An Ole Miss Professor Evades a School for Research

Elizabeth Boeger, P.H.D. take time to
explain her research project.

An Ole Miss Professor Evades a School for Research

Mary Catherine Ford

February 16,2012

Elizabeth Boeger, Ph.D. a psychology professor at the University of Mississippi evades a local elementary school to question kids to see how their moral development is forming.

The age range of the study is third to seventh-grade kids. Boeger and her team of eight graduate students question the kids on how they feel about their self-concept, perceptions of each other as peers, and how they understand other peoples’ emotions.

“Through these kinds of experimental testing’s it is easy to see psychology’s influence on human nature,” Boeger said. “Sometimes the kids will say the funniest things and wont take the questions seriously.”

This can cause inaccuracy in the study. This is why the team questions a large group of kids with different backgrounds to get the best possible answer.

 “As psychologist we worry that people try to make themselves look better than they really are during testing,” said Michael T. Allen, Ph.D. psychology department chair of University of Mississippi. “We can only hope they answer honestly.”

Before the test is given out to people they have to pass through the Institutional Review Board. This board makes sure the questions wont cause any emotional harm to the test takers. So everyone is protected under the board.

 “The board is extremely strict. Almost too much so that we are unable to tap into peoples real behavior,” said Allen.

Despite this, the clinical department of psychology has been able to make some leeway within their experiments, by using college students as subjects. Graduate students in the department are required to conduct research through the PSPM computer system. Which is in a survey format for the students to answer. Students in Psychology 201 are required to participate in five experimental research surveys.

“The research surveys aren’t bad at all. They end up being really interesting. You are forced to be honest with yourself when answering the questions. You walk out learning something knew about yourself,” said August Malouf, psychology 201 student.

PSPM computer system has questionnaires for the students to answer about body image, self esteem, and study habits. Just to name a few. After the experiment is complete the graduate student collects the data to analyze.

The psychology department could always use more participants; contact them at psych@olemiss.edu.