SPEAR LAB DIRECTOR

Dr. Vail guides the creative and scientific direction of SPEAR Lab.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE MA (2021-2023)

Ashley earned her BA from Cleveland State University in 2021, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. Her research interests include existential social psychology, with applications to religion and conspiratorial belief, and how these factors mitigate anxiety and impact attitudes and behaviors. She is also interested in exploring how cognitive factors (e.g., analytic thinking) or motivational orientations (e.g., autonomy, self-determination) might alter those processes.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE MA (2021-2023)

Carly graduated from Chapman University with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Disability Studies. Her research interests include understanding the challenges of gender nonconformity, terror management theory, and psychosocial well-being and individual perceived stigmatization. Currently, her work is focused on analyzing years of previous studies to understand trends in research on religious and political topics in the field.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE MA (2022-2024)

Madison completed a BA in Psychology at Cleveland State after receiving an Associate's degree and a Certificate of Philosophical Studies from Lorain County Community College. Though her interests often reach beyond psychology and philosophy, existentialism and terror management theory are Madison's most pertinent interests. Currently, she is working to examine the role of cultural worldviews in moderating risk perception and prosocial behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE MA (2022-2024)

Abby earned her BA in Psychology from Biola University in 2021. Her research interests include resilience (especially occurring in survivors of trauma), loneliness, emotion regulation, religious beliefs and affiliations, and identity development. She has also participated in research assessing the motivation behind moral posting on social media.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE MA (2023-2025)

Caroline completed her BS in Exercise Science at Cleveland State University (2020) after an A.A.S. in Sport & Exercise Studies at Cuyahoga Community College. During undergrad, Caroline focused on biological sciences, strength and conditioning research, physiological performance research, and mind-body wellness practices. Along the way, Caroline started exploring philosophy and psychology and developed an interest in existential social psychology, with applications to adult development and aging, affect, cognition, and their processes and across throughout the lifespan.

SPEAR Lab typically includes 2-3 Honors Program students each year, who conduct their own thesis project in line with the lab’s ongoing research program.

Our team also typically includes 3-12 undergraduate research trainees in any given semester, often as Research Practicum/Independent Study (PSY396) students.

Our team also includes researchers not formally enrolled in a CSU program, such as those in advanced high school STEM programs, post-baccalaureate trainees, non-declared graduate students, and post-graduate trainees.