Brianna Allard Presents Research at Undergraduate Symposium

2016 May 3

Brianna Allard presented her research project "Self‐Esteem, Self‐Disclosure, and Facebook: A Replication of Forest and Wood (2012)" at Assumption College's 22nd Annual Undergraduate Symposium, held April 18-19 on the College's Worcester Campus. Allard, with her partners Erin Sullivan '17 and Alicia Bylsma '16, investigated the relationship between perceptions of Facebook and self-esteem in a replication of a 2012 study by Forest and Wood. She found that participants viewed Facebook as a safe place to disclose but did not see it as a place to connect with others or express emotions, or as being beneficial over in‐person conversations.

The undergraduate symposium highlights the research and scholarly achievements of Assumption students, working in collaboration with dedicated faculty mentors. These collaborations represent a model for integrating teaching, original research, and peer review in promoting intellectual development and professional growth. The symposium provides the campus community with the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of, and applaud, the individual and collective accomplishments of the College's faculty and students.

"The Symposium is, for me, an occasion of great pride-pride in our students, of course, but also in our faculty who generously donate their time, attention, and expertise to ensure the intellectual development of their students," said Louise Carroll Keeley, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Assumption College. "It has become one of my favorite parts of the semester."