PSY Student Research Spotlight with Annika Jaros

April 10, 2025 - Shelly DeJong

Meet Annika Jaros, a 3rd year psychology student who plans on graduating this spring. For two years now, Annika has been an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. William Chopik’s Lab where she is now completing her senior thesis (and presenting it at UURAF in April!). She recently shared with us about her research project, the surprising findings, and who has helped her along the way. 

 

How did you decide on psychology as a major? And what is your minor(s)? 

I’ve always been really interested in psychology and why people do the things they do, so I decided right out of high school that I wanted to go that route. I liked my psychology classes and what I was learning, so I continued. I decided on Organizational Leadership as a minor as it could be applied to a variety of settings. And then this fall, I added Youth and Society as a minor since a lot of my research and interests have shifted in that direction. 

  

Tell us about your research experience in Dr. Chopik’s lab.  

I started working in Dr. Chopik’s lab in the fall of 2023 after my freshman year. I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia for the spring semester but I was able to still work on a group research project that was presented at UURAF. This fall, I returned to campus and have been working on my own senior thesis research project that I’m really passionate about.  

The title of my project is "Variation in Memories of Adverse Childhood Experiences." We conducted a study where we asked participants about their childhood memories and whether they experienced any adverse childhood experiences using a short questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about one's childhood experiences, attachment orientation, life satisfaction, depression, academic stress, and current support and strain from parental and friendships. We collected data at three different time points spaced about a month apart to analyze how current relationships with their parents and friends might influence their responses to the different questions.  

We discovered that the amount of support or strain you are currently receiving from your parents can influence how many and how severe you remember your adverse childhood experiences being. Specifically, emotional memories of childhood are more likely to change over time, while memories of sexual or physical abuse rarely change. Additionally, our findings indicate that individuals who experienced more emotional abuse tend to report higher levels of academic stress. It’s been awesome to have significant findings in my first study. It's very interesting data that we think is publishable.  

   

Are you involved with anything else on campus? 

Besides being the captain of an IM soccer league, I'm also in the Adolescent Diversion Program. I’ve really enjoyed the hands-on nature of the work, and it has made me realize that I want a career that is more community based rather than sitting in front of a computer. I’ve found that everything I’ve learned has been super helpful - and universally applicable even if you’re not going to go directly into social work. It’s been an amazing experience to get as an undergrad.  

 

Do you have any favorite classes? 

The Psychology of Women with Dr. Lucy Thompson is a favorite class of mine. Dr. Thompson is super great, very passionate about the subject, and very knowledgeable. I liked the class because of her, but the content was also super interesting. I was able to be an Undergraduate Learning Assistant for her class last semester, too. 

 

Do you want to give a shoutout to anyone that has helped you at MSU? 

Dr. Chopik is the best. He is super supportive, responsive, and passionate about his work and helping students succeed. Even when I was abroad, he still supported me through the lab. He’s been very flexible and very supportive to help me—even helping set up a psychology internship for me and helping me decide my next steps. 

  

What’s next for you after graduation? 

After graduation, I plan on traveling this summer and then returning home to work at Pine Rest in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’m excited for what’s to come.