Research Opportunities

Thinking about graduate school? Seriously consider getting involved in scholarly activity outside of class to get practice and boost your application. 

Benefits: 

• Academic skills: literature search, learning how to ask and answer research questions, data analysis and interpretation, writing 

• Opportunities to present research at conferences (and sometimes publish) 

• Confirm interest in research and grad school 

• Establish relationships with faculty, which are the basis for effective recommendation letters for graduate school and/or jobs 

• Improve graduate school applications: Entry to grad school is extremely competitive. Graduate faculty look for students with research experience, who are ready to work on their projects from day 1. 

• Research assistants may earn 3 credits per semester

I benefit as well by obtaining much needed help, but establishing relationships with students and witnessing their academic and career success is also very rewarding. Over the years some of my students have gone to doctoral programs and become researchers in academic, industrial, and policy settings as well as faculty. Some examples of student co-authored presentations and publications appear at the bottom of this page. 

What am I working on? How might you help?

• Research studies:  Some of the topics I've examined over the last two decades are here. Currently I'm working on a project examining alcohol use and vaping in emerging adulthood into adulthood.

• Research support: I write developmental psychology textbooks. Research assistance is essential. Tasks might include looking for new literature, reading my chapters for clarity, pointing out when additional examples are helpful, and helping to develop examples, cases, or questions. My ability to tell an admissions committee about your searching, reviewing, analyzing, and writing skills - as well as that I trust you with my work and have found your assistance useful - will be invaluable to your application. 

In addition to my projects, you can speak with me about researching your own interests. 

• Independent study: Sometimes students and I develop joint projects. Or students come to me with ideas that we together shape into a student’s research project. 

• Guided reading: A guided readings course is one that you and I design together. It is intended to give you the opportunity to study a specific topic in depth (e.g., the midlife crisis, cognitive development, cyber-bullying are examples of recent student courses). Frequently students will complete a guided readings class in order to devise research questions that they later address in independent studies. 

If you're interested in obtaining experience in any of these areas, speak with me - stop by my office or email.

Selected Student Co-Authored Publications & Presentations

Burnell, K., & Kuther, T L. (2016). Predictors of mobile phone and social networking site dependency in adulthood. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(10), 621-627  

Burnell, K., & Kuther, T. L. (2016, June).  Positive and negative perceptions of midlife.
Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY.

Monzillo, V. & Kuther, T. L.  (2015). Test bank to accompany The Psychology Major's Handbook. Pacific Grove, CA: Cengage. 

Burnell, K. & Kuther, T. L. (2015, October). Identity development and well-being in emerging adults. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the New England Psychological Association, Fitchburg, MA.

McDonald, E., & Kuther, T. L. (2004). Early adolescents’ experiences with, and views of, Barbie. Adolescence, 39(153), 39-52.

Kuther, T. L. & Timoshin, A. (2003). A comparison of social cognitive and psychosocial
predictors of alcohol use by college students. Journal of College Student Development,
44(2), 143-154.

Kuther, T. L. & Posada, M. (2004). Minor matters: Children’s capacity to provide informed consent for research participation. In F. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in Psychology Research. Huntington, NY: Nova Science.

McDonald, E. & Kuther, T. L. (2003, March). Coverage of ethics in child psychology textbooks. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.

McDonald, E. & Kuther, T. L. (2003, March). Stereotypes of adolescence: College student views. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.