Cerritos College News Release - June 2008

NORWALK, Calif. - June 5, 2008 - Cerritos College psychology students and faculty members had an honor to present their original empirical and pedagogical research at the Annual Psychological Association Conference, 2008 in Irvine, California on April 11.

Seven current and six former students, along with two faculty members Dr. Kimberley Duff, chair of the psychology department and Dr. Mark Duva, assistant professor of psychology, presented at the conference, and two of the former students, Carlos Salas and Patricia Singim presented and received Psi-Chi Outstanding Research Awards for Undergraduate for their outstanding research.

“It’s a great accomplishment for our students, as this is a peer reviewed conference and their original work was submitted and reviewed prior to acceptance,” says Duff. “It’s such an honor for them considering that most of the research presenters at these national conferences are usually four-year university students, graduate students or professors.”

“It was an experience of a lifetime,” says Mayra Gutierrez, student who presented at the conference. “It was very exciting to be surrounded by so many students and professors that share the same interest as you. Dr. Duff has done this as well with all the support she offers to her students. If it were not for her I would have never dreamed of submitting my research.”

Her experience at the conference helped cement her interest in becoming a psychologist. She graduated this semester from the college and received an AA in psychology. She will be transferring to California State University, Long Beach in the Spring of 2009. She is a clinical Psychology major and hopes one day to earn a Ph.D., work in a mental health facility and maybe one day to teach at a college or a university.

In addition to presented research, Kimberley Duff was invited to be a part of a teaching symposium. She presented on the successful Critical Thinking in Psychology course offered in the department and shared with colleagues how the psychology department here at Cerritos College emphasizes the development of critical thinking across their curriculum.

Following is the list of the presenters and the titles of the presentations:

THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF PODCASTS IN INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY, Kimberley J. Duff, April Thames & Maria Cosio (Cerritos College)

TUTORIALS FOSTER A COLLEGIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR A RESEARCH METHODS COURSE, Kimberley J. Duff, Maria I. Cosio & April D. Thames (Cerritos College

INNOVATIVE TEACHING IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING IN A WRITING COURSE AND ACROSS THE CURRICULUM, Invited Symposium, Kimberley J. Duff (Cerritos College)

ETHNIC AND GENDER TRENDS IN ADOLESCENT SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR, 1999-2005, Abraham M. Gutierrez & Carl Sneed (California State University, Dominguez Hills) *Abraham M. Gutierrez is a former Cerritos College student.

PEOPLE’S BODY SHAPE PERCEPTIONS AND PREFERENCES: FALLON AND ROZIN REVISITED, Cheryl M. Hannigan & Mark A. Duva (Cerritos College)

COLLECTIVISM AS A MEDIATOR OF ETHNICITY AND ETHNIC IDENTITY, Patricia Y. Singim & Chiamaka Julie Okwu (California State University, Long Beach) *Patricia Y. Singim is a former Cerritos College student.

FAITH VERSUS PERSONAL CONTROL: CAN BELIEFS LOWER YOUR STRESS LEVEL?, Veronica J. Sanchez (California State University, Long Beach) *Veronica J. Sanchez is a former Cerritos College student.

THE CAUSE OF STRESS AND THE STRESS OF CAUSES, Veronica J. Sanchez (California State University, Long Beach)

RELATIONSHIP OF ETHNIC IDENTITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN ETHNIC MINORITY AND MAJORITY GROUPS, Richard B. Roberson, Carlos Salas & Chi-Ah Chun (California State University Long Beach)
*Richard B. Robertson and Carlos Salas are former Cerritos College students.

CELLPHONE USERS AND THE FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR, Mayra Gutierrez & Cheryl Hannigan (Cerritos College)

PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC, Barbara Rodriguez, Anthony Nunez, Sem Ibrahim, & Mayra Herrrera (Cerritos College)

For more information about the Cerritos College psychology program, please visit www.cerritos.edu/psychology or contact Kimberley J. Duff at (562)860-2451, ext. 2780 or kduff@cerritos.edu.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently nears 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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