REU Site: Hojooba'bee la'hooniil, Undergraduate Studies into the Social Psycho-physiology of Compassion

项目摘要：这个REU网站项目的重点是心理学系内的同情的社会心理生理学(SPC)。它建立在先前REUS的成功遗产的基础上，为美洲原住民、西班牙裔、非裔美国人、阿拉斯加原住民和夏威夷/太平洋岛民原住民学生提供研究经验，包括第一代残疾、女性、白人和退伍军人的学院/大学生。参与该项目的每个本科生在积极心理学系研究人员的指导下，进行以同情为重点的研究。2008年夏天，北亚利桑那大学心理学系的一个类似项目(规模较小)得到了美国国家科学基金会的部分资助，非常成功。这个REU网站以一个新的主题重点加强了这一成功的项目，即针对少数族裔学生，特别是针对美洲原住民学生的同情心研究。这种研究实习涉及八个重要的智力部分：(1)由经验丰富、富有成效和激励作用的教师研究导师提供直接、密切监督、亲身实践的教师实验室原创研究经验，(2)学院关于科学研究各个方面的研讨会，(3)专业、教育、文化和职业发展研讨会，(4)每周中午科学研讨会，(5)各种独特的教育、文化、环境和社会活动，(6)学生在当地的专业REU会议上发表报告，(7)在国家专业会议上展示研究成果，以及(8)心理学REU学生与其他REU项目的学生共同参加研讨会、讲座和本地研究报告。更广泛的影响。这一计划对科学思维和探究的扩展以及社会的进步都具有深远的影响。(1)通过实况校园访问和演讲直接招收未被充分代表的少数群体学生，通过创新的大学联络以增加未得到充分服务的少数群体参与研究，以及少数群体学生和教员的现场研究和教育合作，极大地扩大了未被充分代表的少数群体在社会科学研究中的参与。具体的有形研究成果、学生在专业会议上的陈述、研究指导以及在暑期课程中开发的研究过程的合议性小组分享，使每个学生对科学项目和过程有一种主人翁意识，并对经验进行个性化，以促进科学事业的继续发展。(2)与敬业的学术研究人员密切合作，并由来自不同文化背景的本科生在每周研讨会上授课，很可能会为整个科学特别是SPC专业领域注入持久的兴奋，从而促进创造性的发现，同时促进科学探索、知识获取、技能培训以及对教学和研究艺术的承诺。(3)利用现有的教育培训设施进行暑期研究实习，加强了大学的研究和教育基础设施。(4)实习生和导师参加跨学科研讨会、讲习班、研究、教育和国家会议，扩大传播，增进跨学科的科学理解。(5)计划中的REU站点项目的创新和全面分析允许进行年度评估和微调，以更好地实现目标，并改善该国行为研究科学家未来的识别、培训和发展。(6)计划中的研究项目和对同情的主题关注为探索社会问题和对社会的最终利益提供了重要的答案，并培养了一代年轻的研究人员，他们的职业生涯致力于理解和创造同情的表达，减轻他人的痛苦，并促进一个更富有同情心的世界。

Project Summary: This REU site project focuses on the Social Psycho-physiology of Compassion (SPC) within the Department of Psychology. It builds upon a successful legacy of prior REUs by providing research experiences for Native American, Hispanic, African American, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students, including first generation college/university students who are disabled, female, White, and Veterans. Each undergraduate student participating in this project conducts research focused on Compassion, under the guidance of active Psychology Department researchers. A similar program (on a reduced scale) in the Northern Arizona University's Psychology Department was partially funded by the NSF during Summer 2008 and was highly successful. This REU site enhances that successful program with a new thematic focus, on Compassion research, directed at minority students and particularly at Native American students.Intellectual Merit. This research internship addresses eight important intellectual components: (1) Direct, closely supervised, hands-on original research experiences in individual faculty laboratories provided by an experienced, productive, and stimulating faculty research mentor, (2) Faculty seminars on various aspects of scientific research, (3) Professional, educational, cultural, and career development seminars, (4) Weekly noon science symposia, (5) A variety of unique educational, cultural, environmental, and social activities, (6) Student presentations at a local professional REU conference, (7) Presentation of research outcomes at national professional conferences, and (8) Co-participation of Psychology REU students with REU students from other programs in seminars, lectures, and local research presentations. Broader Impacts. This program has far-reaching implications for both the expansion of scientific thinking and inquiry and the advancement of society. (1) Direct recruitment of underrepresented minority students via live campus visits and presentations, innovative college liaisons toward increased engagement of under-served minorities in research, and on site research and educational collaborations of minority students and faculty greatly broadens participation of under-represented minorities in social science research. Specific tangible research outcomes, student presentations at professional meetings, research mentoring, and collegial group sharing of the research process developed over a summer session give each student a sense of ownership in a scientific project and process, and a personalization of the experience to facilitate continued careers in science. (2) Intensive collaboration with dedicated career academic researchers and teaching during weekly seminars by undergraduate students from diverse cultural backgrounds is very likely to instill a lasting excitement for science in general and for the SPC specialty areas in particular, thus advancing creative discovery while simultaneously promoting cross-fertilization of scientific exploration, knowledge acquisition, skills training, and a commitment to the art of teaching and research. (3) Utilization of existing educational training facilities for summer research internships enhances the university's research and educational infrastructure. (4) Participation of interns and mentors in interdisciplinary seminars, workshops, research, education, and national conferences broadens dissemination and enhances interdisciplinary scientific understanding. (5) The planned innovative and comprehensive analysis of this REU site program allows for a yearly evaluation and fine-tuning to better achieve objectives and to improve the future identification, training, and development of behavioral research scientists in this country. Most importantly, and perhaps most uniquely for this REU site program, (6) the planned research projects and thematic focus on compassion offers important answers to probing societal questions and ultimate benefits to society, and the development of a generation of young researchers whose careers are dedicated to the understanding and creation of the expression of compassion, the easing of suffering of others, and the promotion of a more compassionate world.