image credit UMC
Case Western Psychological Sciences faculty conduct cutting edge interdisciplinary research on the brain, memory, behaviors, speech, swallowing, clinical disorders, learning, expertise, play, perception, and many other topics. We encourage students to become involved in research, especially those who plan to go on to graduate school in psychology. Research experience provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the scientific process and to get to know faculty members and graduate students in the department better. Additionally, research assistant experience provides opportunities for faculty to know you and write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Some research experiences can even sometimes result in student authorship on papers and conference presentations, both of which are helpful if one wants to pursue graduate school.
To learn more about faculty members’ research topics, please see their profiles.
Research Methods Class
We recommend that all psychology and communication sciences majors take Research Methods, PSCL375 during their time at CWRU. This course teaches you foundational information about conducting a literature search, evaluating the scientific merit of existing research, creating hypotheses, and designing studies. The course is offered in a small seminar and involves a large number of exercises and experiential learning. Research Methods is also a pre-requisite for many of the department’s Capstone courses.
Research Assistant Experience
If you are interested in becoming more involved in research, please look at the faculty profiles and contact professors whose research interests you via email. Please send professors your unofficial transcript and CV/resume if you have one. Due to the large number of students who want to serve as a research assistant, it sometimes takes several semesters to find a lab with available research assistant slots. Don’t give up! We highly encourage you to take this opportunity to learn more about research
Looking to be a participant in research?
Please see the SONA system for students in PSCL101 and PSCL375.
Research News
PTSD Treatment & Research Program looking for study participants
Globally, lifetime experiences of trauma are high, and a significant minority of people exposed to traumatic or destabilizing life events go on to develop distressing and impairing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). Recognizing the immense need and gaps in current treatments, experts Dr....
Dr. Obeid publishes study on “Impaired Fine Motor Skills in Developmental Dyslexia”
Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Psychological Sciences Assistant Professor Rita Obeid recently published a study in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. The study, titled “Impaired Fine Motor Skills in Developmental Dyslexia: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis of 5 Decades of Research” features insights from: Rita Obeid, Assistant Professor...
Undergrad Psych students present research at Social Science Research Day
On Friday, April 10th, students from various Social Science departments participated in the first ever Social Science Research Day. This day was organized by Anthropology PhD students Jenna Hays, Anuoluwapo Ajibade, Sarah Namirembe, and Aria Wanek, and supported by professor and Anthropology department chair Janet McGrath, PhD. Clinical Psychology PhD...
Psychological sciences’ Wilson Brown examines connections between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and severe mental illnesses
Wilson Brown, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, and other researchers at Case Western Reserve University recently reported new findings in Psychiatry Research clarifying how posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms interconnect with severe mental illnesses (SMI), such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The work, titled “Modeling the...
Case Western Reserve University named among world’s top universities by TIME
TIME magazine named Case Western Reserve among the world’s best universities, placing the institution 25th globally in its World’s Top Universities of 2026 ranking. The recognition ranks Case Western Reserve among a select group of institutions worldwide identified for long-term impact on students and society. Unlike rankings that emphasize admissions...
Why you should rethink homework and focus on creative time
MSN: Sandra Russ, Distinguished University Professor and the Louis D. Beaumont University Professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, said that kids learn far more from creative, imaginative play than from nightly worksheets. Read the full article here.