Sierra Meyer is a BA in Psychology student at Western. She shares about her recent experience beginning new research together.

1) When did you start working on research with Dr. Warren and in what capacity?

I began working with Dr. Warren through an independent study in the spring quarter 2021. I first met Dr. Warren when I took her Management 311 course in the Fall of 2020 and we discussed our similar research interests in allyship, diversity, and equity during office hours. This is where I asked if we could work together on research!

2) What are the different activities you are working on in your projects?

I have worked with Dr. Warren on all aspects of the research process of a cross-cultural project on character strengths influencing attitudes and actions toward current social issues (e.g., environmentalism, gender equality). This work was published in the Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology and I presented this research at the Middle East Psychological Association conference 2022 in Kuwait (virtual conference). I have actively helped with conducting initial literature review on climate action in Fiji and social class allyship in Dubai. I have also co-authored papers on the character and climate action in Fiji, and wellbeing of medical students in Yemen. I assisted on a review of psychological research in Fiji, and a book chapter on emotional expression of leader-allies, and as a co-peer-reviewer for another paper.

3) What skills have you developed through your research assistantship?

Throughout the past year, I have gained experience in survey building, gaining approval and communicating with the Institutional review board, collecting and analyzing data (both qualitative and quantitative), and conducting literature reviews. This research opportunity has immensely improved my professional APA writing skills. I have also had the opportunity to work in collaboration with other researchers, assisting with the communication of their research and literature reviews, as well as APA formatting in text, citations, and tables.

I have led one published paper with Dr. Warren, for which I gave an educational presentation (attendees earned continuing education units) at the Middle East Psychological Association conference in March 2022.

4) What are your ambitions for how you want to use this research experience for your future professional goals?

I am passionate about psychology research and plan to pursue this work for my career. I will apply the skills I have learned in future research positions and this experience will be beneficial when I apply for post-graduate programs in psychology.