Psychology alumna Shannon Derr ’16 published her senior thesis research, on personality plasticity and peer victimization, in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Advised and co-authored by Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Michael Morrow, Derr’s research examines whether an activity aimed to influence students’ attitudes toward the plasticity of personality would encourage them to defend targets of peer victimization. Derr concluded that students who learned about personality plasticity were more likely to intervene in peer victimization situations and do so effectively.