Clair Cook is a senior from Greenville, South Carolina. She is currently the President of the Psychology club and a member of Sigma Kappa. She is also currently in the midst of intense an psychology research project where she is studying psychopathy in rodents.
Taite: What exactly is a “psychopath”?
Clair: Psychopaths have no emotions. If a psychopath got a D on an exam they wouldn’t feel anything.
Taite: What exactly are you doing in your study?
Clair: I am studying psychopathy in rodents. Instead of studying genetic effects we are looking on how environmental factors can affect their emotions. Those environments include separating the rodent from its mother as a baby and putting them in separate cages. Since rats are social creatures this can cause them stress. They are also exposed to the scent of a predator like a fox. We are testing their ability to empathize with other rats and their aggression. My portion specifically is spatial reversal learning. An example of this for college students would be getting upset over a D. A psychopath would feel no emotion. I’m looking at if a rat messes up, will if feel any emotion?
Taite: What are your plans for this research?
Clair: We are presenting are researching in April. We’re also going to try to get published in the Journal of Psychopathy.
Taite: Why did you get into psychology?
Clair: I originally came in wanting to be a pharmacist or cardiologist. I wanted to do something in the medical field. I wanted to help the most vulnerable individuals. I think the people who are the most vulnerable can’t control their emotions. There is also a lot of stigma behind mental disorders. If someone breaks their leg there are post on Facebook, flowers and cards. If someone has a mental disorder people don’t really talk about it. I love psychology, especially with the prison population because there’s not that much empathy for them. I decided to do forensic psychology to help those we typically see as monsters.
A determining factor for my psychology major actually happened in Caviar and Bananas. I was sitting there, super sick, and this man walked up to me and asked if I was a student at the College of Charleston. I told him I was and that my major was psychology. After I told him I wanted to be a doctor, he said, “Good, my daughter has schizophrenia and we need people like you to help her.” After that I just told myself, “I’m doing this!”
Taite: How do you balance research and a stressful school life?
Clair: Its all about time management. There has to be a balance for research, school and social life. It’s hard because I like to put school first but you have to go out and do other things.
All photos courtesy of Clair Cook.