My name is Jasmine Dang. I
am a senior, studying Psychology and Neuroscience. In Spring 2014, I took an
introductory human factors psychology course and was delighted to learn about
this unique subfield of psychology. I reached out to my course instructor and
became her research assistant (RA) in Fall 2015, starting to help out with
various projects involving creativity and cognitive flexibility. I learned
about URSP towards the end of Spring 2016 and decided to apply under my
instructor’s guidance as a mentor. I used my knowledge in cognitive
flexibility, incorporated with vigilance, to present my proposal. My study aims
to examine individual differences in cognitive flexibility and its relation in
predicting performance in a sustained attention to response task (SART).
This URSP project plays a
big role in my long-term goals, one of which is pursuing a graduate degree in
Human Factors Psychology. Within the course of 2 months after the start of my
project, I have been able to apply my skills from the classroom to a research
setting on a professional level. I learn how to write an IRB application, to
apply for SONA, and to write my own protocol. In addition with filing the
paperwork, I meet with my mentor on a weekly basis to discuss the progress of
the project including setting up programs and collecting pilot data. The
biggest lesson I get from this whole process is that patience is a virtue,
especially when it comes to research.
I would like to express my
gratitude to all of those who have been patiently guiding me, regarding of
their own busy schedule. I also would like to thank those who have made
opportunities like this available for students to pursue their ambitions.
During this term, I discovered that connecting and taking initiative are
critical steps to pursuing any goals. Reach out, ask, and partake! Then, we
will make a difference.
