Center for Psychological Science (CPS)

Overview

Facilitating and Supporting Research Opportunities

The William James College Center for Psychological Science (CPS) was created in 2020 to facilitate the integration of psychological science into all aspects of the William James College Community and ensure that research is conducted in accord with best practices for research design, methodology, and ethical conduct. The Center provides a single access point for the College's Institutional Review Board, institutional grants and awards, dissemination of information on current research studies and presentations, and standards, policies, and procedures for the conduct of psychological research.

Institutional Review Board

William James College maintains a Federally Qualified Institutional Review Board (IRB) operating as an independent body to ensure the protection of the rights, safety, and well-being of human subjects involved in research studies.The IRB operates in compliance with the guidelines of Federalwide Assurance (FWA #00017733) and Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Part 46 (45CFR46).

The IRB is charged with the institution-wide responsibility and authority to review and approve all human subjects research conducted by or with members of the William James College community prior to beginning any research-related activities.

Support and Recognition

William James College aims to facilitate, support, and recognize the scientific and scholarly activities of its faculty, staff, and students through the Research Support and Recognition Program within the Center for Psychological Science. This is accomplished through a portfolio of internal research awards designed to support the entire research pipeline from project inception to conference presentations and publications.

In addition, the CPS provides information on external resources such as obtaining external research funding, locating archival data, and selecting a target journal for publication, as well as opportunities for student research assistantships in faculty labs.

Research Dissemination

The Center for Psychological Science seeks to encourage dissemination of WJC community publications, presentations, and ongoing research studies. To this end, CPS publishes lists of:

Current Research Labs

  • Critical Thinking Lab – Drs. Paul Block, Jason Osher, Joan Axelrod, Sunny Dutra, and Shira Fishman
  • Clinical Supervision Lab – Drs. Paul Block and Emma Peterson
  • Global Mental Health – Dr. Jill Bloom
  • Communication and Empathy – Dr. Stephen Briner
  • Equity Lab – Drs. Natalie Cort and Shani Turner
  • Race and Gender Justice Lab – Dr. Lindsey Davis
  • Laboratory for Evidence-Informed Treatment, Programs and Policies – Dr. Ed De Vos
  • Mood, Emotions, and Trauma – Dr. Sunny Dutra
  • Law, Policy, and Juvenile Justice – Dr. Tracy Fass
  • Social Cognition – Dr. Shira Fishman
  • Character Strengths and Mental Health Lab – Dr. Marie Forgeard
  • Personality and Forensic Assessment Lab – Dr. Shannon Kelley
  • Assessment and Neurodevelopmental Lab – Dr. Sam Moncata
  • Media Psychology and Technology Lab – Dr. Brian Ott
  • Health Disparities Lab – Dr. Marta Pagan-Ortiz
  • Neuropsychology Research Lab – Drs. Cara Pendergrass and Jason Osher
  • Health Psychology Lab – Drs. Carolyn Rabin, Emma Peterson and Stan Berman
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Lab – Dr. Julie Ryan
  • Social and Emotional Development Lab – Dr. Tim Soto
  • Asian Mental Health Lab – Dr. Catherine Vuky
  • Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Lab – Drs. Julie Yeterian, Sunny Dutra and Brian Ott

Research Standards, Policies and Procedures

CPS coordinates the setting of standards, policies, and procedures for research at the College. The center advises and consults to institutional and departmental committees regarding the integration of psychological science into all aspects of curricula. The center aims to ensure quality of research studies conducted in all academic departments, facilitate the formation of research labs, and encourage use of open science approaches.

CPS provides centralized access to doctoral project and capstone manuals and accompanying forms, a list of faculty research labs and interests, intellectual property policies, and information on open science approaches.