The Museum of Nature & Science invites all middle and high school students to join us online for a virtual “Teen Science Café” with guest presenters Sarah Wheat and Angela-Faith Thomas, graduate students in NMSU’s psychology department. The event will be held through a closed Zoom webinar at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 23. Please contact Stephanie at shawkins@las-cruces.org to register for a link to the event.
Psychologists study human behaviors and cognitive processes with a variety of different tools. Studying the way that we think, behave, and feel using the scientific method makes psychology a fun and unique social science. Psychological theories of attraction help us to understand why our friends are our friends. Learn how the propinquity effect, similarity, and reciprocal liking can help us understand the who’s, why’s, and where’s of developing relationships. To explore these theories, we will talk about social media behaviors and personal friendships, as well as create vignettes that researchers themselves utilize in their own studies. By learning about types of psychological research, ways of collecting data, and what makes research with people so nuanced and exciting you’ll be on your way to running your own experiment!
Sarah Wheat and Angela-Faith Thomas are both graduate students in the psychology department at New Mexico State University. Sarah is a second year Ph.D. student who studies sex education, sexual behaviors, and LGBTQ+ issues. Her goal is to work with undergraduate students through teaching and on mixed methods research at a liberal arts university. Angela is a second-year master’s student who studies sexual motivations, attachment theory, and relationships. Her goal is to eventually get her Ph.D. at NMSU and become a college professor.
The Museum of Nature & Science is currently closed due to the public health order. The Museum is located at 411 N. Main Street and is accessible from RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1 Stop 36. For additional information, and updates on reopening, visit the website at: http://las-cruces.org/museums or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LCMuseums.