Dr. Mackenzie Riggenbach
<b>Department: </b>Psychological Science<br><b>Research Area: </b>My research focus is on human cognition, with a particular emphasis on memory. As a cognitive psychologist, I focus on the formation of false memories (e.g., memories that contain errors), with an applied emphasis on interviewing eyewitnesses.
Department: Psychological Science
Research Focus: My research focus is on human cognition, with a particular emphasis on memory. As a cognitive psychologist, I focus on the formation of false memories (e.g., memories that contain errors), with an applied emphasis on interviewing eyewitnesses.
Potential Student Project(s):
My research projects included examining: 1) the various ways in which memory can be impacted when exposed to information following a witnessed event (e.g., the misinformation effect), 2) the interview methods used during witness interviews, 3) the effects of these methods on the amount of information reported, 4) the accuracy of the information provided by witnesses, and 5) how the viewpoint and perspective of witnesses impact their memories of events. My lab also investigates how various cognitive psychology principles apply to the classroom.
Research assistants in my lab will gain experience with reading and discussing various articles relevant to false memory research, creating research materials for the lab's current projects, piloting those materials, recruiting participants, conducting participant sessions, managing and cleaning datasets, and analyzing data. All students will receive training on how to perform each task.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate:
- Organized
- Punctual
- Works well independently and as part of a team
- Able to attend a lab meeting from 3-4 on Mondays
- Some familiarity with research methods (preferred student took a Research Methods course, but not required)
- Strong work ethic and attention to detail
Mentoring Plan:
The student researcher will dedicate 5 hours each week to the project, including a weekly individual meeting with me for at least one hour to discuss ideas, examine progress, and set plans for moving forward. The research lab (expected to be 7-9 graduate/undergraduate students) will meet once a week for an hour to determine weekly goals, and then students will work independently to meet these goals. Early in the semester, the student will be assigned readings to familiarize themselves with the project content and procedure. They will be expected to read the assigned readings and discuss them. Then, the student will be trained on the study's procedure. Students may continue to work in my lab beyond the semester of the Teacher-Scholar program.
Contact: 765-285-8591, NQ 130