How do kids build friendships and navigate bullying in schools? Dr. Leslie Echols, Missouri State University associate professor of psychology, is trying to find out with her latest research project. Echols and her co-researcher, Dr. Sandra Graham from University of California – Los Angeles, received a grant of about half a million dollars from the National Science Foundation. … [Read more...] about Tackling bullying and promoting friendships in middle schools
Hip-hop is its own unique culture, complete with music, fashion and art. Dr. Ashley Payne, assistant professor of psychology at Missouri State University, studies how hip-hop plays a role forming racial, gender, sexual and academic identities. She also looks at a major player in U.S. culture: social media. “How are hip-hop artists presenting themselves on social media? … [Read more...] about How hip-hop influences identity development
Runway models, social media influencers, pageant queens, celebrities and even Barbie support troubling body image ideals. They are almost unequivocally identified as beautiful, as evidenced by the money we spend and who we choose to idolize. Dr. Brooke Whisenhunt has studied media influences on body image for more than 20 years. As a professor of psychology at Missouri State … [Read more...] about Body image ideals become more unattainable
Stoll volunteers at AIDS Project of the Ozarks. He’s an intern at The Victim Center, which provides support to victims of violent and/or sexual crimes. He’s been a Resident Assistant (RA) for MSU’s Residence Life, Housing and Dining Services. He’s also a certified lifeguard instructor. It’s all about helping people, he says. “In high school, I had experiences that that … [Read more...] about Discovering his new calling
Prior to 2020, college students were already high on the mental health priority list. In 2018, 62% of college students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety in the last 12 months. In the same survey, 41% reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function. By fall 2020, 89% of college students reported actively experiencing stress or anxiety because of COVID-19. … [Read more...] about COVID-19 is a marathon. College students are tired.