In January, the BYU–Hawaii neuroscience lab received notice that an article written by the lab was published by Oxford University Press. The lead author, John Meyers, is the president of the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology. The co-authors are Dr. Ronald Miller, BYU–Hawaii professor, and six BYU–Hawaii students, four of whom have graduated and two whom are still here on campus.
The purpose of their study was to look at ways to help alleviate the difficulty of identifying malingerers, non-valid data, in tests. Often, individuals may, for whatever reason, exaggerate or falsify their symptoms, which is a common problem in neurological or psychology tests. The study done by the BYU–Hawaii students, along with Miller and Meyers, establishes a method to help identify these malingerers through a series of tests, which assists in determining the validity of their scores.
The research for the article took about a year and a half to complete. “It felt like an amazing accomplishment to me, especially as an international student.” said co-author Amy Lee, a Psychology major from South Korea. This was an incredible opportunity for students to work in a highly efficient, collaborative environment, one that is often found only in graduate programs.
“These results speak to the importance of student mentoring,” says Miller. “For faculty, this is simply another example of what so many faculty members do on campus to help students succeed. For students, I hope they can see what they can accomplish and that they approach their professors so they can take advantage of the opportunities available to them.” The publication of this article depicts the quality and the talent of the students who worked on it and the possibilities that students have at BYU–Hawaii to be involved in the cutting-edge research and publication process of their various fields of study.
To read the published article, visit: http://acn.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/02/04/arclin.acu001.abstract