The Spring 2025 Incheon Global Campus (IGC) Research Symposium was held on May 16, 2025, at the IGC Auditorium. Three projects were presented by Psychology students under the mentorship of Dr. Jae Won Oh and Dr. Carinal Pals.
Seungmi Lee, Hyowon Jang, and Yubin Kim presented an EEG-based pilot study on sustained attention during virtual driving. Yeonseo Kang shared findings from a secondary data analysis exploring the relationships among marijuana use, depression, and school absenteeism in adolescents. Both of these projects were supervised by Dr. Oh. A third project, conducted by Myung Ryun Lee and Sieun Shin under the supervision of Dr. Pals, investigated the effects of AI transparency on user trust and moral behavior.
Dr. Oh noted that the symposium served as a valuable opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience with research, practice poster presentations, and receive feedback from an academic audience. He emphasized the importance of early engagement in research and encouraged students to reach out to faculty members to explore potential opportunities.
EEG-Based Exploration of Sustained Attention in Virtual Driving: A Pilot Study
Researchers: Seungmi Lee, Hyowon Jang, Yubin Kim
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jae Won Oh
Before beginning their digital detox study on cognitive flexibility using EEG devices, the team gained experience by analyzing an open-source dataset from a virtual driving task. Using MATLAB and EEGLAB, they created topographic maps and visualizations to examine sustained attention. This pilot study helped them develop foundational EEG analysis skills and laid the groundwork for their upcoming research, made possible through support from the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grant (UROG).
Their next project, titled “EEG-Assisted Analysis of Digital Detox Impact on Concentration and Cognitive Flexibility in University Students,” will explore how screen-time reduction influences cognitive performance in students.
The Relations Between Marijuana Use, Depression, and School Absenteeism in Adolescents
Researcher: Yeonseo Kang
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jae Won Oh
Adolescent marijuana use is a growing public health concern, with 10.1% of U.S. teens aged 12–17 reporting use in 2022. Although increasingly normalized socially, marijuana use continues to carry physical and psychological risks. This study examined two key questions: (1) Is there a relationship between marijuana use and depression among adolescents? (2) How do marijuana use, depression, and physical health impact school absenteeism?
The analysis revealed a significant association between marijuana use and depression. However, only physical health significantly predicted school absenteeism. Limitations include reliance on self-reported, cross-sectional data, which restricts causal interpretations. Future research should consider longitudinal methods and additional factors such as academic performance and family dynamics.
The Impact of AI Transparency on Social Media User Trust and Moral Behavior
Researchers: Myung Ryun Lee, Sieun Shin
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Carinal Pals
This study examined how the transparency of AI systems influences user trust and ethical behavior in social media environments. The research consisted of two parts: (1) the effect of transparent AI advisory messages on users’ moral decision-making and trust, and (2) how transparency in AI-driven comment moderation affects users’ trust in the platform.
Findings from this project contribute to the growing field of human-AI interaction and may offer guidance for designing more transparent and trustworthy AI systems in online settings.