Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education

Mojisola F. Tiamiyu, Ph.D.
Director
ComPoP Lab 

Community psychology is the scientific study of how individuals relate to their communities and the reciprocal effects of communities on individuals. Community psychologists integrate various influences to promote positive change, physical and mental health, and empowerment at individual and systemic levels.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of positive emotions, strengths, and traits. Positive psychologists aim to understand and promote positive human functioning on the individual, group, and societal levels.

Members of the ComPoP lab conduct research in the lab and the community on physical, mental, and behavioral health issues using community psychology, positive psychology, and cross-cultural perspectives. We are also interested in developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based programs and assessing positive psychology interventions (PPIs).

Over the years, we have worked on a variety of topics, including women’s economic and psychological empowerment; domestic violence; welfare reform; child support enforcement; minority health issues; social services for the elderly; college students’ stress, coping, and resiliency; university-community collaboration/engagement; youth mentoring; and Hope of mentors and health-care professionals.

More recently we’ve investigated the relationships between gratitude, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder; the relationship between posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress disorder; and the impact of print/social media on mental health.

Currently, our focus is on the clinical applications of positive psychology interventions (PPIs):

We are examining the impact of a post-traumatic growth intervention on individuals experiencing trauma due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are investigating the effects of a Gratitude intervention on first-generation Latinx college students' mental health and well-being.
In addition, we are studying the relationship between online social platform structure and the psychological sense of community, and also anonymity, participation, and discrimination in online interactions.

We continue to work on an award-winning mentoring program (the Star Mentee Program), which I developed and have been implementing since 2002. The Star Mentee Program (an externship in psychology opportunity, which is also a service learning course) involves having undergraduate students from various majors (not just psychology), work with children that need academic mentoring and tutoring at an elementary school here in Toledo.

As the director of the ComPoP lab, I occasionally mentor undergraduate students working on their psychology honors theses and regularly have several undergraduate and graduate students do their research practicum with me. If you are interested in joining this lab, please email: mojisola.tiamiyu@utoledo.edu.