This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Inspired by a course on adult development and aging she took at Lafayette, Lianne Hansen ’08 (Ridgewood, N.J.) wanted to explore the older adult population in more depth. She also sought an opportunity to learn more about Korean culture since her parents adopted her from Korea.
Hansen performed research at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at University of SouthFlorida through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The program is a nine-week summer experience funded by the National Science Foundation, which consists of an academic course and independent research.
She presented her project, “Attitudes toward Mental Health Services among Korean American Older Adults,” at the 21st annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) April 12-14 at DominicanUniversity of California in San Rafael. Approximately 2,200 undergraduates from more than 250 colleges and universities attended the three-day event.
“Not only was I thrilled to present this research at NCUR,” says Hansen, a psychology major. “But also, I was interested in learning about the research endeavors of my peers.”
For her research, Hansen analyzed an existing data set.
“The theoretical framework for the study was Anderson’s Behavioral Health Model expanded for racial and ethnic groups,” explains Hansen. “We entered predisposing, need, and enabling factors into a hierarchical regression model. That is, we looked at demographic characteristics, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and personal experiences and health beliefs to determine predictors of attitudes toward mental health services among Korean American older adults.”
After graduating, Hansen plans to work for several years to gain career experience and then pursue a Ph.D. in psychology.
“I am passionate about the subject, and I am definitely interested in conducting more research in the future,” she says.
Hansen believes her courses at Lafayette prepared her well to conduct extensive independent research in the REU program.
“Without a doubt, I owe a great deal of my success to the superb faculty in the psychology department at Lafayette,” she says. “My psychology classes have provided me with a strong foundation that allowed me to contribute to the research last summer.”
Hansen is a member of the psychology honor society Psi Chi and is a psychology lab assistant. She volunteers at EastonAreaMiddle School, tutoring fifth and sixth grade students, and at Third StreetAlliance, socializing with adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Last school year, she traveled to Hawaii for a special three-week, interim-abroad course on the geologic evolution of the Hawaiian Islands.