Student Research Spotlight: Alexis Lass (Psychology)

 

Alexis Lass is a first-year student in the M.S. Program in Experimental Psychology.

 

Briefly talk me through your research journey from your 1st day at NSU to today. 

I began my involvement in research as an undergraduate student at NSU. I was given the opportunity to be a research assistant in Dr. Justin Landy’s lab during my first year of undergrad, where I was able to administer studies, as well as having the opportunity to be a part of weekly discussion in lab, notably on moral psychology. After being in lab for just a few months, I knew I wanted to design and conduct my own research, leading me to apply to the Honors College to pursue an Undergraduate Honors Thesis. By the time I defended my thesis, I had decided I wanted to further the project, and I am now doing that in the master’s program.

I presented my undergrad thesis at the 2024 Undergraduate Student Symposium and will be presenting my current research at the 2024 Annual Meeting for the Society for Judgment and Decision Making in New York.

 

Summarize the current research you are working on.

We are building on my undergrad thesis in two notable ways. Our findings in the thesis point to a motivated bias in judgments of war crimes, where laypeople judge acts of war asymmetrically, dependent on which side of a conflict they support, despite normative legal and ethical guidelines stating that the moral status of acts of war should not depend on who commits them. Given these findings, we are furthering the research by evaluating if this asymmetry occurs when two countries’ actions can be directly compared, as well as investigating the psychological mechanism that facilitates these asymmetrical judgments.

 

What made you interested in the type of research you are currently working on?

I was a Political Science major during undergrad, but I was consistently drawn towards psychology, specifically, political and moral psychology. Of course, studying political science comes with reading about war and conflict almost every day, but I was always more interested in how lay people actively support war and how the laws governing war have a tangible impact. I was also a philosophy minor in undergrad and really enjoyed understanding how people reason with normative principles. Being able to intertwine all these interests was really important to me when deciding to do research, and bridging literature between two fields that do not often communicate with one another has been very exciting.

 

What made you decide to work with your current research mentor?

I expressed my interest in political psychology to Dr. Landy in my first semester of undergrad when I was taking Social Psychology. After being in his lab, it was very easy to tell that my research interests best aligned with his work, and I knew I wanted to take the methodology and experimentation from a psychology perspective while utilizing political science elements. I would not say that that is an easy undertaking, but he was nothing but supportive throughout the entire project. Knowing I would be able to further my research in the same lab with the same mentor played a large part in my decision to pursue the master’s program.

 

How does this work relate to your future career goals and what do you plan to do next?

My future career goals have shifted quite a bit just from being involved in research. My end goal was initially to attend law school, and to be a Civil Liberties attorney. That is still one goal, but I am hoping to pursue a joint degree, J.D./Ph.D. program following the master’s program. My goal is to do research that has a tangible impact on military training, while also gaining a formal legal education, as my research also focuses on international law. Because of this, while the goal of being a Civil Liberties attorney hasn’t gone away, I have definitely begun to consider legal positions in International Humanitarian Law, as well as government-focused military law positions. However, I am very lucky to have time on my side, as well as an infinite number of possibilities. Being in the master’s program allows me to conduct research that enables me to understand how lay people interpret the law, before going to law school and putting it to practice.

 

How has NSU helped you pursue and/or achieve personal and professional goals you have set for yourself? Any specific NSU resources used that you would like to mention?

I genuinely believe that the support system a student can find at NSU is understated. My personal and professional goals have shifted in so many ways, and more times than I can count, simply because I had professors and mentors that helped me discover interests and parts of myself that I would have never even considered. The Honors College also deserves so many thanks for supporting students in their research interests, both financially and academically.

 

What advice do you have for other students interested in getting involved in research?

Honestly, just go for it. Even if you have an idea, you think it isn’t possible, just put it out there. You will find the right people who will help you shape your interests, and you will look back in time and be so glad you pursued something that mattered to you. It could change what you thought your ten-year plan looked like, and that is completely okay. Just do it.  From my experience, there is never a downside to doing research, you will always learn something.