I knew even before coming to Dartmouth that I would want to find an opportunity to perform research on campus. I was undecided on my major when I began here, and also did not really know where I wanted to try to find a research position. My freshman spring I decided to take Psych 1 co-taught by Professor Brad Duchaine and Professor Thalia Wheatley. In the class the professors would relate the lecture material to the research they conduct, and I found myself very interested in Dr. Wheatley’s research on social psychology. I decided to email her asking if we would be able to meet and discuss the possibility of me joining her lab, and after a few meetings with her and the lab staff I was able to join. Joining the Wheatley lab provided me with a brand-new group of talented mentors as coworkers. I believe it is really special that I am able to go to them to look for advising or resources for research, academics, or about life.
The Wheatley lab has exposed me to numerous types of psychological research experiments and what goes into a successful study to minimize confounding variables to try to receive the cleanest data possible. We have weekly lab meetings where members of the lab present on their work and findings which really helps me expand my scientific vocabulary and see many examples of different ways that data can be visualized. I think the most important part of my work in the lab is running experiments on subjects. As a student aspiring to join the medical field, gaining the skills to interact with volunteers in a professional setting is invaluable as I have learned through practice to be tremendously more confident and fluid when it comes to working with subjects. Through the lab I also prepared Qualtrics surveys that were to be used as entrance/exit surveys in the experiments. I am very grateful for the experiences that the Wheatley lab has provided me and for the numerous skills that I have learned thus far that I know will be helpful in my life and career.