Three Lander University students were big winners at the South Carolina Psychological Association's Annual Convention in Myrtle Beach on April 10.
Ashley Hudson a senior from Greenville, and Amanda Shahan, a senior from Greenville, were awarded first-place awards for their poster titled "You're such a girl: The effects of identity salience and gender stereotypes on athletic performance."
Sierra Davis, a senior from Anderson, garnered a third-place finish for her poster titled "An Existential Motive for Schadenfreude in Sports: Reminders of Death Increase Pleasure at Rival Team's Losses," which focused on how threats to self-esteem increased how happy people felt when the rival of their favorite sports team lost.
The event featured seven posters in the undergraduate category with first, second and third-place awards given for the best presentations. The Lander students competed against strong research by students from other colleges and universities including, Clemson University, The Citadel, Limestone College and the University of South Carolina-Lancaster.
Illustrating collaborative learning, Hudson and Shahan teamed with Lander professors Dr. Jonathan Bassett and Dr. Deb Acorn. Bassett also worked with Davis on her project.
"Getting research experience at the undergraduate level is a great opportunity for students to develop the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that are so highly valued by both graduate schools and potential employers," said Bassett. "In addition, presenting research at professional meetings builds students' self-confidence and hones their communication skills. This was a great experience for our Lander students and I am proud of their performance."