April 2023 saw the return of the DBS Psychology Poster Conference following a pause in the event due to the pandemic. Almost 140 final year students from the BA (Hons) in Psychology and Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychology presented the findings from their psychology research projects in person at the DBS Psychology Poster Conference.
The event afforded students the opportunity to display and discuss the research findings from their independent piece of research in a professional environment. The completion of dissertation and poster presentations are the culmination of a year of hard work by the students, and marks the coming to the end of their undergraduate studies. This event provided them with a chance to share and communicate their work to their friends, classmates and staff in a supportive setting.
The event was held across the day and evening, where students attended an assigned one-hour session, and discussed their work with fellow classmates, students, supervisors and examiners. For those in attendance, it was evident that every session was full of passionate students speaking confidently about their research, where they answered questions surrounding the development of their research questions, the resulting findings, and proposed research directions.
Participation in the poster conference offered the students with a prospect to develop their research presentation skills, and summarise their findings in a succinct, accessible way, both of which are very beneficial to academic and non-academic work. Similarly, the conference provided the chance for other year groups to attend, where they could learn from the presenters, generate ideas for their own final year projects, and experience poster conferences well in advance of their own final year presentations.
The standard of work was excellent across all the sessions and included some fascinating research on mediation interventions in gifted children, burnout among pharmacists, teacher attitudes towards verbal feedback, consumer decision making for animal-friendly products, and maternal distress and mental health.
Following the conference, awards were given for best poster in each year group, with a prize-giving ceremony. The certificates of excellence were presented to each awardee and each first place winner received a voucher.
These awards were presented by Andrew Conlan-Trant, the President of DBS. Also present were Dr Tony Murphy (Academic Dean), Dr Garry Prentice (Psychology Lecturer), Dr Deaglan Page (Psychology Lecturer), Dr John Hyland (Psychology Lecturer), and Dr Pauline Hyland (Head of Undergraduate Psychology Research and Assistant Academic Director for Psychology and Social Sciences).
Winners:
BA (Hons) in Psychology – Full-time
1st - Vicky Dalton
Supervisor: Dr John Hyland
Project: Gender differences in performance when WFH with child and non-child related audio distractions
2nd - Kim Thai
Supervisor: Kevin Lynch
Project: Social Media and Romantic Relationships: A Qualitative Analysis of the Negative Influences of Social Media
Joint 3rd - Maria Downey
Supervisor: Kevin Lynch
Project: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on the Masking of ASD Traits in Young Females.
Joint 3rd - Aisling Fitzgerald
Supervisor: Dr John Hyland
Project: Pornography and the sexual script: Exploring pornography as a mediator of sexual attitudes and behaviours
BA (Hons) in Psychology – Part-time
1st - Marta O’ Leary
Supervisor: Dr Aoife Gaffney
Project: Painting Covid Away Artistic Creativity And Mental Health Amongst Female Visual Artists During The Pandemic
2nd - Laura Comerford
Supervisor: Dr Deaglan Page
Project: Measuring the Effects of Parental Divorce and Separation on Adult Romantic Relationships
3rd - Teodora Nechita
Supervisor: Dr Garry Prentice
Project: The impact of HR practices on employee’s engagement and satisfaction level in the workplace
Higher Diploma in Psychology – Full-time and Part-time
Joint 1st - Annmarie Mullooly
Supervisor: Dr Dylan Colbert
Project: Cold Water Immersion Activities: The Effect on Mental Health, Self-Efficacy, Resilience & Mental Toughness
Joint 1st - Emma Dwan
Supervisor: Bhuvan Israni
Project: Assessing the influence of employee's perceptions of workplace diversity on their Job Satisfaction, Individual Empowerment and Organisational Commitment
Joint 2nd - Shannon McLaughlin
Supervisor: Dr Aoife Gaffney
Project: An Exploration of the Lived Experience of the Long-Term Meditation Practitioner in Ireland
Joint 2nd - Tatiana Quaglio
Supervisor: Maxine Manley
Project: The Role of Social Support and Coping Strategies in the Acculturation of Brazilian Living in Ireland.
3rd - Suzanne Shanley
Supervisor: Dr John Sheehy
Project: Self-efficacy and Social Support as predictors of Compassion Fatigue in second-level teachers in Ireland