Student Research Involvement

Undergraduate students are involved in every step of the research process, including conceptualization, design, data collection, data processing/coding, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. Students often assist with ongoing lab projects but are also encouraged to propose independent projects utilizing existing data or novel data collection.

Although optional, students are encouraged to develop their own project and are invited to assist with investigator-led projects, often resulting in first-authored or co-authored national confererence presentations and publications. Indeed, every study that our lab has published has included students! See list of publications for student co-authored projects and see below for those that were student led (first authored).

What Students Can Learn

*Opportunities vary dependent upon the stage of ongoing research and/or student interests.

Understanding Research & Developing Research Ideas & Materials

Gain experience reviewing research on relevant subjects, integrating the information, and generating ideas that build upon theory and previous findings. Lead or assist with the development of new scientific tools for studying relevant constructs in our population of interest.

Data Collection & Assessment

Assist with and/or lead research visits with neurodivergent youths and/or their families. Learn and implement study protocols, including parent-child interactive tasks and emotion-eliciting protocols. Gain experience with psychophysiological measurement and potentially receive training in complex developmental/clinical assessments .

Data Processing & Observational Coding

Assist with data entry and processing, including application of complex observational coding systems such as those measuring emotion regulation and parent-child interaction.

Data Analysis & Scholarship

Assist with or lead data analysis to test hypotheses. Learn new analytic techniques. Develop writing skills to author or contribute to national conference presentations or scholarly publications.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Priority is given to current Occidental College students who enroll in PSYC 295 (Directed Research). Alternative situations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Individuals with lived experience as neurodivergent and/or family members are strongly encouraged to apply.

  • Enrollment in PSYC 295 requires a minimum of 5 hours/week. Students may wish to dedicate more time in order to gain additional experience or to expedite their training.

  • It is generally recommended that students commit to at least two semesters in order to maximize their experience. Additional involvement tends to increase the chance of being involved in presentations and publications.

Student-Led Projects (See list of all publications for student co-authored work):

Student-Led Publications (*student):

Schiltz, H. K.,* Fenning, R. M., Erath, S. A. & Baker, J. K. (2022). Parasympathetic functioning and sleep problems in children with ASD. Autism Research, 15(11), 2138-2148. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2816

Schiltz, H. K.,* Fenning, R. M., Erath, S. A. & Baker, J. K. (2022). Electrodermal activity moderates sleep- behavior associations in children with autism spectrum disorder. Research on Child & Adolescent Psychopathology, 50, 823-835.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-022-00900-w

Alostaz, J.*, Baker, J.K., Fenning, R.M., Neece, C.L., & Zeedyk, S.M. (2022). Parental coping as a buffer between child factors and emotion-related parenting in families of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(1), 153-158. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000757

Moffitt, J.M.*, Baker, J.K., Fenning, R.M., Erath, S.A., Messinger, D.S., Zeedyk, S.M., Paez, S.A.,* & Seel, S.* (2021). Parent emotion socialization and psychophysiological arousal patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder. Research on Child & Adolescent Psychopathology: Special Issue on Transdiagnostic Implications of Parent Socialization of Child and Adolescent Emotional Development, 49, 401-412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00745-1

Student-Led Conference Presentations (*student):

(See Dr. Baker’s CV for a list of conference presentations upon which students were co-authors)

Ha, L.* (J. Baker, Mentor; 2025, April). The relationship between interventions and anxious and depressive behaviors in children with autism. Poster presented at the CSUF Health & Human Development Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Lim, A.,* Neighbors, R.,* Thompson, A.,* Emery, K.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2024, August). An emic analysis of the Five-Minute Speech Sample in families of children with ASD. Poster presented at the 2024 Annual Convention for the American Psychological Association (APA). Seattle, WA.

O’Crowley, E.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2024, August). A psychometric evaluation of the Parental Emotion Coaching System for families of children with ASD. Poster presented at the 2024 Annual Convention for the American Psychological Association (APA). Seattle, WA.

Preston, A.*, Baker, J.K., Fenning, R.M., McGregor, H., Sanner, C., Chan, N., & Neece, C. (2021, May). Parental distress and parenting quality in families of children with ASD: Evidence for potential compartmentalization. Poster presented at the 2021 Meeting for the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR).

Moffit, J.M.,* Seel, S.,* Paez, S.A.,* Zeedyk, S.M., Erath, S.A., Messinger, D.S., Fenning, R.M., & Baker, J.K. 2020, August). Emotion socialization and psychophysiological arousal patterns in children with ASD. In J. Baker (Chair), Parenting individuals with ASD: Developmental, measurement, and clinical investigations. Symposium presented at the 2020 Convention of the American Psychological Association, virtual format.

Alostaz, J.,* Zeedyk, S., Fenning, R., & Baker, J.K. (2020, August). Positive coping buffers the association between child externalizing problems and poorer parenting in families of children with ASD. Poster presented at the 2020 Convention of the American Psychological Association, virtual format.

Moffitt, J.*, Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2017, August). A cross-sectional investigation of emergent emotion regulation in children with autism spectrum disorder.  Poster presented at the 2017 Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA). Washington D.C.

Orr, M.*, Bailey, A.,* Moffitt, J.,* Zeedyk, S., Fenning, R., & Baker, J.K. (2017, May). The role of parent satisfaction with parenting efficacy in links between depressive symptoms and observed parenting in families of children with ASD. Poster presented at the 2017 International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), San Francisco, CA.

Bailey, A.N.,* Baker, J.K., Moffitt, J.,* Fenning, R.M., & Orr, M. (2017, August). Child correlates of parental functioning in families of children with autism spectrum disorder.  Poster presented at the 2017 Convention  of the American Psychological Association (APA). Washington D.C.

Lee, S.M,* Garcia, A.,* Baker, J.K, & Fenning, R.M. (2016, November). Correlation analysis of electrodermal activity of children with ASD across time. Talk presented at the 2016 Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research (SCCUR). Riverside, CA.

Bailey, A.,* Moffitt, J.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2016, April). Exposure to interparental conflict and behavior problems in children with ASD. Poster presented at the 2016 meeting for the Western Psychological Association (WPA).  Long Beach, CA.

Moffitt, J.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M.(2016, April). Emotion regulation and child factors in ASD: Considering contextual variation. Poster presented at the 2016 meeting of the Western Psychological Association WPA). Long Beach, CA.

Bailey, A.,* Moffitt, J.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2015, November). Exposure to interparental conflict and behavior problems in children with ASD. Talk presented at the 2015 Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research (SCCUR). Claremont, CA.

Moffitt, J.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2015, April). Emotion regulation and child factors in ASD: Considering contextual variation. Posterpresented at the 9th Annual California State University, Fullerton Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Fullerton, CA.

Frierson, J.D.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2015, April). Social experiences of children with ASD. Poster presented at the 9th Annual California State University, Fullerton Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Fullerton, CA.

Benedicto, S.,* Fenning, R.M., & Baker, J.K.  (2015, August). Observational measure of restricted and repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Poster presented at the 2015 Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA).  Toronto, CAN.

Moffitt, J.,* Rodriguez, A.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2015, August). Emotion regulation in children with autism and children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Poster presented at the 2015 Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA).  Toronto, CAN.

Moffitt, J.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2014, November). Electrodermal activity, emotion regulation and social context in children with ASD. Talk presented at the 2014 Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research (SCCUR). Fullerton, CA.

Howland, M.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2014, August). Child correlates of parentification in families of mothers with depression. Poster presented at the 2014 Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA). Washington, D.C.

Moffitt, J.,* Rodriguez, A.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2014, April). Electrodermal activity and emotion regulation in children with autism spectrum disorders. Posterpresented at the 8th Annual California State University, Fullerton Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Fullerton, CA.

Murakami, C.,* Rodriguez, A.,* Moffitt, J.,* Fenning, R., & Baker, J.K. (2013, November). Correlates of delay of gratification in children with FASD. Talk presented at the 2014 Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research (SCCUR) Conference. Whittier, CA.

Howland, M.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2013, August). Parenting alliance and expressed emotion towards children with FASD. Poster presented at the 2013 Convention of the American Psychological Association, Honolulu, HI.

Rodriguez, A.,* Conforti, H.,* Murakami, C.,* Meussner, H.*, Fenning, R.M., & Baker, J.K. (2013, April). Predictors of delay of gratification in children with FASD. Poster presented at the 2013 Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), Reno, NV.

Howland, M.,* Baker, J.K., & Fenning, R.M. (2013, April). Expressed emotion in mothers of children with FASD. Poster presented at the 2013 Convention of the Western Psychological Association (WPA), Reno, NV.

Meussner, H.,* Schaffer, E.,* Baker, J.K, & Fenning, R.M. (2012, May). Behavior problems and maternal hassles in families of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Talk presented at the UCLA Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference. Los Angeles, CA.