A contingent of 11 students and members of the Long Island Campus psychology department attended the Eastern Psychological Association 2023 conference in Boston on March 2-4.
Students presented research conducted with members of the St. Joseph’s University, New York faculty and gained professional experience at a major conference.
“Our representation at the conference reflected St. Joseph’s goal to provide students with a well-rounded education grounded in the liberal arts,” said Dominique Treboux, Ph.D., professor of psychology. “Students got valuable experience presenting their research work to professors and graduate students from all over the country.” 
Founded in 1896, the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) is the oldest regional psychological association in the United States. Its goal is to “advance the science and profession through the dissemination of professional information about the field of psychology.”
The EPA’s annual meeting is an opportunity for professionals from around the country to gather and share ideas, techniques, and information. With an extensive network of faculty and students, attendees can connect with professionals from all areas of the field.
A Strong Faculty-Student Partnership
SJNY students and faculty presented findings from five different research projects. Topics touched on the emotional impact of COVID-19, the correlation between self-esteem and social media use, facial emotion recognition, and more.
Dr. Treboux and assistant professors Thomas DiBlasi, Ph.D., and Corinne Donovan, Ph.D., led the research projects and presented their findings with the students. Dr. Donovan likened the faculty-student relationship to a partnership rather than a mentorship. 
“Since the faculty presented with the students, I believe this helped increase the students’ self-efficacy in research and gave them a feeling that they are indeed colleagues with us,” she said.
“There is an increased feeling of accomplishment that supports their self-perceptions and hopefully provides increased motivation to continue in the field as a professional,” Dr. Donovan added.
Dana Storm ’23 presented her senior thesis with Dr. DiBlasi, who served as her adviser. Their research explored the effect social media use has on self-esteem and extraversion. The study polled 89 University students to collect data that may aid in the treatment and prevention of negative social media outcomes.
