The Eli E. Kapostins Psychology Laboratory

The psychology laboratory in Parker Hall is available for advanced student research projects. It contains several rooms for individual and group testing. It is named for Dr. Eli E. Kapostins who was a faculty member at Wagner College from 1956 to 1987.

There is equipment available for student research projects.
Computer Resources:

  • A networked computer is available for online research, data analysis (SPSS), computerized testing, word processing, etc.

Video:

  • digital camera, video projection, DVD, VCR, and television are available.

Assessment:

  1. various paper and pencil aptitude tests, personality assessment (ask Dr. Wagner) and sleep hygiene (ask Dr. Jenkins), and prejudice (ask Dr. Eshleman), and eating behavior (ask Dr. Nolan) among others.
  2. pegboard tests:
  • Minnesota Rate of Manipulation Test
    Includes measures for manual dexterity: placing, turning, displacing, one-hand turning and placing, and two-hand turning and placing. The displacing and turning tests are especially effective for assessing persons with visual impairments. Can be used to test the effect of just about any independent variable on accuracy and speed.
  • Minnesota Spatial Relations Test
    Consists of transferring blocks from one board to another and fitting the blocks into similarly shaped cut-outs. Contains two boards allowing a variety of uses. Can be used to test the effect of just about any independent variable on accuracy and speed.
  • Purdue Pegboard Test of Manual Dexterity
    First developed by Joseph Tiffin, Ph.D., industrial psychologist, at Purdue University in 1948. Since that time, the board has been used extensively to aid in the selection of employees for various types of manual labor by measuring dexterity for two types of activity: gross movements of hands, fingers, and arms and fingertip dexterity as necessary in assembly tasks. Can be used to test the effect of just about any independent variable on accuracy and speed.

Perception Equipment:

  • Howard-Dolman Apparatus: Depth Perception
    Depth perception is assessed by use of Howard-Dolman apparatus which allows subjects to manipulate the position of rods in a box which restricts monocular cues so that use of binocular cues can be manipulated.
  • Illusory Movement
    Illusions of movement can be created by controlling the flicker rate and interstimulus distance of stationary light stimuli.
  • Optical Illusions
    Board that allows subjects to manipulate Müller-Lyer and T illusions so that accuracy measures can be taken objectively.

Psychophysiology:

The department owns a polygraph that can be used to measure GSR, HR, EEG, etc.
Other:

  • Stopwatches
  • Sound meter
  • Reaction time console and software
  • Motorized wheel for inducing movement detector fatigue
  • Tuning forks
  • scales and rulers

Each psychology professor has a key to the laboratory. Ask Dr. Nolan for help with behavioral apparatus. Dr. Wagner has a number of standardized psychological assessment tools available.

Updated January, 2013