Dionne Chen ‘22

Dionne’s research looked at whether behavioral inhibition, shyness, and social anxiety disorder all followed the same trajectory in children aged 2 to 4, as in children aged 4 – 13.

Why did you pursue this project?

I am extremely interested in psychology and sociology so I can better understand people and society—to hopefully improve both. Participating in IRP and conducting my own research has been important not only in a personal sense but also for bringing awareness to a disorder often not seen as a ‘big deal.’

I knew I wanted to study social anxiety, given how I have always been curious about how I personally came to have it—and have had to deal with the symptoms from an early age. There are many misconceptions about SoAD and a general stigma surrounding it and other mental disorders. My project is a culmination of trying to address all of these things; I am trying to see just how early we can identify social anxiety by studying a young population (toddlers and preschoolers), while simultaneously informing people about the consequences of ignoring this issue.

Competitions
Rockland Country JSHS 2022 - 3rd place in Regional Behavioral Science
Upstate JSHS 2022 as a poster presenter
WESEF 2022 - American Psychological Association (APA) Award
NYSSEF 2022 - 3rd place in Behavioral Science

Back

Dionne Chen ‘22

Hackley School