Research Assistant: 
CLASP Lab

What is CLASP?

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CLASP stands for Cognition, Language, and Affect in Serious Psychopathology. The CLASP Laboratory at Indiana University - Indianapolis is directed by Dr. Kyle Minor. Across different stages of the psychosis spectrum, our lab aims to...

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1) Create assessment tools/instruments to identify mechanisms of psychosis, both in the lab and in daily life.

2) Link potential clinical risk markers to functional outcomes

3) Establish innovative interventions for people on the Psychosis-Spectrum

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We are currently working with a variety of data that will be used in several future articles. In addition, we are amidst data collection for a new study utilizing virtual reality (VR).

• Click here to read more about the CLASP lab

• Click here to learn more about Dr. Minor

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Responsibilities

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I began volunteering as a research assistant in the CLASP lab in Spring 2023. The lab holds biweekly lab meetings in which others research assistants and I can share any questions, comments, or concerns. In these meetings, Dr. Minor also shares updates about ongoing research and provides training when we start new projects. When I started in the lab, I primarily transcribed audio recordings and checked them. Since then, I have been rating participants' speech for communication disturbances. Recently, I also started conducting participant interviews for a new study. See below for a further description of these responsibilities.

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EAR Transcriptions

• Spring 2023 to Fall 2024

• EAR = electronically activated recorder

  • an application-based program that is combined with widely used smartphone technology to capture a
    person’s real-world interactions via audio recordings

• Participants would be recorded 25 times throughout a 2-day period; each recording is 5 minutes long 

• Transcriptions were very time consuming as no automation could be used because of the recordings' nature

• Carefully transcribed and/or checked all 25 recordings and/or transcriptions weekly 

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CDI Ratings

• Fall 2024 to present

• CDI = Communication Disturbances Index 

• Use transcriptions of interviews in which participants spoke for two minutes based on 1 of 3 prompts (affective, neutral, and cognitive conditions)

• Rate several transcriptions a week based on the CDI manual

• Attend weekly virtual meetings with two other undergraduate RAs and one graduate student to discuss our ratings and ensure interrater reliability 

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Participant Interviews

• Spring 2024 to present

• Obtain informed consent 

• Administer the Test of Premorbid Functioning (TOPF) and the Block Design test

• Help participants set up virtual reality (VR) headset and record audio while they speak about what they see

• Enter and upload data 

• 1-2 interviews a week

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Reflection

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I am so grateful to be a part of the CLASP lab. Although transcriptions were a bit grueling at times, I was happy to help make it possible to study real world interactions, which can differ greatly from what is seen in the lab. I have enjoyed learning about the CDI; I did not know there were various measures to quantify speech disturbances. I would be very interested in learning more about the development of psychological measures and perhaps being part of research that validates measures. I am very excited that I recently began getting face-to-face interactions with participants and have enjoyed learning how to administer tests. I still want to explore other aspects of clinical psychology but have definitely enjoyed my research in psychosis and would consider pursuing it. 

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