Brady DeHart

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

Psychology

From the day Brady declared Psychology as my major, he has been immersed in research. During his second semester as a student, he became Dr. Scott Bates’ paid undergraduate research assistant. His most rewarding experiences were when Dr. Bates would say “I am interested in this subject. Find everything you can about it, summarize it, and find something we can study.” Their work together has led to several fruitful projects that have since been presented and are in the process of publication. Another incredible opportunity is his work with Dr. Amy Odum. Starting in the fall of 2010, he became her undergraduate research assistant. They specifically addressed the behavioral economics principle of delay discounting (decision making and impulsivity) and what independent variables can be. In the fall of 2011, Dr. Odum offered him a paid position as her laboratory technician for her National Institute of Health funded multi-experiment study of smoking and delay discounting (a total funding of $1.4 million). Finally, one of the most rewarding experiences of his undergraduate career was his involvement in the departmental Honors program. Through the Honors program, he completed a thesis that is currently in revisions to be submitted for publication. His study addressed intrinsic motivation and the ability for certain activities to superficially satisfy those needs; something I have termed “Psychological Junk Food.” He looks forward to continuing his research by pursuing a doctoral degree in experimental psychology and he is grateful for the incredible opportunities that Utah State University has given him!