Psychology News

Students Win Honors at Virginia Psychological Association Conference

April 14, 2006
 Fred Rowe Best Undergraduate Research Paper Award presented to Sommer Altman and Adriana Dabdoub

LYNCHBURG – Sommer Altman and Adriana Dabdoub, senior psychology majors, won the Fred Rowe Best Undergraduate Research Paper Award at the recent annual conference of the Virginia Psychological Association.

On April 5, senior psychology majors traveled to Virginia Beach to present their senior research papers at the annual conference. Each year, all psychology majors present their senior research papers at this conference as part of the requirements for their capstone course in psychology. Several other colleges from across the state, including Lynchburg College and Liberty University, also bring students to present and compete at the VPA conference.

Altman and Dabdoub’s study, entitled “Is Laughter Really the Best Medicine? Humor Styles and Health Outcomes,” identified the different ways that participants use humor and then looked to see if a participant’s style of humor predicted his or her score on physical and psychological health inventories. Altman began working with Holly Tatum, psychology professor, in this area of research last summer when the two were awarded a Dupont Summer Research grant. Dabdoub joined them at the beginning of this academic year.

| |