Author: Phoebe Fanning | Major: Psychology | Semester: Spring 2025
Phoebe presenting her research at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology
I had the honor of presenting my honors thesis findings at the 25th annual Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) convention in Denver, CO. The goal of my thesis project was to investigate whether moral disgust responses of white Americans toward a criminal differ depending on the citizenship status of the offender. Additionally, we aimed to investigate whether these moral disgust responses explain differences in prescribed punitiveness. By exploring these dynamics, this research aims to contribute to our understanding of the intersectionality of morality, immigration, and perceptions of criminality. During the fall semester of 2024, I worked with Dr. Scott Eidelman and PhD candidate Emily Vance on the application to present my thesis project at the SPSP conference. After submitting the application, we were thrilled to have been accepted. This served as recognition of my efforts on this project and affirmed that like-minded others are interested in my research findings.
Prior to my arrival in Denver, I felt nervous as I didn’t know what to expect. However, I now feel confident in my research, and especially prepared to defend my thesis. This experience served as a perfect capstone for my undergraduate degree and allowed me to complete the final stage of the scientific process; sharing the findings with the broader scientific community. Having the opportunity to share my research with likeminded others was inspiring and rewarding. I was able to chat with individuals from around the world, from Tulane University to the University of British Columbia, and this allowed me to have a new perspective of my research, as everyone’s takeaways and suggestions for future projects were vastly different. It was very encouraging to have students and professors alike showing interest in my research findings. I had the opportunity to meet with a researcher whom I’ve cited in my thesis project; having a pioneering researcher in the field show interest in my work is priceless to me.
With just a few months to go before graduation, I’m thrilled to have gained this experience. My poster presentation provided me with invaluable experience, preparing me for my thesis defense next month, and also providing me with insight into research conferences. I would encourage every student engaged in research to present their findings at a conference. Leaving Denver, I felt confident in my research, and motivated to continue learning and researching. The process of conducting an honors thesis project can feel lengthy and overwhelming at times; it’s moments such as this that serve as reminders that research is important, and worth the effort. As an undergraduate student, it was encouraging to interact with students who were all in different stages in their education. I was able to chat with a PhD student at Tulane University, who shared great advice and words of encouragement. It was motivating to see individuals from all walks of life join together with a common goal- to conduct high quality research. I feel more inspired than ever to continue researching! I’m looking forward to future opportunities and I now feel more prepared to begin my graduate studies.