Through UAI’s Directed Research Workshop, undergraduate Psychology students joined ESDLab projects and gained practical experience in neuroscience research, project development, and laboratory management.
During the Directed Research Workshop (Taller de Investigación Dirigida) offered by the School of Psychology at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, undergraduate students had the opportunity to become actively involved in ongoing research projects at the Emotion and Social Decisions Lab (ESDLab).
Rather than simply observing research, students participated in different stages of the scientific process, gaining firsthand experience of how research questions are translated into experimental studies and, ultimately, scientific evidence. The workshop is designed to introduce undergraduate students to research teams and expose them to the methodological decisions, collaborative work, and critical thinking involved in conducting psychological research.
Learning research from within the lab
At ESDLab, Faustina Pinto and Felipe Méndez joined a project led by Principal Investigator Felipe Rojas-Thomas examining the effects of stress on empathic responses through behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures.
Meanwhile, Sofía Silva and Julio Núñez participated in a project led by Principal Investigator Luis-Sebastián Contreras-Huerta investigating the relationship between empathic motivation and prosocial behavior, also combining behavioral and EEG measures.
Throughout their experience, the students became involved in several aspects of research practice. In addition to contributing to ongoing projects, they received training in data collection, participant recruitment, research protocol development, EEG procedures, and project coordination.
Their experience also extended beyond data collection. The students contributed to the day-to-day management and development of ESDLab, taking on responsibilities related to science communication, content development, and the management of the laboratory’s social media channels.
This broader involvement gave them the opportunity to understand that running a research laboratory involves not only designing studies and analyzing data, but also coordinating people and projects, communicating scientific work, and building connections between research and the wider community.
Training the next generation of researchers
Early participation in research provides students with an opportunity to develop skills that extend beyond academic research, including critical thinking, scientific communication, teamwork, methodological rigor, and project management. The Directed Research Workshop seeks precisely to connect undergraduate training with the research being conducted at the UAI School of Psychology.
At ESDLab, we are proud to contribute to this process by providing undergraduate students with opportunities to learn how research works from within the laboratory—participating in its scientific projects while also becoming active members of its research community.
We thank Faustina, Felipe, Sofía, and Julio for their commitment and contributions to ESDLab throughout the workshop and look forward to seeing how these early research experiences contribute to their future paths in Psychology and science.
Learn more
The original materials are available in Spanish:
