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Psychological Impact of Sunglasses, Music Lyrics, LinkedIn Photos, Tinder and More!

Monmouth University’s Department of Psychology is hosting its 61 st semi-annual undergraduate student conference. Now in its 31 st  year, this conference is the longest running undergraduate psychology conference of its kind in the nation. The conference will take place on December 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., in Wilson Auditorium and in the Great Hall of Monmouth University’s Woodrow Wilson Hall. The presentations are the culmination of students’ senior thesis projects, as well as internships completed during the fall 2014 semester.

The conference will feature 25 paper and 15 poster presentations of student research projects. Students will also present their internship experiences in 24 poster presentations and 4 paper presentations. The department will present awards for best paper and best poster presentation. In total, over 65 undergraduates will present during the conference, and over 100 students, parents and alumni are expected to attend.

  Research Presentations include the following:  

  ·        Elisa Lukasik “The Sunglass Effect: The Presence of Sunglasses on Attractiveness  

o   Findings suggest that sunglasses do increase a person’s attractiveness, and that the increase may be explained by sunglasses making the wearer appear more outgoing and make their face appear more symmetrical. Sunglasses did not, however, influence perceptions of the wearer’s income.

·        Nicole Conklin “Don’t Stop Believin: The Influence of Motivational Lyrics on Anxiety and Performance”  

o   Using the game of Perfection, the effect of motivational lyrics on performance was examined.  Results found that listening to lyrics can reduce a person’s self-reported anxiety and combining motivational lyrics with music can enhance a person’s performance on a task.

·        Sarah Dodson “Perceptions of Play and Well Being in Late Adulthood”    

o   This project addressed adult perceptions of play and its connection to well-being. Results found that a person’s life experiences and world events shaped a person’s play and that adults playful in childhood continued to be playful throughout their lives.

·        Jason Caianiello “The Effect of School Prestige and Profile Pictures on Overall Impression of LinkedIn Profiles”  

o   The results of this study indicate that LinkedIn profiles with a picture received a higher starting salary than those that did not contain a picture, and a more prestigious educational background on LinkedIn led to an increased likelihood that participants would hire the candidate. 

·        Sabrina McPherson “Consequences of Swiping Right: The Influence of Tinder on Relationships  

o   This study found that those who viewed the Tinder logo reported higher levels of susceptibility to infidelity and lower levels of companionate love compared to those who viewed all other logos (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and a logo for a fictional app).

  Internship Placement Presentations include the following:   

·        Water and Sims employment agency – Rocio Serey

·        Center Vocational Rehabilitation – Amanda Salerno

·        Symrise Corporation – Jayde Valosin

For more information, please contact Dr. Gary Lewandowski, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology  at glewando@monmouth.edu  or 732-571-3447.