Research

Research Opportunities in the Psychology Department

Hands-on experience through research is built into our curriculum. In PSYC 101 you get extra credit when you volunteer as a participant in research studies by fellow students and faculty. In PSYC 201, Experimentation and Statistics, you learn how to design surveys and experiments. And in many upper-level courses, you’ll design and conduct your own studies. You can also get involved as a paid research assistant, through an independent study project, during Winter Study, as a Summer Science student or by writing a senior honors thesis.

Students interested in becoming involved in research should contact faculty members whose research is of interest to discuss possibilities.

Through our core Winter Study course, you’ll learn how psychologists ask compelling questions and find answers in the laboratory. This course is taught by professors in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and the psychology of education. You’ll also complete your own research project.
You can volunteer to help out on a professor’s ongoing research, helping collect data, prepare materials, or assist an honors thesis student.
Our professors hire paid research assistants to help with research tasks such as data collection, data coding and entry, or library research.
An independent study course is a great alternative to an honors thesis if you’re interested in a topic but not in a year-long commitment. You’ll work closely with a professor to review the literature, devise hypotheses and design, carry out, and write up a research project.
You can stay at Williams for the summer, assisting a professor in either psychology or neuroscience. These are paid positions for up to 10 weeks.