Concordia Psychology students win awards at regional conference

Related Media

SEWARD, NEB. (03/29/2018) Five students from Concordia University, Nebraska recently presented at the 38th Annual Great Plains Students' Psychology Conference and had two presentations place first and second.

The psychology conference took place at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, on March 16-17 with 113 presentations and more than 200 participants from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Presentations were limited to 15 minutes, 12 for speaking and 3 for questions. Two judges for each session determined the first and second place awards.

"Great Plains is a great opportunity for our students to experience a full-fledged academic conference and to showcase their research skills, professionalism, and methodological training," said Dr. Sara Brady, assistant professor of psychology. "Students have the opportunity to learn from students at other universities regarding general knowledge of psychology, as well as research ideas for their own projects."

In the Non-Empirical Oral Session 3C on personality, Heather Engdahl placed first with her presentation, titled "Personality and Ethical Decision-Making, while Mary Janovich and Vincent Beasley placed second with their presentation "The Relationship Among Failure and Satisfaction with Life." Simon Brummond and Thomas Taylor also presented in Session 4C: Social in Oral Non-Empirical Presentations, titled "Effects of self-awareness during social media exposure on self-esteem"

"It was really cool to visit another town, another college campus, and to see so many other students presenting their work as well," said Engdahl. "I was already passionate about research in psychology and social psychology, but this convention really drove that home for me and confirmed my feeling of being called to this work."

All three presentations were for empirical studies to be conducted later in the semester. These final results will then be presented at the Academic Research Symposium on Monday, April 16 in the Thom Leadership Education Center on Concordia University's campus.