CSC students and faculty headed for psychology meeting in Denver

The Rocky Mountain Psychological Association Meeting will be at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center Hotel in Denver from April 15-17. A number of CSC students and faculty members will be in attendance.

“Regional conferences such as the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association are a great way to meet other students and faculty in psychology, to learn about psychology as a scientific discipline, and to see new research done by both students and faculty,” Dr. Mary Jo Carnot, associate professor of psychology, said.

According to a CSC press release, students and faculty attending the conference will present a collaborative poster titled “College Athletes Vs. Non-Athletes: Happiness And Humor/Playfulness.” It was created by Tara Hindman, Maya Holmes, Corissa Kesterson and Carnot.

Research for this project was done as part of a class assignment. Positive correlations among happiness, humor and playfulness were found in a sample of 54 college students, with differences between athletes and non-athletes. Athletes showed less correlation between the variables but were happier than non-athletes.

Speakers at the conference include Albert Bandura, well-known for his social learning theory, and Richard Miller from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Miller will discuss the history of undergraduate research in psychology.

The Rocky Mountain Psychological Association was founded in 1930 for the purpose of advancing psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare in the Rocky Mountain states. The Rocky Mountain Psychological Association is one of the regional psychology associations recognized by the American Psychological Association.

Carnot said the RMPA meeting “is also a great place to learn about professional presentation and networking.  We are very pleased to have the conference occur in Denver this year to make it easier for us to attend.”