Karin Chellew

My focus remains on exploring the intricate relationship between individual differences and stress responses among college students within our Mind and Body Lab. Our endeavors aim not only to deepen scientific understanding but also to find practical strategies for promoting health and well-being. Moreover, I am actively engaged in diverse initiatives geared towards fostering well-being, mitigating stress, and fostering adaptive coping mechanisms in students. Utilizing salivary cortisol secretion as an objective biomeasure, we seek to provide empirical foundations for effective interventions.

Beyond academia, I am committed to humanitarian efforts. One notable initiative is the establishment of the H-CRIN association, which is dedicated to the study and implementation of healthcare clowning. Comprising individuals from diverse nationalities, our association collaborates tirelessly to enhance the well-being of children undergoing medical treatment, providing moments of joy and resilience into challenging circumstances.

Enhancing Student Outcomes through Positive Psychology Interventions in Education

Our research aims to integrate Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) within educational settings to assist students in self-regulating their emotions and understanding the impact of these emotions on their learning processes. By focusing on the development of emotional intelligence, our goal is to facilitate a learning environment that enhances both academic and personal growth.

Core Research Areas Include:

1. Investigation of Stress and Personality:

   • We conduct comprehensive analyses to understand the psychological, physiological, and behavioral correlates of stress responses and personality traits. This research helps in identifying how individual differences affect learning and stress management, providing a tailored approach to student support.

2. Development and Implementation of Interventions:

   • Our team explores various interventions aimed at improving mental health and emotional well-being. By enhancing academic motivation and performance through targeted strategies, we address the holistic needs of students.

3. Personality and Frustration Tolerance:

   • In collaboration with fellow researchers, we examine the role of personality traits in determining an individual’s tolerance for frustration and overall mental health. This aspect of our research seeks to develop more effective coping mechanisms for students facing academic and personal challenges.

4. Stress Mindset Interventions:

   • We apply innovative stress mindset interventions designed to alter students' perceptions of stress, thereby improving their responses to challenging situations and promoting resilience. These interventions are crucial for helping students transform potential stressors into opportunities for growth.

5. Longitudinal Research Design:

   • Our research utilizes a longitudinal approach to monitor the effectiveness of these interventions over time, ensuring that the benefits are stable and long-lasting. This method allows us to observe changes and adapt strategies to optimize student outcomes.

6. Student Involvement and Mentorship:

   • A key component of our research model is the active involvement of undergraduate students in all phases of the research process. Through mentorship in our laboratory, students gain hands-on experience, contributing to research development while acquiring valuable skills that prepare them for professional success.

Publications

• Extraversion and Neuroticism Modulate Emotional Reactivity to Reward Downshifts (In prep.).

• Breathing and Meditation in the classroom: An effective 10-minute Intervention to Produce Changes in Psychological and Physiological Stress in College Students (In prep.).

• The kids aren’t alright: A brief positive psychological intervention at high-school to increase well-being and academic motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. School Mental Health (2023).  Link 

• The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on daily cortisol secretion (2015) Link

• Neuroticism and cortisol: Pinning down an expected effect (2014) Link

• Identification of degrees of anxiety in children with three- and five-face facial scales (2013) Link

• Pro-social personality traits and adaptation to stress (2011) Link

• The effect of Hospital Clowns on psychological distress and maladaptive behaviours in children undergoing surgery (2010) Link

• La influencia de los Payasos de Hospital en el estrés quirúrgico pediatrico [The influence of Hospital Clowns in pediatric surgical stress] (2009) Link

• El efecto de los Payasos de Hospital en el malestar psicológico y las conductas desadaptativas de los niños y niñas sometidos a cirugía menor [The effect of hospital clown distress and maladaptive behaviours in children undergoing surgery] (2009) Link

• Diferencias individuales en la secreción de cortisol en condición basal, estrenaste y relajante [Individual differences in basal cortisol secretion, stressful and relaxing condition] Link

• Cortisol reactivity and personality Link 

Awards

• Formula Santander Scholarphip for International Mobility and Exchange (2013)

• Mobility and Exchange Tuition Scholarship for the Second Conference of the Iberoamerican Association for Research of Individual Differences (AIIDI, 2012)

Press coverage

• University of Balearic Islands press, (2015) Link

• El Mundo, Psicología/Investigación - 'La personalidad y la hormona del estrés' (2015)

• Diario Ultima Hora, Tesis doctoral de Karin Chellew (2015)

• Diario de Mallorca, Universitat - Actualitat: 'Karin Chellew obté una beca Formula Santander per a la City University London' (2013)

• Radio IB3: Interview: Mindfulness (2013)

• Diario de Mallorca, 'Expertos en buscarse la vida: El efecto de los payasos de hospital' (2012) Link

My CV or follow me on LinkedIn