Psychology Club. The McMurry Psychology Club "TRI-PSY" is designed to promote interest in psychology, to provide psychological activities beyond the usual classroom situation, to enhance contacts between students and local psychologists, and to encourage fellowship among psychology students. It is open to all students with an interest in the science of psychology.

Psi Chi. The McMurry University chapter of Psi Chi was chartered in April 1999. Psi Chi is the national honor society in psychology, founded in 1929, for the purpose of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology. Membership is open to all graduate and undergraduate men and women who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests and who meet the minimum qualifications: having completed nine hours of psychology course work, having completed at least three semesters of college-level education, being registered as a psychology major or minor, having a minimum psychology GPA of 3.00, and falling within the upper 35% of their class in general scholarship.

Departmental Awards. Each spring, awards are presented to outstanding students at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels. The outstanding sophomore is awarded the Evelyn Hennig Memorial Scholarship, to be used during the student's junior year. The outstanding junior is awarded the O.P. Clark Scholarship, to be used during the student's senior year. Outstanding seniors are also eligible to compete for the Abilene Regional Center Mental Health-Mental Retardation Award for Excellence in the Behavioral or Social Sciences. In addition, the Robert Dean Bouldin Endowed Scholarship is awarded each year to an exceptional entering freshman or second year transfer student majoring in Psychology or Sociology, and demonstrating financial need.

Computerized Psychology Labs. Principles of Learning, Social Psychology, and Experimental Psychology all have computerized labs associated with them in which students gain practical research experience in those topic areas.

Senior Seminar in Psychology. This is a course is designed to stimulate critical thinking and initiate debate on a number of diverse controversial issues in psychology. The emphasis is on explaining different theoretical approaches to psychological issues and how they can be integrated into a conceptual whole. It is team-taught by two full-time faculty members and is intended as a capstone course for the psychology major at McMurry University.

Research Opportunities. Faculty are occasionally involved with actual research in their specialty areas. Interested students may work with faculty on these research projects or plan and implement research of their own under the supervision of a faculty member.

Internship in Psychology. Senior-level Psychology majors are encouraged to consider participation in the internship program. It is intended as an upper level elective for psychology majors and is a pre-approved and supervised work experience designed to supplement academic training. Students will work 150 hours at a local agency and attend weekly supervisory meetings. Interested students should discuss this course with the psychology chairperson by October 1 for spring semester placement and by March 1 for summer or fall semester placement. In the program, students receive meaningful practical experience by working in a mental health setting to see how the theoretical concepts of Psychology are put in practice. Specific requirements unique to the Department of Psychology are listed under PSYC 4388. For further information, contact Dr. Roger Russell (793-3857 or russellr@mcmurryadm.mcm.edu).

Departmental Honors. Students may pursue departmental honors in Psychology. The general requirements for entering the Honors Program are listed in the catalog in the Honors section. Specific requirements in the Department of Psychology include the following.

Students who wish to be admitted to candidacy for honors in Psychology must meet the following minimal requirements:

1. Completion of at least 60 hours of college credit with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.25;

2. Completion of at least 15 hours in psychology courses (including PSYC 1340, 3301, 3101, 3340, and 3140) with a minimum GPA in the psychology courses of 3.25 and no grade below "B";

3. Completion of a departmental application and interview with members of the Psychology Department. The application must receive the approval of all the psychology faculty. (Transfer students must submit a sample of their writing.)

1. They must have completed a total of seven hours of honors credit in psychology with no grade below "B".

2. The hour distribution must include four hours of Honors Tutorial (PSYC 4X96*) which will focus on some specific concentration in psychology.

3. The hour distribution must also include three hours of either Honors Thesis (PSYC 4397*) or Honors Research (PSYC 4398*).

4. They must have completed 30 hours in psychology (including PSYC 1340, 3301, 3101, 3340, 3140, 4310, and 4110) with a minimum GPA in those courses of 3.25 and no grade below "B". At least half these hours must be taken at McMurry University.

5. They must have completed a statistics course (MATH 3351) or its equivalent with a minimum grade of "C".

6. They must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.25.

7. The student must also participate in available professional activities such as attending a regional psychology convention, a local seminar or workshop, or at least six meetings of the Abilene Psychological Association.

Psychology Department Honors Program

Five McMurry Psychology Majors have been accepted into the departmental honors program since it started in the fall of 1996.

One person was Emily B. Harris. She completed her thesis and graduated with honors in May 1999. Her topic was "The 'pursuit of perfection': Factors involved in the perception of body image." She was accepted in two graduate programs (University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and University of Houston).

A second person was Bob W. Davis. He completed his thesis and graduated with honors in May 2000.  His topic was "The 'A-Ha!' experience: Phenomemological information on the resolved tip-of-the-tongue state." He was accepted in the graduate program at Lamar University.

The third person was Lydia M. Dickson. She performed research and presented her findings in a poster paper at a meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association in Fort Worth, Texas, in April 1997. Her topic was "Links between self-esteem, conformity, and locus of control in college students." She was accepted in four graduate programs (Texas Tech University, University of Oklahoma, University of North Texas, and St. Mary's University) and was on the waiting list for another.

A fourth person was Theresa R. Wilson. She performed research and presented her findings in papers at meetings of the Great Plains Honors Council in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Abilene Psychological Association in Abilene, Texas, in April 2003. Her topic was "Listening to lingo: Perceived personality characteristics of accented speakers." She was accepted into the graduate program at Hardin-Simmons University.

The fifth person was Dalila B. Lara. She completed her research and graduated in May 2004. Her topic was "Effects of persuasive narratives on peer pressure influence: Changing attitudes for better or for worse." She displayed her findings as a poster presentation at a local Psi Chi convention at Hardin-Simmons University in March 2004 and gave a talk on them in the Psi Chi paper competition at the Southwestern Psychological Association meeting in San Antonio, TX, in April 2004. She was accepted into four graduate programs (Trinity University, Texas Tech University, Abilene Christian University, Our Lady of the Lake University).