Imagine hearing a noise similar to a train whistle in a corner of a room. Now imagine that your brain's response to the noise can be recorded on a graph on a computer screen. Students in UMD's three-year-old Master of Arts in Psychological Sciences (MAPS) program aren't just imagining, they are seeing it happen. These students are physically recording brain activity of the sights and sounds that create sensations in our minds.
The world these undergraduate and graduate students study is complex. The students collaborate with psychology faculty to study human behavior using state-of-the-art psychophysiology recording equipment. That allows them to conduct experiments to measure how the brain responds to a specific stimulus.
Dustyn Leff, a MAPS student, provides support for coordinating the lab. He has two undergraduate majors, one in psychology and one in biology, and the combo is a perfect fit for his work in psychophysiology. "It is a great program to be involved in. This new equipment allows us to expand on what types of experiments we are able to do," says Dustyn.
The psychology psychophysiology student lab is co-directed by Scott Carlson, head of the Psychology Department and Rebecca Gilbertson, assistant professor. Together, with support from the department and CEHSP, they have brought in advanced technology to aid student learning.