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A faculty member from Florida State University has received an early career accolade from a global psychological organization for his research on how individuals recognize or manage threats.
David March, an assistant professor within the Department of Psychology, was honored with a Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) this spring, sharing the accolade with 56 other psychologists globally for their groundbreaking research, which has already facilitated progress in psychology.
“Being acknowledged internationally by APS is particularly gratifying because it suggests my research has wide-ranging appeal,” March stated. “This recognition strengthens my conviction that my research can have a significant impact both within and beyond social psychology.”
APS is an international non-profit entity that strives to promote and enhance the interests of scientific inquiry in psychology, to disseminate psychological knowledge to the public, and to advocate for the implementation of psychological findings in public policy.
“My research emphasizes the unique ways threats affect how individuals perceive, store, and express information,” March remarked. “My research and the work of the March Research Laboratory delve into how an individual’s expression of information appears in diverse intriguing phenomena, such as biases and fears.”
“Much of my success is credited to the environment that has been cultivated here at FSU and within its psychology department.”
– David March, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology
Numerous aspects of March’s research stem from a project he initiated during his graduate studies, investigating how processes that often function beneath our awareness shape attitudes that govern behavior. While completing his doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee in 2019, March formulated a theoretical model that contested the prevailing dual-process frameworks of evaluation, which were centered on valence, or the spectrum of positive or negative values tied to a stimulus. The novel dual-implicit processing model he devised aimed to reveal a distinction between the impacts of negativity and threat in particular contexts rather than merely emphasizing perceived positivity or negativity.
“As a graduate student, I observed several different negativity-related phenomena that I believed could be more accurately described by threat rather than negative valence,” March reflected. “I aimed to clarify the effect of threats by distinguishing that while threats are invariably negative, not every negative aspect is threatening.”
Since its inception in 1988, the APS has annually awarded the Rising Star Award to exceptional members who are in the early phases of their research careers. Significant publications, major breakthroughs, and far-reaching impacts are among the criteria evaluated by APS in selecting rising stars.
“Much of my success is attributed to the environment fostered here at FSU and within FSU’s psychology department,” stated March, who became a member of FSU’s faculty in 2019. “The faculty is exceptional and has provided tremendous support for my research, fostering productivity. FSU is a splendid place to work as a faculty member.”
Brad Schmidt, chair of the Department of Psychology and a distinguished research professor of psychology, has witnessed March’s contributions to the evolution of psychological theory regarding social cognition firsthand.
“David is an extraordinary young scholar engaged in significant work in social psychology,” Schmidt noted. “The Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science is one of the most prestigious international accolades in psychology, making this a remarkable honor and acknowledgment of David’s influence in the field.”
To discover more about March’s research and studies conducted in the FSU Department of Psychology, please visit psychology.fsu.edu.
The post FSU psychologist earns Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science appeared first on Florida State University News.
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