Does it Effect Athlete State Confidence?

• The Impact of High-Protein Breakfast on Food Cravings and Food Cue Reactivity: A Randomized Crossover Design

• Exploring Affective Picture Processing: Mental Imagery and the Dynamics of Negative Recall Bias

• Induced Arousal and Its Effect on Spatial Working Memory

• Differences Between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ College Students in Perceived Psychological Stress and Coping Strategies

• The Influence of Music Lyrics on Frissons

• Are you As Supportive as you Think? How the Alignment of Coaching Style Perceptions Athletes' Student Motivation

• Locked Inside: Understanding the Lived Experience of the COVID-19 Lockdown

• The Influence of Priming on Same/Difference Concept Learning

• The Moderating Effects of Protective Factors on Motivational Deficits from Learned Helplessness Beliefs

Internship

Students who are looking for an opportunity to work on career ready skills before entering the workforce, select the internship option. Internships last 10 weeks and students complete a minimum of 80 hours on site.  Students select a site that aligns with their interests and future career goals.

Students arrange an internship with an agency in the Hastings or surrounding communities. The Psychology faculty have built strong relationships with many community partners and they are eager to host our students.

The focus of the internship experience is for students to practice skills in the areas of:

• civic engagement 

• professionalism

• self-awareness

• critical thinking/problem solving

• inquiry and analysis

• respect for individual differences

Art Portfolio

Students who are Psychology majors and Studio/Digital Art minors and have an interest in pursuing graduate school in Art Therapy/Clincial Mental Health Counseling have the option to complete their Senior Capstone focused on major elements needed for graduate school admission. In addition to the psychological analysis paper on a topic of their choosing, students complete a paper on the history and ethics of art therapy and 5-7 art works that will become part of their graduate school art portfolio (15-18 total pieces). Students have studio access and art faculty support. 

Capstone Students