Graduate Level

If you are interested in working with Dr. Pleskac as a doctoral (Ph.D.) student, please contact him at pleskac@ku.edu!

Undergraduate Level

The KU Behavioral Science Laboratory is focused on understanding and predicting the judgments and decisions people make. We use behavioral experiments, computational modeling, creativity, and hard work to accomplish this goal!

Undergraduate research credit hours are a great way to get involved and gain experience working in a psychology lab. Each semester, undergraduate RAs are expected to complete at least one item from each of the three categories:

1. Engage in an established project. This can be at least one of the following:
   • Do a literature review
   • Help design a study
   • Help collect data
   • Assist in cleaning and analyzing data
   • Get involved in sharing the research with the larger community (e.g., give a poster presentation, give an oral presentation, help write a paper).
2. Learn at least one tangible skill. This can be at least one of the following:
   • Learn Python to carry out data analyses, computer simulations, build experiments, and etc.
   • Learn Matlab to carry out data analyses, computer simulations, build experiments, and etc.
   • Learn R to to do data analyses
   • Learn to design online surveys using Qualtrics
3. Begin developing a novel research question of their own that fits within the research program of the lab.
   • Do a literature review
   • Propose a research study
   • Implement and run a research study
   • Write up results for presentation/publication

At the beginning of the semester, students will work with Dr. Pleskac to determine which specific tasks they will be expected to complete and their timeline for completing those tasks. At the end of the semester, students will demonstrate their completion of those tasks with a presentation, a paper, or some other product.

If interested, please email Dr. Pleskac at pleskac@ku.edu!