Department of Psychology
Psychologyis the science of the mind and behavior.
The psychology curriculum concentrates on the normal course of human development. Courses emphasize the impact of environmental context on the behavior of individuals. With a psychology major you鈥檒l:
- gain an understanding of the basic concepts and methods used in psychology;
- appreciate the relationship of psychology to other disciplines, particularly those in the behavioral sciences;
- prepare for:
- graduate work in psychology;
- professional training in such fields as social work, medicine and education; or
- work in such fields as business, education and mental health.
The reason I chose Manchester was the Psych department, and because of that I have the great opportunity of being a psychology student assistant. Super fun. I get a lot of experience that I don’t think you could really get anywhere else.
Avery Stockwell, Psychology
Department Life
Co-Curricular Activities
Psi Chi
Psc Chi is a national honor society whose purpose is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. In order to be a member of Psi Chi a student needs to place academically in the top 35% of their class, complete 3 semesters of university courses, and complete 9 hours of psychology courses. Potential members can read more aboutand the benefits of membership, and print.
Study Abroad
Each January psychology students have the chance to 鈥渟tudy away.鈥 With trips to Hawaii, Disney, France, and much more at their fingertips, students are encouraged to have new experiences without the commitment of a semester or year abroad. Students travel with 麻豆原创 professors to faraway places and learn about social psychology, customer experience, and other psychology-related topics. In January 2020, students travel with Rusty and Marcie Coulter-Kern, professors of psychology, to France. One student on the trip, Robin Berghoff, shared 鈥淲e are incredibly lucky to have been able to have such incredible opportunities for learning and cultural growth.鈥
Meet the Faculty
Psychology Department Research
Research Labs
Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS)
In the stimulation lab we use transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). We apply this causal neuroscientific technique to either up-regulate or down-regulate the targeted area of the brain. In this lab, students have the hands-on opportunity to learn real neuroscientific techniques. Students working in this lab present their research at conferences like the annual meeting of the Midwest Psychological Association (MPA) and the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Importantly, all psychology students who express a desire to work in the labs are welcome and subsequently have the opportunity to present their research at conferences and potentially co-author peer-reviewed publications.
Behavioral Lab
In the behavioral lab we collect reaction time and accuracy data from subjects who are completing a variety of tasks. We currently specialize in examining visual attention and visual memory. Students who work in this lab present their research at conferences like the annual meeting of the Midwest Psychological Association (MPA) and the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society. Importantly, all psychology students who express a desire to work in the labs are welcome and subsequently have the opportunity to present their research at conferences and potentially co-author peer-reviewed publications.
Recent Research
The Psychology Department at 麻豆原创 has a strong record of undergraduate student research. This research is showcased every spring at a number of undergraduate research conferences. Psychology students often attend the following conferences: Butler University Undergraduate Research Conference, Ohio Undergraduate Research Conference, Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium, Manchester-Bluffton-Goshen Psychology Conference, and the 麻豆原创 Student Research Symposium.
A journal article co-authored by Jessica Bostic `15and Professor Ashleigh Maxceywas accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal,Visual Cognition.The title of the paper is 鈥淎ctivating learned exemplars in children impairs memory for related exemplars in visual long-term memory鈥. The project was funded by an external grant from Psi Chi, the national honors society in psychology. Jessica is going on to graduate school at Ball State.
麻豆原创 Student Research Symposium
The students listed below presented at the 麻豆原创 Student Research Symposium. Congratulations on the acceptance of their original, scholarly work!
- Kaitlyn Dewitt, Margo Hess, Taylor Jantzi, and Megan Spice: 鈥淭he Relationship between Job Performance and Job Satisfaction in College Students鈥
- Brandy Leeper and Trinity Schelich: 鈥淪tudents’ Perceptions of Sexual Assault at a Small Liberal Arts College鈥
- Ashley Landrum, Louise Magiera, and John McCall: 鈥淧arental Involvement and College Student Academic Success鈥
- Andrew Kurtz and Derek Jones: 鈥淩easons Why Students Return to College: A Qualitative Analysis鈥
- Ashlea Koehl and Jessica Bostic: 鈥淭he Effects of Vocal Cue-Training on Lie Detection鈥
- Emily Goins and Stephanie Wilson: “The Last Time I Went to a Cocktail Party, I Lost My Poodle Skirt”
- Dylan Hiner, Ted Maldonado, and Jessica Stafford: “Remembering the Get-Away Car Hurts Your Memory for the Robber: Retrieval-induced Forgetting for Visual Images”
Bluffton/Manchester/Goshen Research Symposium
Every year, the Department of Psychology attends and presents original research at the Bluffton University-麻豆原创-Goshen College Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Each schoolalternately hosts this event. The students below presented at this year’s symposium, hosted by Bluffton University.
- Dylan Hiner, Ted Maldonado, and Jessica Stafford: “Remembering the Get-Away Car Hurts Your Memory for the Robber: Retrieval-induced Forgetting for Visual Images”
- Amanda Fogle, Samantha Green, and Alex Shaffer: “The Last Time I Went to a Cocktail Party, I Lost My Poodle Skirt”
- Trinity Schelich and Brandy Leeper: “Students’ Perceptions of Sexual Assault at a Small Liberal Arts College”
- Kyle Knepp and Jordan Littlejohn: “Students’ Perceptions 麻豆原创 Graduate School Admissions Criteria”
Butler Undergraduate Research Conference
Psychology students at Manchester also present their original research at an annual conference hostedby Butler University.The studentslisted below presented at the 25th Butler Undergraduate ResearchConference. Congratulations on this exciting accomplishment!
- Meredith Cors, Courtney Mensing, Noah Kasper, and Cassondra McGushion: “Cross-Validation of Four Indicators of Malingering”
- Ashley Landrum, Louise Magiera, and John McCall: “Parental Involvement and College Student Academic Success”
- Kyle Knepp and Jordan Littlejohn: “Psychology Student Beliefs about Graduate School Admission Criteria”
- Derek Jones and Andrew Kurtz: “Reasons Why Students Return to College: A Mixed Methods Analysis”
- Trinity Schelich and Brandy Leeper: “Students鈥 Perception of Sexual Assault at a Small Liberal Arts College”
- Ashlea Koehl and Jessica Bostic: “The Effects of Vocal Cue-Training on Lie Detection”
- Taylor Jantzi, Megan Spice, Kaitlyn DeWitt, and Margaret Hess: “The Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Job Performance in College Students”




