Research Interests
The unifying and motivating factor behind Dr. Ibaraki’s research is a desire to reduce health care disparities and increase the accessibility of quality mental health care to ethnic minority populations, with a particular focus on Asian Americans. Dr. Ibaraki utilizes a variety of methodological approaches including experimental, survey, online, archival review, and meta-analysis to test hypotheses informed by theories from Clinical Psychology, Cultural Psychology, and Social Psychology. She asks why health disparities persist and how cultural factors may contribute to that disparity.
A second line of research focuses on understanding how experiences like advising, mentoring, and perceived college climate impacts college retention and achievement. She has a special interest in understanding the relative importance these factors for first generation, non-traditional, and ethnic minority students
Current Studies & Projects:
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Counseling Pre-intake Attrition Study It is not uncommon for people schedule a therapy appointment but never show up. Why does this occur? How is the decision made not to go? Answering those questions is the goal of this study. Is it due to the cost? Not enough time? Too long a wait? Embarrassment or shame?
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Effects of a Peer Advising on Student Satisfaction and Long Term Academic Outcomes: Do interactions with faculty advisers change when students also have the opportunity to receive formal academic advising from peers? If so how? More importantly, does the the provision of peer advisers impact student’s long term academic outcomes and graduation rates?
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Intergenerational Relationships Study: In a collaboration with Dr. Manoogian, of WOU’s gerontology department, we examine the distribution and magnitude of intergenerational conflict between emerging adults (adults aged 18-29) and their parents. We are particularly interested in patterns of conflict among different ethnic groups that may be rooted in cultural expectations. The literature to date has primarily focused on developmental experiences around white, middle class, emerging adults (Lui, 2015). At the same time, there are reasons to believe that the presence of conflict may have different meaning for emerging adults that come from families with collectivistic backgrounds, such as Asian and Latinx cultures (Lui, 2015). The data from this study will be used to inform a subsequent multimethod research study further exploring these relationships as well as the causes and consequences of these conflicts.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities:
Dr. Ibaraki welcomes WOU students who are interested in these projects to apply to be a research assistant.
Students are enrolled in PSY 406 and commit to either 30 hrs/term (average 3 hrs/week) for 1 credit or 60 hrs/term (average 6 hrs/week) for 2 credits. A minimum two-term commitment is required, three terms is preferred. Students should have completed PSY 301 before applying. Preference will be given to students who have completed PSY 467/468.
If you are interested in applying, please complete this RA application and email to Dr. Ibaraki (ibarakia@wou.edu) with the subject line ‘(your last name) RA application’.