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Students, Faculty Present at Midwestern Psychology Conference

Several ²ÝÁñÉçÇø students and faculty presented insights to nearly 4,000 people at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference in Chicago. 

Psychology Assistant Professors Drs. Spencer Campbell and Philip Blankenship mentored several psychology student presentations.  

They shared a diverse range of research including the connections between aromatherapy and mental health, the effects of body comparison on self-esteem, and how emojis influence tone of text messages and face-to-face communication. 

The list of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø presentations included 

• “What’s That Smell? Investigating How Aromatherapy Practices Affect Individuals’ Mental Health” by Jimmy Rozhon and Blankenship 

• “Gym-rat Or Average Joe? Exploring The Effects of Viewer/Influencer Body Type Comparison on Self-esteem, Self-efficacy, and Mental Health” by Rozhon, Ayling Rodriguez, Rebekkah Schimick and Blankenship  

• “Serious or Sarcasm? Examining The Influence of Emojis on Perceived Message Tone in Text Messaging and Face-to-face Communication” by Emilia Nykaza and Blankenship 

• “Harmonic Empathy: Cognitive Influence of Auditory Stimuli on Personal Emotional Insight Through Limbic Visualization” by Cristian Davila and Campbell 

• “The Effect of Mindfulness Stress Reduction Interventions on the Mental Health of Injured College Athletes” by Hannah Alvey and Campbell 

• “Affective Science: Impact of Emotion on Cognitive Processing” by Mary Taylor Wagner, Blankenship and Campbell 

The MPA’s annual meetings invite psychologists and students to present their research on a wide range of topics in current psychological science. 

²ÝÁñÉçÇø is an innovative Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,500 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, and globally-connected graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit for further information.