Dr. Ingrid Haas (http://paclab.unl.edu) and Dr. Pierce Ekstrom
(https://www.pierceekstrom.com/) are currently recruiting undergraduate research assistants to help with various projects in their joint lab. Drs. Haas and Ekstrom both study political attitudes, beliefs, and identities. Specific topics of interest include:
• Motivation and biases related to group identity
• How affect and emotion affect political evaluations
• Moral beliefs and values
• The causes and consequences of belief in conspiracy theories
• Political discussion, conflict, and polarization
This is an interdisciplinary lab, combining methods and ideas from social psychology, political science, and social cognitive neuroscience (sMRI/fMRI).
Undergraduate research assistants in the lab gain experience in participant recruitment and the collection of behavioral data. All RAs will be required to commit to volunteering in the lab 8-10 hours/week and attending lab meetings. With experience and motivation, possibilities exist for greater involvement in experimental design, data analysis, and idea generation, along with involvement in MRI data collection and analysis. Many students in the lab have also been
successful in applying for UCARE funding and/or completing honors theses through lab participation. Lab graduates often pursue graduate school (psychology or political science) or professional school (law or medicine), but this is not a requirement.
Previous coursework in political science, psychology, neuroscience, research methods, and/or statistics and a minimum GPA of 3.3 are preferred. Preference will also be given to potential RAs who have more time free during the work week (9-5, Monday-Friday) to administer lab sessions, but some work is flexible and can be completed evenings/weekends. All students interested in social or political psychology and especially those interested in interdisciplinary
work are welcome to apply, but preference will be given to those students interested in pursuing graduate degrees. Programming expertise (e.g., R, Unix, Python) and/or desire to learn is a bonus but not required.
This is typically a volunteer position, but there are some possibilities for funding via specific project grants or UCARE funding. We can also arrange course credit for lab participation, which counts towards the experiential learning requirement.
We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis, planning to conduct interviews and onboarding this summer. Applications received before Wednesday, January 7, 2026, will receive priority consideration for the Spring 2026 semester. We welcome and encourage earlier applications.
Applications should be submitted here:
https://unlcorexmuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cATP3H1pOAtCLUq
Please email the PAC Lab (paclab@unl.edu),
More details at: https://unlcorexmuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cATP3H1pOAtCLUq