Saturday, April 29 marked this year's annual Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference.  The event offered opportunities for students to share their research with others and learn about the projects of other students.   Students were also able to visit with professionals (and potential employers) who offered feedback on their work. The projects that were presented covered a wide array of topics.  Posters and papers presented by Gusties included the following: 

Alicia Barron-- 
"MMPI-A Differences Among Adolescent Sex Offenders Based on Abuse Histories" Poster 

Amy Lynn Strand-- 
"Interactions of Gender, Particular Products, and Potentially Embarassing Contexts" Paper 

Chris Kwasniewski, Rachel Peterson, Shawna Solsvig, Karen Colt-- "Parental Conflict and Creativity: Is There a Connection?" Poster 

Emily Dale-- 
"The Manipulation of Body Esteem and Self-Esteem" 
Poster 

Jessica Hedge, Mike Henderson, Paula Lorfeld,  
Jayne Sommers-- 
"Eyewitness Suggestibility: Comparing the Consequences of Confabulating vs. Reading Misinformation" Poster 

Jessica Franken, Jared Anderson, Anne Spence-- 
"The Effect of Political Advertisement Framing on Candidate Appeal" Poster 

Kristin Richter, Kate Drinkwine, Shawna Solsvig-- 
"The Effect of Stereotype Activation and Group Genderon Men's Math Scores" Poster 

Tracy Burmeister, Sara Lindberg, Rachel Peterson-- 
"Predicting Physical Activity in Women in the Face of Stress" Paper 

Adam Johnson, Jenna Hemenway, Kim Huchthausen, Emily Dunsworth-- "Need for Cognition and Effect on Ego Depletion"  Poster 
(MUPC photos below) 

The annual Psychology Department spring gathering was held on Monday afternoon, May 1.   A bright, sunny day with a skyfull of wind kept our kites flying high (when they got off the ground).   Students took time from playing frisbee, kite-flying, visiting, and eating burgers and brats to write suggestions and comments for long-range social planning for the department.   Nicole Henrich won the drawing for the Book Mark gift certificate.   Thanks to all the faculty and students for making this a fun event. 
(Picnic phots below) 

Chris Kwasniewski is afraid of snakes and spiders.  She puts post-it notes over pictures of them in books so she doesn't have to look at them. 

Jessica Franken is obsessed with Marlon Brando. 

Becky Goughnour went skydiving for the first time in September 1999.  She said the experience was super-incredible.  Her fear of falling has dramatically decreased. 

Jenny Pratt was in Tae Kwon Do for 10 years and achieved her 2nd degree black belt before ending her career at age 16. 

(If you see a flash of red zip by on the ringroad - know that Dr. Martin has taken his convertible out of  storage and seems to think the ringroad is Route 66!) 

 Movie/Video Recommendations  

Going back to the time of Shakespeare, the word comedy described a play or in our case, movies,  
that had a happy ending.  All of Shakespeare's comedies involved love and the coming together  
of two people through a bunch of obstacles.  This format is the same today, but usually it is referred  
to as the romantic comedy.  Although the following films are romantic comedies, most guys would adoringly call them "chick flicks."  Don't down  
them yet, gentleman, they would be great to rent  
or take a date to, especially one you really wanted  
to impress. 
 

• Return To Me

This film is still in theaters, being released just a few weeks ago.  It stars X-files veteran David Duchovny as Bob, a lonely man who lost his wife.  and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Grosse Pointe Blank), as Gracie, a young woman who has had a heart transplant.  These two meet, fall in love, and fit together perfectly.  As in Shakespeare, this is only the first step, and conflict arises to take the wind out of their sail.  Co-starring Bonnie Hunt (Beethoven) as Gracie's witty best friend, and two other comedy greats, James Belushi and David Alan Grier, the films laughable moments are numerious.  The film was also written and directed by Hunt, who has made her way out of the shadows and proves her worth with this great film.

• You've Got Mail

One of last summer's great movies, this movie stars the queen of romantic comedy Meg Ryan, as small bookshop owner Kathleen Kelly.  Kathleen, a woman struggling with her identity, finds out that a big chain store is moving into her area and fears the termination of her store.  Tom Hanks stars as her enemy, Joe Fox.  These two unknowningly are talking to each other through e-mail without revealing personal facts.  Conflict drives this movie, also starring Greg Kinnear from As Good As it Gets.  All ends well as it should, though.

• Fools Rush In

 For all of you Friends fans out there, this show stars goofy friend, Matthew Perry as Alex, a field manager for a night club design company, who's next job lands him in Las Vegas.  One night he meets Isabelle, played by Salema Hayek, in a restaurant and takes her home for a one night stand.  She returns three months later to tell him she is pregnant with his child.  To make a long story short, they get married, despite their little knowledge of each other.  Throughout the rest of the movie, they battle conflicts of family, tradition, and where to live.  This is an older flick, three years at least, so renting will be your only option, but it is worth it.

 

www.govote.com 
You can answer a few simple questions and find out which Presidential candidate you should vote for! 

http://www.psych-central.com/ 
The resources for psychology students & their professors. 

http://www.unb.ca/web/units/psych/likely/cgi/hang100.cgi 
Play hangman with psychology terms! 

http://www.keirsey.com/cgi-bin/keirsey/newkts.cgi 
What is your personality? 

http://www.helpself.com/freud.html 
Take this quiz and find out if you're Sigmund Freud! 
 
 
 

 

Nineteen new members were inducted into the Gustavus Adolphus College chapter of Psi Chi on Thursday,  
March 9.  This society is a national organization that fosters intellectual growth and provides its members with opportunities to attend national and regional conferences and to participate in research award competitions.  Becoming a member of Psi Chi is an honor that recognizes the student's hard work and academic achievement.  Each nominee must be making psychology one of their major academic focuses and must meet the chapter's basic requirements for induction. 

Many current members and faculty were present at the induction.  Janet Heikes, who holds an M.S.L.P. in clinical psychology and helped start Counseling Services of Southern Minnesota, spoke about her career and the steps she took to arrive there.  Following the presentation by the guest speaker, the following new members were presented certificates: 

Melissa M. Bateson  
Joshua M. Burgett  
Taryn Christopherson  
Karen M. Colt 
 Maggie C. Happe  
Jesse B. Hedge  
Michael S. Henderson 
Nicole M. Henrich 
Michelle L. Hinds 
Jessica L. Johnson 
Heidi C. Kaufmann  
Sara M. Lindberg  
Courtney Lovejoy 
Paula A. Lorfeld  
Amanda M. Martin 
Jaime L. Peterson 
Jill K. Peterson 
Rachel D. Peterson 
Kristen A. Richter 

Congratulations to all  the new members! 
-Anna Rossing 
(Induction photos below) 

Annual Kendall Lecture Series held on April 27 

Psychology students who attended the department's 17th annual Kendall Lecture on  April 27th heard a presentation given by Dr. Mark Snyder,  "Today's Good Samaritans: The Psychology of Volunteerism and other Forms of Pro-Social Action." 

Dr. Snyder received his Ph.D. in personality and social psychology from Stanford University in 1972.  He is presently a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota where he has served as chair of the department and as fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.  

This annual lecture event was established in the honor of former psychology professor and president of Gustavus, John S. Kendall. 
 

Paul Hoffman '76 offers after-graduation insights for psychology majors... 
"Where do I go from here?" 

Paul Hoffman, Gustie grad of '76, gave a presentation to our students titled "Where do I go from here?" on Wednesday, May 3.  

Since leaving Gustavus, Paul has been the guiding force in the Hoffman construction firm which has been so successful that Paul was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" for Wisconsin in 1998.  As a student, Paul defied categorization.  He was a student in many departments because of his desire to get the most out of his liberal arts education.  His method of choosing courses was to take those that were taught by the "best profs" rather than being concerned over whether they filled a requirement.  Luckily the Psych Department had enough of these courses that Paul was close to a major in psychology in his senior year. 

He continued to choose "roads less traveled" upon graduation from Gustavus, co-founding the second largest excursion steam train, Cuyahoga Valley Railroad, with his cousin even though he knew nothing about running a railroad at the time.  His faith in his ability to learn and acquire the knowledge for success has been an abiding principle in his life and was communicated in both his demeanor in his talk with students on Wednesday, which was punctuated with references to things that were happening in his life.  

His message was that a psychology major is useful in many different ways besides those that lead to a graduate school and an advanced degree.  Those attending the session were heartened by having new vistas open to them and new ways of perceiving their options for the future.  One student remarked,  "I 
found Paul Hoffman's presentation very uplifting and very interesting. It calmed some "future plans" anxiety and he really made you feel like you can do anything.  It was also very encouraging to hear how much 
psychology has helped him and how he uses it everyday in his business." By all counts, Paul's session was highly successful and the Department 
plans on offering similar events for students in the future. 

Our Faculty... 

Words of Wisdom ... 

As graduation nears, it's time for our fifty-six psychology seniors to look back on their time at Gustavus.  Soon they will be heading off in new directions: some to grad school or med school, others to the workforce, and others simply chillin'.  What advice do they have for underclassman?  We recently asked them.   Here are selected responses: 

• Take a variety of classes, especially ones that seem fun  or interesting.
• Don't let yourself get overly stressed over grades
• There's a lot more to college than you learn in your textbooks.
• Study - it will pay off!
• Choose a major you enjoy, not just one that will ensure you a job.
• Make sure you like your project for Methods II - if you don't, the semester will be hell.
• Play some every day to keep yourself sane.
• Remember that there's more to life than an 'A'.
• Ask questions.
• Follow your interests.

Resources Available 

Several printed resources are available for you to browse in the department's resource center (SSC 26). You will find information about graduate schools and career paths. Graduate School bulletins are also available. See Lee for more information.

I would like to introduce you to two of our wonderful psychology majors.  Both seniors, co-presidents of Psi 
Chi, and roommates nonetheless, meet Gena Fox and  
Anna Rossing. 

Gena came to Gustavus from Springfield, MN, already knowing that she wanted to be a psychology major.  She always found the topic interesting, and that interest was reinforced through the classes that she took here at Gustavus.  Her favorite class has been Social Psychology, which she took during the tornado semester.  Examining how the tornado affected people really peeked her interest. 

Anna also already had an interest in psychology when she came here from Des Moines, Iowa.  When she was younger, she thought dreams were really interesting, which sparked her interest in psychology.  Her focus has changed a bit after having taken psychology classes, but her interest for psychology remains as she works toward a double major in Psychology and French.  Anna's favorite classes at Gustavus have been Personality and Humanistic Psychology.  She was able to find ways that these topics really applied to our lives at the college age. 

Gena and Anna have known each other since freshman year, having lived near or with each other all four years.  They have become good friends, are both Thetas, agree that their favorite time at Gustavus happened during the weeks following the tornado, and are both involved in several extra activities.  Gena spends a lot of her time on the Golf team and working with Inter-Greek Senate.  Anna also keeps busy with Habitat for Humanity, tutoring French at the St. Peter High School, and working as a TA for Psychology. 

With graduation coming all too soon, Gena and Anna have been making plans for their future.  Gena plans to work for Target as a Business Analyst following graduation.  Looking ten years down the road, she would like to see herself living in a bigger city, completed a Masters degree, and be moving forward with a decision as to what she wants to do with her career.  Anna would also like some time off before going on to graduate school.  She has the desire to travel to France and teach English.  Ten years from now, she hopes to be established in a career that she enjoys, and is "open to whatever comes up." 

Gena and Anna offer some good advice for us all who have some time left at Gustavus.  Talk to and get to know the majors and faculty.  They are good people and can offer some insight and direction to your interests.  In addition, get going on research early if you have the opportunity.  And lastly, don't limit yourself.  Major in something that really intrigues you.  Take a variety of classes without worrying about where it will take you.  "The journey is the important thing, not the end goal." 
- Jaime Peterson 

Congratulations to Terra Walker, psychology major, and member of the Gustavus forensics team that traveled to compete internationally in Paris, March 9-15.  The team took 4th place honors in overall competition.  Terra stated that it was a wonderful experience and that she thoroughly enjoyed the competition, the weather, and the museums as well as a most breathtaking view from the top of the Eiffel Tower.  

The Gustavus Forensic Team also showcased their skills on April 25 at the Interpretive Center.  Participants participated in Poetry, Persuasion, and Humorous Speech categories.  

Chad Bigalke has accepted an offer from the University of Minnesota Law School - one of a number of offers he received.  

Congratulations to Jayne Sommers who was elected co-president of the student senate. 

Psychology Majors Recognized 
on Honors Day... 

Guild of St. Ansgar 
Laura J. Carlson 
Jana M. Dilley 
Jessica L. Johnson 
Jennifer L. Lelinski 
Nicole C. Woehrle 

Phi Beta Kappa 
Jana M. Dilley 
Neil J. Haugerud 
Sara . Lindberg 
Anna C. Rossing 
Michelle R. Schjodt 

Guild of St. Lucia 
Amy L. Pfeffer 

President's Honor List 
Dana C. Anderson 
Chad M. Bigalke 
Matthew T. Carlson 
Jana M. Dilley 
Amy M. Dolin 
Gena M. Fox 
Jessica C. Franken 
Karen M. Heidesch 
Nicole M. Henrich 
Michelle L. Hinds 
Sara M. Lindberg 
Paula A. Lorfeld 
Stephanie C. Michaels 
Jaime L. Peterson 
Rachel D. Peterson 
Whitney J. Rea 
Kristen A. Richter 
Anna C. Rossing 
Jessica A. Rye 
Laura L. Schultz 
Rebecca B. Shelly 
Jayne K. Sommers 
Andrea N. Wentzel 
Nicole C. Woehrle 
Ellen M. Zimmel 

A Little Humor.... 
It was that time during the Sunday morning service for  
"the children's sermon," and all the children were invited to come  forward. One little girl was wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat down, the pastor leaned over and said to her, "That is a very  pretty dress. Is it your Easter dress?"  
The little girl replied, directly into the pastor's clip-on microphone, "Yes, and my Mom says it's hell to iron." 

There was a man who entered a local paper's pun contest.  He sent in ten different puns, in the hope that at least one of the puns would win.  Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.