Students learn and grow in NYC with professor at psychology convention

Professor Ari Kirshenbaum

Ari Kirshenbaum, professor of psychology at Saint Michael’s College, recently brought five students to the Eastern Psychological Association’s annual convention in New York City in early March. Two students were able to present their research, while three students — Kirhsenbaum’s lab assistants for his nicotine study — came to observe speakers and poster sessions.

Emma Bisaillon ‘22, a psychology major with a business minor from Saratoga, NY, presented research about the effect of e-cigarette-delivered nicotine on subjects’ time perception. Bisaillon said that her research began after working as a lab assistant for Kirshenbaum as he studied the effects of e-cigarette-delivered nicotine test subjects playing a video game while using a “vape” (e-cigarette) with either nicotine juice in it or a placebo juice with no nicotine. He measures their relative efficacy in performing well or winning in the video game relating to nicotine consumption.

When Bisaillon began planning for her senior year, she said that Kirshenbaum was of tremendous help during the process of figuring out what she might want to research for her independent research psychology requirement. “Professor Kirshenbaum has been doing a lot of e-cigarette research over the years so this was the time perception piece that we’ve decided to add and that he’s been helping me with,” said Bisaillon. Having this experience in the lab with Kirshenbaum as an undergraduate, conducting research funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health, feels like a really big deal and a special experience, she said.

Ainsley Keating ’22, left, and Emma Bisaillon ’22 with a research poster in New York.

Bisaillon said Kirshenbaum’s dedication to helping her figure out her senior research interests and then guiding her through the process typifies a distinctly appealing aspect of pursuing psychology or other studies at Saint Michael’s. “I really appreciate the close connections we can make with professors here,” she said. “It’s so easy to get to know them on a personal level and they really become mentors.”

Nick Ahari ‘22, a psychology major from Sandwich, MA, also presented his research at the convention —  a geographical analysis of psilocybin (commonly known as hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms) decriminalization in the United States and how psilocybin has been indicated to treat mental illness with little dependency and toxicity from clinical studies. Ahari’s research has led him to some interesting conclusions that he was able to share during the poster session at the conference.

“There’s more conservative leaning states that tend to appeal to lawmakers by advocating for PTSD treatment because those states tend to have a lot of retired veterans,” said Ahari. It was fascinating to look at the different ways in which certain states are dealing with decriminalization, he said, while taking into account the common behaviors of certain states, and how they are similar to or different from other states.

Nick Ahari ’22 with his poster.

“Oregon is a unique state as the only one to have clinically legalized psilocybin. It’s the only state developing different products that can be used in a therapeutic setting, but it’s still recreationally illegal there,” said Ahari. He described how a lot of people walked up to his poster excited to learn more about “magic mushrooms.” That was the most memorable part of the trip, said Ahari, and it was fulfilling for him to meet “fellow psychology nerds,” as he put it.

Ainsley Keating ‘22, a psychology major with a Spanish minor from Cumberland, RI, is a lab assistant for Kirshenbaum’s nicotine study and came along the trip to view poster sessions, speakers, and support her peers who were presenting. She said that students were able to wander through events on Saturday, engaging with the presentations that most piqued their interest. She described multiple poster session sections such as a social psychology section or a behavioral psychology section that students could choose to attend.

Nick, Emma, Mia, Gigi out on the town in New York City one evening.

“One talk that I found very interesting was about body image and body positivity. Among those topics, one talk I really liked was about yoga and weight motivation,” she said. At this talk, Keating said, she learned about how individuals who begin engaging with yoga for weight loss purposes feel less body satisfaction afterwards compared to individuals who engage in yoga for fun. Keating appreciated how she was able to explore psychology topics that she did not even know she was interested in initially, allowing her to learn a great deal.

Bisaillon, Ahari, and Keating all agreed that an especially memorable aspect of the trip was the car ride to and from New York City. Bisaillon said Professor Kirshenbaum brought a deck of question cards that a clinical trial had shown to promote closeness among people. She said that these questions started as quite simple, opinionative questions, but gradually became deeper and more vulnerable questions.

“One of the questions I got was about a crystal ball that could answer any question. The card asked what I would choose to ask about either my past, present, or future,” said Ahari. “It was really deep and difficult to answer but it was the questions like those that got us talking on a deeper, more personal level.”

Since three out of the five students are seniors, Ahari said that the question cards eventually guided the conversation to post-graduation plans and life in general, which brought the students closer. “Any nerves were eased pretty quickly as we bonded in the car — everyone was really chill,” he said.

The group bonds and takes in some sights in front of a sculpture during a day outing.

Bisaillon said that the kind of bonding they did over the trip was something she had been missing. “We’re all interested in psychology so we all got to go on this experience together and get to know each other. With COVID, I feel like I haven’t gotten the chance to make new connections like that,” she said. The students all agreed that they are excited to have academic experiences that take them off campus and get them connecting with new peers again.

As Keating said, “Traveling with my peers, who have similar interests, was an incredible way to get to know them better while also bolstering our academic experience here at Saint Michael’s.”