Information for Students Interested in Joining the Lab

Lab personnel in 2023
If you are interested in joining the Anger and Personality Lab, you are in the right place. The lab includes:
  • Doctoral students who have been admitted to the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program to work with Dr. Dahlen
  • Master’s students who have been admitted to the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program and are interested in joining the lab (limited availability)
  • Undergraduate psychology majors enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi who are seeking research experience (limited availability)
We do not offer postdoc positions, graduate assistantships to students outside the Counseling Psychology graduate programs, or paid positions.

Consistent with the "Counseling Psychology Model Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity" (CCPTP, Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies, & Society of Counseling Psychology, 2009), diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect are among the core values shared by students and faculty in the Counseling Psychology graduate programs at the University of Southern Mississippi. We are committed to promoting these values within counseling and counseling psychology. We encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented groups. To learn more, visit our Support and Inclusion page.

Pictured here from left to right starting with the back row are Makaila Belk, Maggie Kelly, Kalisha Barber, Dr. Dahlen, Summer Boggs, Jacq Strowd, and Summer Steely. Not pictured is April Yang.

Prospective Graduate Students


The lab does not admit graduate students directly, and Dr. Dahlen does not review materials received outside of the application portal. Prospective graduate students interested in the lab should apply to the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program and/or the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at the University of Southern Mississippi. Information about these programs and how to apply can be found on their respective web pages (see links below). For answers to common questions about the lab, see our frequently asked questions page.

Both doctoral and master's students in the Counseling Psychology graduate programs work in the lab, but there are some important differences in how they get here.

Doctoral Students


Doctoral applicants who receive an offer of admission to the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program are accepted into to a faculty lab as part of the admission process. That is, the offer of admission they receive specifies which faculty member they are being invited to work with during their time in the program. Doctoral applicants who applied to work with Dr. Dahlen will know whether they will be joining this lab before they accept an offer of admission.

To learn more about the process of applying to the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program, see the program website. Scroll down to the "Application Deadlines & Instructions" and "Application Review" sections. December 1 is the application deadline.

Master's Students


Master's students interested in joining a faculty lab may have the opportunity to do so after they have been admitted to the Counseling Psychology Master's Program. We have a limited number of openings available for master’s students in this lab (typically 1-2 each year). Priority is given to students seeking to gain research experience to strengthen their applications for doctoral programs. Master’s students interested in joining the lab are encouraged to complete the MS Lab Application.
We have filled all positions for master's students for the Fall 2024 term. If additional positions come open, we will update this information to reflect that.

Undergraduate Students


Dr. Dahlen is a Faculty Affiliate of the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research at the University of Southern Mississippi. Faculty who have chosen to affiliate with the Center are interested in mentoring undergraduate students in research.

Undergraduate psychology majors enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi can apply to work in the lab, and some elect to receive course credit through PSY 491. Availability is limited, and priority is given to psychology majors who are seeking research experience to enhance their applications to graduate programs in applied psychology or closely related fields.
We have filled all positions for undergraduates for the Fall 2024 semester. If additional positions become available, we will update this information.
We have filled all positions for undergraduates for the Fall 2024 term. We expect to have 1 new position for the Spring 2024 term and will begin reviewing applications around November 1. You will find a link to the application under "How do I apply?" below.
We are hoping to accept 1 undergraduate student to begin in the Fall 2024 term and plan to begin reviewing applications around April 1. You will find a link to the application under “How do I apply?” below.

Learn More


Click on each question below to see the answer.
Who should consider applying?
We invite applications from psychology majors at the University of Southern Mississippi who are interested in gaining research experience to support applications to graduate programs in applied psychology or closely related fields.
What qualifications are we looking for?
We seek students who:
  • Are conscientious, reliable, motivated, reliable, detail oriented, and committed to being part of a research lab
  • Are majoring in psychology
  • Have been performing well in their courses (cumulative GPA > 3.0)
  • Have at least 1 year left before graduation
  • Are available to attend scheduled lab meetings
We do not accept students who are already working in another lab.
When can undergraduate students join the lab?
We encourage students to apply before their senior year and expect a two-semester commitment. We begin reviewing applications around July 1 for students interested in starting in the Fall and around November 10 for students interested in starting in the Spring. Students who apply after these dates may still be considered, but lab meetings will have likely been scheduled.
What do undergraduate students do in the lab?
Students working in the lab perform a variety of tasks, depending on the project(s) they are involved in and what is needed at the time. Besides attending lab meetings and completing research trainings required by the University, some of the more common tasks involve:
  • Library research (e.g., using online databases to locate and obtain relevant journal articles)
  • Testing online research surveys and providing feedback to improve them
  • Assisting graduate students with writing research papers and formatting posters
How do I apply?
Complete the Undergraduate Lab Application (you will need to be signed in to your USM account to access the application).
Do you have tips for Honors College students looking for a Thesis Advisor?
My primary considerations in deciding whether to serve as a student's Thesis Advisor are (1) whether the lab has the time and resources necessary to devote to the project, and (2) the fit between what the student wants to do and what we do in the lab. Our recent honors theses have utilized archival data (i.e., data we have already collected). This guarantees that the project will be relevant to our work and makes it more likely that the student will finish their thesis on time.

Here are some tips I'd offer to students from the Honors College seeking a Thesis Advisor:
  • Familiarize yourself with the kind of research the lab does
  • Instead of trying to find a chair for a specific project you have in mind, explain that you'd like to complete a thesis in an area the lab is working on and let the lab help shape your project
  • Consider the advantages of using archival data for your thesis
Anger and Personality Lab
The lab is directed by Dr. Eric R. Dahlen, and the content of this website represents his views (see disclaimer). Graduate students in Counseling Psychology and undergraduate Psychology majors at the University of Southern Mississippi study overt and relational aggression/victimization, dysfunctional anger, college student mental health, and related areas.