Abbey, what was your research project?

My project was "Finding Benefits in the Breast Cancer Experience". Benefit finding is a patient’s recognition of positive life changes attributed to cancer. Despite dramatic negative physical, social and emotional changes through their experience with cancer, many patients report a number of benefits. As part of a randomized clinical trial (N=168), we investigated whether a psychosocial intervention could affect cancer patients’ views of their cancer experiences. Intervention participants listed a significantly greater number of benefits than participants in the assessment-only in five specific categories. These results suggest that psychological interventions for cancer patients can facilitate the emergence or recognition of positive life changes resulting from the cancer experience.

What did you learn from your involvement in a research project?

If there are questions I have about the world, research can aid in my quest for the answers! Through my experience working in a research laboratory, I have also sharpened my analytical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills, my writing and presentation skills and my ability to ask and answer questions. Research has been a wonderful learning experience for me, and I encourage all students to broaden their abilities through a research opportunity!

What does the experience mean to you personally?

To me, research means opportunities! Not only have I had the opportunity to fine-tune my writing and presentation skills, sit with co-workers to ponder the underlying themes of breast cancer patient’s thoughts and work with a world-renowned clinical psychologist, but I have also had the opportunity to present my research in Boston, Massachusetts and Sao Paulo, Brazil and brainstorm improvements in my research with faculty members and students from around the world. What wonderful opportunities I have had simply because I became involved with research at Ohio State!

What did you enjoy most about your research experience?

My favorite part of my research experience was the opportunity to meet a variety of people with many talents, capabilities, personalities and thoughts different from my own. My experience with research allowed me to work on a team of diverse people. I learned something new from each person. My research also allowed me to travel to Brazil, where I was able to get a new and refreshing aspect of my research from people of a different culture. I was able to see my research through someone else’s eyes. Having the opportunity to talk with various people about my research inspired me to constantly be aware of new possibilities and new questions within my research. My research experience was exciting and thought-provoking, and I attribute that to the people with whom I interacted. 

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