DEADLINES FOR SARMAC XIII
Registration for workshops and conference events closes on May 1st, 2019. If you would like to register for the Data Visualization Workshop, WiCS panel on International Collaborations, Lunch with the Experts, the workshop focusing on Barriers within the Worldwide Scientific Community, a seat on one of the coach buses, or the Saturday evening conference dinner (adult tickets are $65, children’s dinner option $35) please do so by May 1, 2019. The WiCS panel on International Collaborations will be followed by a speed mentorship session. To sign up to be a mentor or meet with a mentor please complete this form: https://forms.gle/LDautTEyRYj2F8Ms8 by May 1, 2019.
If you haven’t already registered for the conference, general conference registration closes on May 20th, 2019.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM APP FOR SARMAC XIII
This year, the conference program will be available via an online app. Access the App Store on iOS devices and the Play Store on Android. Search for SARMAC, then tap Download to open it. If you prefer not to download the app, the program can be accessed here: https://event.crowdcompass.com/sarmac13.
IN MEMORY OF DR. ALAN SCOBORIA
We mourn the passing of Dr. Alan Scoboria from brain cancer on April 19, 2019, at 46 years of age. A long-time SARMAC supporter, he leaves behind a legacy of his work exploring issues in applied memory. On behalf of the SARMAC board and all members, we'd like to offer our deepest condolences to Alan's family, friends, and colleagues. Alan will be forever remembered by SARMAC members as a gifted researcher, colleague, and friend. Donations in Alan’s name can be made to support a legacy of student research and training at the University of Windsor, where he taught since 2004: https://my.uwindsor.ca/donations#
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
SARMAC XIII Organizing Committee Co-Chairs
Ayanna K. Thomas, PhD
Professor of Psychology, Tufts University
Director of the Cognitive Aging & Memory Lab
Linda Henkel, PhD
Professor of Psychology
Fairfield University
How did you get interested in psychology?
AYANNA: I was a classics major planning on becoming a Latin professor; but, it didn’t work out. My sophomore year in college at Wesleyan I took a seminar in psychology and read Rajaram 1993, I was truly was inspired by this work, while taking John Seamon’s Human Memory course at Wesleyan. I ended up working with John Seamon in his lab on implicit/explicit memory tasks. The summer before my senior year, I was funded to continue working in Seamon’s lab on my senior honor’s thesis, by the McNair Scholars Program. My work in this lab during my junior and senior year confirmed my interest in episodic memory processes. I applied to doctoral programs during my senior year of college.
LINDA: As a teenager I was interested in how the mind interprets reality. I was learning about cognitive psychology without really knowing it. In High School psychology class we studied Freudian psychology and psychoanalysis and I was disappointed. I didn’t really know more about psychology until college. I went to a university that didn’t have formal majors, so I was able to study a variety of disciplines including anthropology. I wanted to study consciousness and interpretations of reality, and “cognition” sounded like the name of what I was most interested in so I applied for PhD programs in Cognitive Psychology. I got in even though I had never taken a cognitive psychology course as an undergrad. Once accepted, I was so afraid someone would realize I had no idea what I was doing. I remember when I started the graduate program, in one of our first meetings my advisor asked me how many lab assistants I needed. I was under the impression that I was going to be her lab assistant, that SHE was going to teach ME how to do research, not that I was supposed to train other people on my research! So I kept on my best poker face and just said, “How many lab assistants do the other graduate students usually have?”. She said 3. I said, “Sounds great, I’ll take 3!”. That was the start of what has become my life’s career.
Who has been most influential in your psych career?
LINDA Nancy Franklin was my PhD advisor, I was her first graduate student. Nancy allowed me to explore research outside of her research area and always encouraged me to be independent. Marcia Johnson was my Post Doc advisor; she is a pioneer in source monitoring research and her work inspires me everyday.
What is your best SARMAC conference experience?
LINDA and AYANNA: 2009 Japan! That is the conference we became good friends; it was such a great bonding experience. We enjoyed traveling together to a foreign country and navigating as Americans. We have great memories of time with colleagues, having dinner, and just hanging out together. All of the conferences have been unique and different, but Japan really stands out as a special time (for both of us).
What is your advice for grad students/young faculty?
AYANNA: Initiate and establish collaborative relationships within psychology; it makes going to conferences more fun. Create interdisciplinary research groups. Realize that others are interested in your ideas, so share them! Participate in conference programs that make it easy to connect with others. At the upcoming SARMAC conference there will be several workshops such as speed mentoring that you should take advantage of. Step out of your comfort zone. Mingle at poster sessions where it is expected that you will walk up to others with questions; people love to talk about their work. Do your homework- look through the conference program ahead of time and figure out which presenters you are interested in meeting. Find them and be prepared with specific questions based on their work. Read their articles in advance. Also be prepared to share your interests in easy to understand non-specialist jargon. Smaller conferences (like SARMAC) are really great for students because they include smaller events that facilitate interaction among attenders.
LINDA: In addition to everything Ayanna said, I think it is important when building a collaboration to set up a time to meet with colleagues on the phone or video chat. Email is not effective in getting things off the ground. Have a goal for your meeting, make it concrete and structured, and figure out what both of you can bring to the table in terms of collaborating.
What are you working on these days?
LINDA I’m continuing my work on technology and memory- looking at how taking photos affects memory of the event. I’m presenting my work in this area at SARMAC, so come to my talk to find out more. I’m also working with seniors at nursing homes investigating reminiscence and how we can use environmental cues to keep memory from declining.
AYANNA: My main line of research examines factors that increase memory accuracy. I’m interested in the metacognitive processes relied upon when warnings about misinformation are given at the time of retrieval. We are looking at how people are able to monitor contextual cues to allow for late corrections. I’m also involved in a newer line of research with collaborators from learning science and electrical engineering. We are examining the effects of stress on memory and the role neurotransmitters and hormones play at different stages of the memory process. Stress can both enhance and impair memory depending on the timing of the stressor. We are using FMRI technology and hoping to apply our findings to eyewitness testimony research.
SARMAC STUDENT CAUCUS
We received 81 outstanding applications for the SARMAC Student Travel Grants which were blindly adjudicated by a team of 15 senior student and early career researchers. Thanks to the generosity of the society, we were able to assist more students than ever before. Congratulations to the following recipients:
Deanne Greene, Flinders University
Andrew Mills, University of Otago
Adele Quigley-McBride, Iowa State University
Natali Dilevski, University of Sydney
Dicle Capan, Koc University
Isis Segura, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo
Ryan Burnell, University of Waikato
Sasha Nahleen Quayam, Flinders University
Sarah Deck, University of Sydney
Liana Tkatch, University of Haifa
Maddy Jalbert, University of Southern California
Rachel Dianiska, Iowa State University
Irem Ergen, Koc University
Alyssa Sinclair, Duke University
Eric Mah, University of Victoria
Laura Brumby, University of Tasmania
Lilian Kloft, Maastricht University
Jaruda Ithisupha, Kent State University
Kristyn Jones, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Andrea Taylor, University of Waikato
Thanks also to the efficient adjudication team who generously donated their time to judge these applications:
Rachel Hopman, University of Utah
William Crozier, Duke University
Mevagh Sanson, University of Waikato
Sara Davis, Skidmore College
Andrea Wolfs, Florida International University
Louise Jupe, University of Portsmouth
Elizabeth Elliott, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Hayley Cullen, University of Sydney
Timothy Luke, University of Gothenburg
Gabriela Rico, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Alena Nash, Aston University
Victoria Bridgland, Flinders University
David Hengerer, Claremont Graduate University
Camille Weinsheimer, Simon Fraser University
Stephanie Cardenas, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The high quality of the student travel grant applications shows that the future of this society is bright!
President: Ella Moeck, Flinders University
Social Chair: Stephanie Cardenas, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Secretary/Treasurer: Camille Weinsheimer; Simon Fraser University
Committee Members: Victoria Bridgland, Flinders University, and David Hengerer, Claremont Graduate University
If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions, contact us through Facebook (www.facebook.com/sarmacstudents), Twitter (@StudentSARMAC), or email (students@sarmac.org).
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
January - April 2019
April 17, 2019
Mevagh Sanson, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Trigger warnings found to be virtually worthless and possibly harmful
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/apr/17/trigger-warnings-are-virtually-worthless-and-possi/
April 16, 2019
Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol
Political fake news: they might be a liar but they're my liar
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2019/april/fake-news.html
April 15, 2019
Henry Roediger, Washington University in St. Louis
Many students don’t know how to study. Here’s how parents can help.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/04/15/many-students-dont-know-how-study-heres-how-parents-can-help/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.86bf5598088a
April 13, 2019
Helen Paterson, University of Sydney
Liars don't always fidget or avoid eye contact, so are there other ways to spot lies?
https://www.abc.net.au/life/why-it-is-so-hard-to-tell-if-you-are-being-lied-to/10928546
April 10, 2019
Elena Nicoladis, University of Alberta
Frequency of hand gestures not linked to specific cultures says U of A study https://www.thegatewayonline.ca/2019/04/frequency-of-hand-gestures-not-linked-to-specific-cultures-says-u-of-a-study/
April 9, 2019
Kalina Christoff, University of British Columbia
3 Effective Ways to Prevent Creative Burnout, Starting Today
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-to-prevent-creative-burnout/
April 9, 2019
Colin Tredoux, University of Cape Town
International poverty study’s lessons for SA
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2019-04-09-international-poverty-studys-lessons-for-sa
April 5, 2019
Elizabeth Kensinger, Boston College
Like old photographs, memories fade over time
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190405080919.htm
April 2, 2019
David Strayer, University of Utah
Has multitasking fried my brain and heightened my anxiety?
https://fashionjournal.com.au/life/has-multitasking-fried-my-brain-and-heightened-my-anxiety/
March 29, 2019
Deryn Strange, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Inconclusive: The case against a homeless man accused of executing a woman and two teenagers
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-ne-kevin-pratt-20190329-story.html
March 26, 2019
Henry Roediger, Washington University in St. Louis
GCSEs: why students creating revision questions should be a last resort https://www.tes.com/news/gcses-why-students-creating-revision-questions-should-be-last-resort
March 25, 2019
Ira Hyman, Western Washington University
The 'Oh, the Humanity!' Generation
https://patriotpost.us/articles/61957-the-oh-the-humanity-generation
March 23, 2019
Melanie Takarangi, Flinders University
PTSD study: How you feel now influences your recall of past trauma symptom severity
https://www.psypost.org/2019/03/ptsd-study-how-you-feel-now-influences-your-recall-of-past-trauma-symptom-severity-53387
March 4, 2019
Eryn Newman, Australian National University
Why Good Politics And Good Climate Science Don’t Mix
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/good-climate-science-is-all-about-nuance-good-politics-is-not/
February 26, 2019
Miko Wilford, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Why Do Innocent People Plead Guilty?
https://www.uml.edu/News/press-releases/2019/WilfordResearch022619.aspx
February 14, 2019
Suparna Rajaram, Stony Brook University
Size Matters: For Disruptive Science, Make Research Teams Smaller, Not Bigger
https://thewire.in/the-sciences/size-matters-for-disruptive-science-make-research-teams-smaller-not-bigger
February 11, 2019
Jacqueline Evans, Florida International University
Drunk Witnesses Remember a Surprising Amount
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drunk-witnesses-remember-a-surprising-amount/
January 27, 2019
Alan Kingstone, University of British Columbia
New research shows virtual reality changes how we think, behave
https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/01/26/new-research-shows-virtual-reality-changes-how-we-think-behave.html
January 20, 2019
Gemma Briggs, Open University
GROWING OLD UNGRACEFULLY: I’ll Keep This Short
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/jan/20/growing-old-ungracefully-ill-keep-short/
January 19, 2019
Eric-Jan Wagenmakers, University of Amsterdam
Here’s why faking a smile does not make you happy
https://www.hindustantimes.com/sex-and-relationships/here-s-why-faking-a-smile-does-not-make-you-happy/story-Xk8mPiL9riOJIlh9cxzbeK.html
January 16, 2019
David Strayer, University of Utah
The Legislature will probably pass a hands-free bill. Whether it’s going to make driving in Minnesota safer is less clear
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2019/01/the-legislature-will-probably-pass-a-hands-free-bill-whether-its-going-to-make-driving-in-minnesota-safer-is-less-clear/
January 4, 2019
Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol
Australians care if politicians tell lies, but people in the US don't
https://institutions.newscientist.com/article/2189545-australians-care-if-politicians-tell-lies-but-people-in-the-us-dont/