2024 Student Research Award | 2024 RISE Research Award | 2024 Emerging Scholar Award

With each APS Annual Convention since 1991, hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as psychological scientists across all levels and expertise, have the chance to present their research and make connections with their colleagues.

Of the 2,000 posters submitted to this year’s Convention, APS has gathered personal stories and motivations behind many of the best student posters from APS 2024 in San Francisco, California, as selected by reviewers for the three award categories. Congratulations to all the student award winners! 

Related: View the 2024 APS Annual Convention keynote and plenary recordings.

2024 Student Research Award Recipients

The Student Research Award promotes and acknowledges outstanding research conducted by student members of APS. Learn more about the Student Research Award, including eligibility and how to apply.

Supporting Satisfaction, Satisfying Support: Bidirectional Associations of Social Support and Life Satisfaction 

Jonathan Louis Chia (Singapore Management University)

What drew you to your research? 

What drew me to my research was a profound interest in understanding the dynamics of well-being in later life. Though the impact of social support on life satisfaction is well-documented, a significant gap in the literature regarding the reverse remains—that is, how life satisfaction might influence social support. This intrigued me, as several theoretical perspectives have suggested this reverse relationship to be possible, if not likely. Moreover, observations of a bidirectional association between social support and life satisfaction could inform more effective interventions and policies. For instance, by targeting either life satisfaction or social support, interventions could potentially trigger positive feedback loops, amplifying their collective impact on overall well-being. My aim was to uncover these bidirectional associations and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of well-being among older adults, ultimately providing insights that could enhance their quality of life. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

While I had hypothesised a bidirectional association between social support and life satisfaction, it was uncertain if this association was primarily driven by top-down personological influences—such as personality—bottom-up situational influences, or a mixture of both. Results suggested that although disposition to positivity was associated with increased perceptions of social support and life satisfaction, the bidirectional association between social support and life satisfaction were beyond these individual differences, suggesting a combination of both top-down and bottom-up influences. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

I chose to present my research at APS because it is a prestigious platform that attracts leading scholars and practitioners in the field of psychology. APS provides an excellent opportunity to share cutting-edge research with a diverse and engaged audience, fostering valuable discussions and feedback. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

The best part about presenting at the APS conference was the opportunity to engage with a diverse and esteemed group of scholars and practitioners. This interaction provided invaluable feedback and sparked stimulating discussions that enriched my understanding of the research topic. Moreover, the networking opportunities were exceptional, allowing me to connect with other researchers who share similar interests and passions. These connections have the potential to foster future collaborations and interdisciplinary work, further advancing the field. 

What are your plans going forward? 

My plan is to continue to learn and improve my skillsets as an ageing researcher, producing high quality scientific work that holds practical implications. As I transition toward the end of my PhD, I am also looking for continued opportunities to learn and contribute to scientific literature in the form of post-doctoral positions. 

Equity Sensitivity Moderated the Indirect Effect of Leader-Member Exchange Differentiation on Knowledge Sharing Behavior Via Interactional Justice 

Sua Song (Sungkyunkwan University) 

What drew you to your research? 

As knowledge is an important resource in today’s knowledge-based economy, employees knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) seemed to be an important topic to address. My interest in enhancing employees KSB led me to develop my research. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

My research hypothesized a moderated mediation model wherein equity sensitivity moderates the indirect effects of leader-member exchange differentiation (LMXD) on KSB through procedural and interactional justice. However, results revealed that equity sensitivity only moderated the indirect effect of LMXD on KSB through interactional justice. Thus, because LMXD and KSB are related to people, the effect of interactional justice might have had a greater effect. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

First of all, I have heard from other people that presenting at APS was an unforgettable experience. I was also eager to interact with different researchers from different fields of psychology. Furthermore, APS did not only provide poster sessions to attend but also other programs for people to choose according to their interests. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

It was an honor to be able to present at APS. I loved how I could interact with people studying different fields of psychology around the world. Through this experience, I could expand my knowledge and interest in the field of psychology. 

What are your plans going forward? 

After I get my research published, I am planning to utilize the skills I have acquired and work as an HR manager. 

A Novel Psychometric Analysis of the Spelling and Recognition of Complex English Words Reveals Developmental Nuances 

Bowen Wang-Kildegaard (University of California, Berkeley) 

What drew you to your research? 

I want to deepen our understanding of our fascinating ability to comprehend and produce written language. I hope to help improve language and literacy education through my research. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

Our knowledge of word spelling is a spectrum, and its development is an incremental process. Assessment should be sensitive to partial knowledge and represent various levels of spelling ability in a nuanced way. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

The APS convention is a unique opportunity to present my work and receive feedback from colleagues in different fields of psychology. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

Making new connections and receiving feedback from experts in other fields helped me think about my work more critically and creatively. 

What are your plans going forward? 

I’m finalizing a manuscript based on this study for journal submission. I will continue my research on language acquisition and literacy development. 

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2024 RISE Research Award Recipients 

The RISE Research Award acknowledges outstanding psychological science research related to underrepresented populations or conducted by students from diverse backgrounds. Learn more about the RISE Research Award, including eligibility and how to apply.

Attitudes Toward Prisoners and Sex Crimes Affect Views of Victim Impact and Egregiousness 

Sakina Spears (Fielding Graduate University) 

What drew you to your research? 

My interest in underrepresented populations stems from my lived experience as a member of many underrepresented communities. Upon further review of the literature, I realized how much research is still needed to create an equal understanding and representation for all people. Such a large gap can be daunting, but my goal was to find what small portion I could contribute. My lab has conducted extensive projects about jury members, as well as prison populations. In that research, I couldn’t help but find inspiration and new developments that I wanted to explore more, which led me down the path to my current research. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

When considering that the majority of research about prison populations is usually specific to male prisoners, finding the bias and difference in perceived egregiousness that jury-eligible individuals held toward female sex offenders when the victims were also females was surprising—especially when considering we didn’t find similar thoughts for male prisoners despite some research suggesting otherwise. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

The organization’s commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion allowed members of underrepresented groups to meet other scholars in a curated environment. Learning comes full circle when you can interact with other students and professionals who can reinforce what you learn from reading research by sharing perspectives and knowledge. The opportunity to engage with individuals seeking knowledge about a diverse population made me feel that APS was the place for this research to reach a broad audience. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

APS created an excellent environment in which to interact, but the attendees were the best part. The students and professionals were very welcoming and enthusiastic to discuss my research. I had conversations that may have been specific to the study but inspired ideas of other applications for this newly acquired perspective. The ability to engage with individuals on various levels of their professional and academic careers in an environment curated with inclusion in mind was infinitely valuable. 

What are your plans going forward? 

I plan to continue to learn as I work to complete my dissertation at Fielding Graduate University. I hope to find ways to contribute my knowledge toward reducing the dearth of research about underrepresented populations, from female prisoners to veterans and minorities, by uncovering more knowledge, enabling us to foster a better world one project at a time. 

A Latent Profile Analysis of Multidimensional Stigma in LGB Adults: Subgroup Differences and Associations with Distress and Substance Use 

Sreelakshmi Pushpanadh (The Pennsylvania State University) 

What drew you to your research? 

I was raised and lived in countries where it is illegal to be a sexual and gender minority. In many ways, the silence and stigma surrounding social identities deemed to be ‘unacceptable’ is what initially drew me to work focusing on minority mental health. I hold some of these minoritized and stigmatized identities myself and have witnessed first-hand the consequences of stigma on physical and mental health. Through this work over several years, I was really drawn to how complex and multifaceted stigma is, how it can “get under the skin” and the way that it is almost omnipotent and codified into law, legislation, environmental, and cultural norms. It felt necessary and important to be able to explicate this complexity and hopefully shed some light on how it exerts negative consequences consistently and try to find ways to circumvent it. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

We were struck by how demographic variables (e.g., race/ethnicity) that we believed might predict stigma subgroups were actually found to be insignificant in our findings. On the other hand, environmental variables (e.g., having health insurance, being accepted in your neighborhood) seemed to predict the types of stigma experiences LGB individuals might face.

Additionally, we had hypothesized that subgroups characterized by more severe and complex stigma experiences would be significantly associated with mental health (e.g., distress, alcohol use, drug use) but found that stigma actually differentially impacted internalizing (distress) versus externalizing (substance use) disorders. While initially surprising given the elevations in substance use in this population, it aligns with emerging research suggesting distinct risk pathways for internalizing and externalizing disorders. Specifically, internalizing disorders are likely more influenced by cognitive-affective processes rather than the disinhibition processes at play for externalizing difficulties. Therefore, although depression and alcohol misuse can be highly comorbid, its determinants can be different: Stigma could certainly be a factor, but other factors including community norms around substance use could also play a role. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

APS seemed like a wonderful avenue to pick people’s brains! I had heard lovely things from previous lab members who had attended, and I really wanted a conference that had an audience of scientists and practitioners. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

It was lovely to hear about the incredible work happening in the field, keep up to date with the latest developments in the measurement and diagnostic space, and be overall inspired by the innovation taking place in the field. Seeing others do similar and widely different work just expanded the ways in which I was thinking about certain questions and answers. 

What are your plans going forward? 

I am really interested in continuing stigma research during my doctoral program at PSU. I was left with several questions from the findings of this specific study and the importance of context and environment when it came to stigma experiences for sexual minorities. I am currently exploring variables including residential context, urbanicity/rurality, and internalizing and externalizing disorders with a focus on sexual minorities to better understand the determinants of health and intervention targets in this population. I would ideally also like to bridge my clinical work and the research I do that somewhat straddles the social and clinical realms. 

Effects of Discrimination, Exposure to Community Violence, and Cultural Betrayal on Mental Health Among Racial/Ethnic and Sexual/Gender Minorities

Callie L. Wang (University of Central Florida) 

What drew you to your research? 

Minoritized populations often experience discrimination and exposure to community violence that disproportionately affects their mental health. These detrimental effects are further exacerbated when individuals hold intersecting minority identities. Given shared experiences of societal trauma, minoritized communities often develop intracultural trust, or enhanced attachment/connection. However, according to Cultural Betrayal Trauma Theory (CBTT), when this trust is violated in instances of within-group violence, or cultural betrayal trauma (CBT), there are uniquely harmful mental health consequences. Given the frequency at which racial/ethnic minorities and sexual/gender minorities experience discrimination and community violence, I was drawn to this line of research as it may be helpful to explore the consequences of CBT in tandem with potentially traumatic experiences (i.e., discrimination, violence) on minority mental health in the pursuit of developing culturally informed treatments for minoritized populations. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

While results supported prior work suggesting discrimination and exposure to community violence have significant detrimental effects on minority mental health, results also revealed the unique effects of cultural betrayal trauma on minority mental health. CBT uniquely impacted alcohol problems, indicating a need to explore what makes CBT a critical factor for alcohol problems specifically among these populations. These findings highlighted nuances in the experiences of minoritized individuals, where stressful or traumatic experiences differentially linked to mental health outcomes. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

I chose to present this research at APS because, being a large organization, it was a great opportunity to expand the reach of this work while also allowing for the opportunity to discuss these findings with researchers across multiple disciplines. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

Having the opportunity to speak with and learn from psychologists across a wide range of disciplines and specialties. 

What are your plans going forward? 

CBTT has been largely explored exclusively among racial/ethnic minorities, and these results shed light on how its effects can impact sexual/gender minorities that also hold racial/ethnic minority identities. In future work, I aim to further investigate within-group differences in both victimization and outcome trajectory that could influence the development of culturally informed interventions. Additionally, CBTT has thus far been focused on racial/ethnic minority populations, and in future work I hope to explore alternative forms of cultural betrayal specific to both sexual/gender identity and intersectionality. 

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2024 Emerging Scholar Award Recipients 

To celebrate the research and contributions of the APS Student Caucus members from diverse backgrounds, the Emerging Scholar Research Award recognizes individuals based on their personal statement, poster abstract submitted to the APS Annual Conference, and CV. Learn more about the Emerging Scholar Research Award. 

Age Moderates the Association between Daily Prosocial Behavior and Perceived Meaningfulness

Enna Chen (Stanford University) 

What drew you to your research? 

The greatest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history is currently underway in the United States. Historically, most of these transfers take the form of bequests to family members, and consequently perpetuate, if not exacerbate, socioeconomic disparities in the country. Understanding prosociality in older generations may lead to more equitable distributions across familial and philanthropic targets. As a life-span developmental psychologist, I hope to utilize my knowledge about age differences in motivation, emotion, and cognition to understand and encourage prosocial behavior across generations, particularly among older adults. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

Helping others often does not make us feel positive in the moment. In fact, it may even feel a bit negative. However, in the long run, people who help others more often in daily life tend to feel more positive and meaningful in general. Despite the fact that helping others could bring out negative emotions, older people still engage in more prosocial behavior than younger people. It is possible that older adults’ strong motivation to seek emotional meaning would overpower their hedonic emotional goals. As we age, finding meaning in life may become increasingly more important than feeling good. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

APS has a diverse and international membership, and I wanted to connect with researchers who have different life experiences and perspectives from me. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

I really enjoyed meeting researchers from various subfields of psychology and other disciplines. 

What are your plans going forward? 

I hope to identify effective incentives that stimulate charitable giving and ultimately contribute to new philanthropic norms about giving, which hold the potential to address a range of societal problems.

Breast Cancer Survivors’ Cosmetic and Decision Satisfaction Ratings of Varying Cosmetic Intervention Following Mastectomy 

Miranda Proctor (University of Central Florida) 

What drew you to your research? 

It wasn’t until I pursued a career in clinical psychology that I began to truly understand the multifaceted challenges faced by breast cancer patients and survivors. They endure a succession of physical, emotional, and psychological trials that irreversibly alter their lives. Although many find ways to cope, some individuals spiral into negative mental states, developing depression, anxiety, and chronic stress that persist for years, or even decades. The more I delved into breast cancer research, specifically the experiences of patients and survivors, the more determined I became to contribute meaningfully. Although survivorship rates have significantly improved over the past decade—a hard-fought victory worth celebrating—it is now time to focus on enhancing biopsychosocial outcomes among survivors. Reflecting on my family member’s experience with breast cancer, I have observed numerous accounts from survivors who received medical tattooing and felt their emotional burdens lifted with the sense of closure it provided. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

Ultimately, it revealed that there is still much work to be done in understanding the profound impact breast cancer has on long-term survivorship and psychosocial outcomes. Body-image distress is a multidimensional, complex factor that many patients and survivors experience. My research provided preliminary evidence that suggests the long-term impact can be influenced by a multitude of individualized factors, many of which are determined during the treatment process. Furthermore, there is little research surrounding the association between medical tattooing and psychosocial outcomes among breast cancer survivors, so expanding on this research is essential to begin to understand its potential for mitigating body-image distress and negative mental health outcomes. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

APS is a prestigious convention that allows experts in the field to share their intellectual curiosity and passion for psychological research. APS allows the opportunity to be surrounded by likeminded individuals and make worthwhile connections. The environment and connections provided by APS are essential for my career development. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

Presenting at APS provided an opportunity to refine my ability to elaborate on my research and apply real-time application and connection to those I converse with. Being challenged with questions, many of which come from different perspectives and backgrounds, can be an invaluable opportunity to refine my skills in translating my research to make it accessible to others.

Ultimately, presenting my research at APS this year was a humbling experience. It allowed me to share my passion and hopes for helping patients and survivors with breast cancer and hear from others whose lives have been touched by cancer. Research is essential in the standardization of medical tattooing, but it should always be driven first and foremost by patient needs. Receiving this award and hearing that my research matters from my peers and experts in the field will resonate with me for the rest of my career. It inspires me to not only continue my path as a clinical health psychologist and psychosocial oncology researcher, but to do everything I can to highlight the needs of these individuals through my work. Therefore, I do this for the patients, the survivors, the families, and loved ones of those who have been impacted by breast cancer—their voices, their needs, deserve to be heard. My heartfelt gratitude goes to those who made this research possible. Thank you to the countless support groups and organizations who supported this project. Thank you to the interdisciplinary professionals who are also working to help improve the lives of these profound individuals and who have helped encourage and support my own endeavors in working toward helping improve psychosocial outcomes for future breast cancer patients and survivors. And thank you most to the breast cancer survivors who participated. 

What are your plans going forward? 

This award will help me expand this line of research by collecting pre/post-medical tattooing data and biomarkers. As both a researcher and clinician, my aspiration is to specialize as a clinical health psychologist in psycho-oncology dedicated to working with breast cancer patients and survivors. Additionally, as a first-generation Mexican American, I hope to bring attention to the health disparities that persist for patients/survivors of minority so they may also receive these interventions. My objective is to foster collaboration and leverage my research to advocate for standardizing medical tattooing as a complementary intervention integrated into the surgical process and routinely covered by insurance. My goal is to bridge the communication gap between medical professionals and patients/survivors, championing the needs of these remarkable and resilient individuals and enhancing their lives throughout and beyond breast cancer treatment. I firmly believe that research, grounded in the needs of patients, is pivotal in advancing biopsychosocial outcomes. 

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Internalizing Symptoms during College Transition: A Multiverse Analysis of Different ACE Quantifications

Lauren Young-gi Kim (University of California, Los Angeles) 

What drew you to your research? 

I was interested in understanding both the applied question of whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predicted internalizing symptoms such as depression and anxiety during the transition to college, a shared social stressor experienced by many adolescents. Recent studies reveal a significant rise in psychological distress among college students, yet there is limited research on the link between ACEs and internalizing symptoms in this demographic. I was also interested in the methodological question of how ACES should be analyzed. 

What did the research reveal that you didn’t already know? 

Notably, the suboptimal performance of ACEs as a categorical variable in every model comparison highlights a potentially pervasive limitation for many existing publications using this method. Hence, it is imperative to revisit and reanalyze datasets using categorical ACEs to investigate potential variation in results based on the ACEs measurement approach. Moving forward, future research should aim to replicate these findings and elucidate the pathways through which ACEs impact the pivotal developmental stage of emerging adulthood. 

Why did you choose to present your research at APS? 

APS has a diverse background of scholars and scientists around the world, and I thought it would be great to discuss both theoretical and methodological ways of thinking on the topic of my poster to expand my own knowledge and way of thinking. 

What was the best part about presenting at APS? 

I got to meet amazing peers and colleagues with both similar and different backgrounds. My worldview expands a little bit every time I present at APS, which is a precious opportunity. 

What are your plans going forward? 

I plan to rerun the exact same analyses on a public dataset with greater power and sample size to confirm whether the results pan out similarly. 

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