University of Arkansas at Little Rock

The UALR Psychology Department offers students the opportunity to go beyond classroom learning and actually engage in activities similar to those of professionals in the field.

The Biobehavioral Laboratory houses state-of-the-art equipment for faculty-student collaborations and classroom demonstrations. Using a special machine and sensors, you can learn to control normally involuntary processes such as heart rate and blood pressure that increase under stress. The machine “feeds back” the efforts and eventually you can recognize and control facets of the stress response by yourself. Once viewed with skepticism, the control of “involuntary” responses is now seen to be effective in the treatment of migraine headaches, asthma, and other disorders in certain individuals.

The Biobehavioral Laboratory is sometimes referred to as the Sleep Laboratory as it houses an incredible new Cadwell Dual-purpose Polysomnograph with Synchronous Digital Video and EEG for night and day use. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to investigate questions such as: (a) How much sleep do we need, and what is the minimum amount? (non-clinical basic research), (b) How can we combat driver sleepiness? (applied research) and (c) What are the therapeutic effects of sleep restriction in severe depression (clinical basic research).

The Psychology Department also offers students the opportunity to participate in relevant internships at the junior and senior level. Potential placements include, but are not limited to the Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health Services Arkansas State Hospital, Arkansas Department of Correction, Rape Crisis, Inc., and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Pediatrics Partners for Inclusive Communities. See our internship section.