BIO

Francisca Lee is currently a second-year student at Florida State University, double majoring in Psychology and Criminology. She is from Weston, Florida, and is interested in clinical and abnormal psychology. Through the UROP program and continuing as a DIS student for the upcoming fall semester, Francisca is serving as a lead research assistant for Dr. Brad Schmidt's Laboratory Study of Anxiety and Threat. After graduation, Francisca plans to go to graduate school to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Laboratory Study of Anxiety and Threat

Abstract

Our Laboratory Study of Anxiety and Threat aims to analyze the cognitive-affective, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence one’s decision to reach for, aim, and fire a realistic but artificial firearm. To measure this, participants will be facing potentially threatening situations in an experimental shooting simulator. We will investigate how three experimental manipulations influence the participant’s decision to use the firearm: racial priming, interpretation bias modification, and induction of anxious anticipation. We hope that findings from this study will inform future research on threat sensitivity and policy changes regarding to gun violence.

Keywords: anxiety, threat, psychology