Join the Lab

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Thank you for your interest in the Alcohol Cognitions Lab! Each semester, we recruit undergraduates with an interest in psychology and addictions research to assist us with data collection and other lab-related tasks. Not only is participating in research a great way to learn more about psychology, but it is also a very important prerequisite for applying to certain types of graduate programs in psychology.

Undergraduate research assistants in our lab work closely with graduate students on on-going research projects. Typically, undergraduates in our lab collect data from participants in alcohol administration or other experimental studies. However, we also rely on undergraduates for assistance with recruitment, screening potential participants, preparing materials for studies, and data entry. We typically require that students work in our lab for credit (either PSYC 2950 or PSYC 4950) and that they enroll in 3 credit hours during their first semester with us.

Our lab places a strong emphasis on helping undergraduates prepare for future education and careers in psychology. In addition to participating in lab-related tasks and data collection, we require that our undergraduate research assistants attend an hour-long weekly lab meeting with the lab director and graduate students. In addition to keeping everyone up-to-date on lab news or issues, we use this meeting time to teach our undergraduate research assistants about our research area. We also often spend a substantial amount of time each semester discussing psychology graduate programs and careers.

Requirements

· Minimum 3.00 overall GPA

· Enrollment in 3 credits of 2950 or 4950

· Psychology, biology, or related majors preferred

If you are interested in getting involved in the lab, please contact Jake Sauer (573-882-8225) to inquire about current or upcoming openings.

Prospective Graduate Students

If you are interested in working with Dr. McCarthy as a graduate student in the clinical psychology program, we encourage you to visit the Department of Psychological Sciences Graduate Program and Clinical Area pages for more information.

Research Participants

If you are interested in being a participant in one of our current studies, please visit the Current Studies page for information on current research opportunities and how to contact us.