PSY Student Research Spotlight with Liam Peck

November 17, 2025 - Shelly DeJong

Liam Peck, a sophomore majoring in psychology with a minor in Leadership of Organizations, recently received a Provost’s Undergraduate Research Initiative (PURI) Award to help fund his research on gaslighting in the workplace with Dr. Quinetta Roberson.

Continue reading to learn about their research on gaslighting, what has surprised Liam most about research, and his favorite MSU memory so far.

 

What drew you to psychology?  

I took AP psychology in high school, and it was the first subject I was truly interested in and found myself trying to learn more about outside of school. I love how dynamic psychology is and how many different things you can do with it. I find human behavior and motivations fascinating. 

 

Tell us about your research.

Because of the PURI Award, I will be learning about and researching gaslighting in the workplace, and how it affects performance and other organizational behaviors. 

This research topic is important to me because I am contributing to something larger than myself. We are addressing how people experience and make sense of their professional environments, spaces where many spend the majority of their lives. Hopefully this research will contribute and result in healthier and more equitable organizations and workplaces 

I would like to give a shoutout to Dr. Roberson who has been an amazing mentor throughout our research process, and guidance in the field of organizational psychology in general. 

 

What has surprised you about doing psychology research? 

What has surprised me most about doing psychology research is the level of complexity that lies behind simple human behaviors, and the amount of critical thinking, patience, and nuance that comes into play when evaluating these behaviors in the lab. 

 

How else are you involved at MSU? 

I am also involved in the Psychology Club, Human Resource Association, and a Pre-Health fraternity (Phi-Epsilon Kappa). 

 

Favorite MSU memory? 

My favorite MSU memory is going to my first Michigan state football game last fall and experiencing the student section.