Psychology students, faculty present research at national research conference in Philadelphia

A group of students and faculty from the University of New England School of Social and Behavioral Sciences recently presented their research findings during the 95th annual Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) conference, held in Philadelphia from Feb. 29 to March 2.

Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour, Ph.D., associate professor and assistant academic director in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, attended the conference with student research assistants Gracie Ouellette (Psychology, ’24), Lauryn Alley (Psychology, ’24), Sarah Gray (Psychology, ’25), and Jadyn Stevens (Psychology, ’27). 

The EPA is focused on advancing psychological science and the profession through the dissemination of professional information about the field. Its annual meeting provides members with the opportunity to present their newest research developments. EPA members range in professions across the discipline, from clinicians, neuroscientists, and experimental psychologists of every type, to applied psychologists in private practice, industry, and the military. 

Ouellette and Stevens presented research conducted with Courtney Parent, B.A. ’19 (Psychology), and Stiegler-Balfour examining how different reading tests predict student comprehension of expository versus narrative texts. 

In the study, three reading comprehension tests were used to determine which best predict comprehension for different text types. Results revealed there were significant differences in the capability of each of the three different comprehension texts to predict recognition performance for narrative versus expository texts. These findings provide valuable insight for researchers and educators alike, the researchers said.

“What a wonderful opportunity and city to experience with my fellow research assistants and Stiegler-Balfour,” Alley remarked. “The experience was bittersweet as it was the last regional conference of my academic career. It has been such a rewarding experience to be a part of this lab and present all the hard work that we do to those who are also passionate in the field. I am so proud and honored to be a part of this wonderful group of women.” 

Alley and Gray presented research conducted with Aubrey Sahouria, B.S. ’22 (Neuroscience), Nicole Martin, B.A. ’21 (Psychology), and Stiegler-Balfour on the preferences and perceptions of remote learning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Their study revealed that, while COVID-19 anxiety alone did not directly affect participants’ ability to focus during an online lecture, greater levels of anxiety were related to greater levels of fatigue, which negatively affected the ability to pay attention. Further, the results showed that hybrid and online courses were far more difficult to manage than in-person classes, and the lack of social interaction was reported as the greatest downside to online learning environments. 

Study participants, however, acknowledged their appreciation for working at their own pace during times of uncertainty and the ability to rewatch recorded lectures. The researchers also found the vast majority of participants preferred having their cameras off during synchronous online classes and frequently reported feeling self-conscious, distracted, shy, and embarrassed when asked to have their cameras on. 

“Attending EPA this year along with exploring Philadelphia was an experience I will never forget,” said Gray. “At the conference, I enjoyed hearing what everyone else was studying and seeing how passionate they were about their work. Sharing our research with others from various universities was really insightful and something I am looking forward to bringing back to UNE.” 

Stevens agreed. 

“I was very excited to attend my first conference,” she said. “It was an amazing opportunity to be able to walk around and learn about everyone’s research, talk to psychology majors from other schools, and be able to share our own hard work. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity during my first year at UNE and I am excited to attend next year.”

Travel to the conference was made possible through the generous support of the Undergraduate Student Government. The study on online learning environments was funded by an Association of Psychological Sciences grant for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Sciences awarded to Stiegler-Balfour. Funding for the study on reading comprehension tests was made possible through the UNE College of Arts and Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Experience.