Lauren Kubic '21

2020 SOAR Profile

Interpersonal and intrapersonal emotion regulation efficacy: The role of interpersonal trust.

Major and Minor: Psychology and Business Management
Hometown: Whitehall, PA
Project Advisor(s): Dr. Aleena Hay

Briefly describe your project.

This study included an extensive literature review of Interpersonal Emotion Regulation and Anxiety along with the development and implementation of a novel study. The experimental study looked at the efficacy of emotion regulation regarding the perceived trustworthiness of a partner and the use of reappraisal strategy in both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation.

Describe the origin of your project. (E.g., did you pitch the idea and choose a faculty member, or did they come to you with an idea?)

I have been working with Dr. Hay as a part of the Regulation of Emotion and Emotional Disorders (REED) Lab since spring 2020. Dr. Hay and I combined our research interests in the field of emotion regulation and agreed on this study.

What’s the best part about working with your faculty mentor? What valuable insights have they brought to your project?

The best part about working with Dr. Hay was being able to have a guided experience in performing academic research. This was an incredible experience to participate in because I plan to have a career as an academic researcher in psychology. I was able to experience the research process firsthand and build my confidence. Not only that, but Dr. Hay has given me valuable insight into the publication process and the process of submitting posters for presentation at national conferences.

What has been your biggest obstacle so far?

Our biggest challenge was the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Hay and I originally had a very different idea of what our project was going to look like. But as we worked remotely on the project, there was a lot of adjusting to being done. Ultimately we were able to create a fully virtual version of the study via an online survey platform.

What has been your biggest takeaway from this experience?

My biggest takeaway from this experience is the ability to produce research that goes beyond the classroom. I have proposed methods and even conducted studies within the classroom setting but never thought as an undergraduate student I would be able to produce ready-to-publish research. Being able to build and develop a study from the ground up has been nothing short of extraordinary.

What was the result of your project? 

The result of my project was a headstart in my research career. Not many psychology students at small colleges have the opportunities that Moravian has given me. With the possibility of publication at the end of my honors thesis, this project is the beginning of a lifelong career.

In your own words, how do you feel about being awarded this opportunity? Why should other students take advantage of the SOAR program at Moravian?

I feel very grateful to have been awarded this opportunity. Moravian has gone above and beyond, particularly this year, to make sure the students have every opportunity they could ever want. Many other institutions were unable to provide their students with a summer research opportunity, but the faculty and staff at Moravian wouldn’t take no for an answer. This opportunity jump-started my career and gave me the opportunity to find my true passions. Students who are unsure of what specific areas of research they want to pursue should absolutely take advantage of this program, as it allows you to be creative in a field, even if it is not your field of study. Even for individuals who know exactly what they want, this opportunity provides them with a fantastic experience and lots of knowledge about other disciplines. 

 Now that SOAR is over, do you plan to expand upon your research? If so, how?

I plan to expand upon my research by incorporating it into my honors project. I will be running additional participants this fall and drafting a manuscript for publication.

Have you, or do you plan to present this research outside the SOAR presentations? If so, where? Be specific, if possible.

I plan to present this research at national conferences including the Society for Affective Science’s 2021 Conference and Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (ACBT) Annual Conference 2021.