Rinseo Park: Modeling Individuals’ Developmental Trajectories Across Multiple Life Transitions

Between July and September 2024, I had the pleasure of working at the Department of Psychology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin) as a Visiting Researcher. I collaborated with Prof. Dr. Denis Gerstorf and their team on the use and application of statistical methods in developmental psychology. Specifically, I was interested in how longitudinal causal inference methods and multivariate statistics can be used and adapted to examine individuals’ multi-faceted change across the lifespan. At the same time, through exposure to different cultural and artistic forms in Germany, I was able to find different ways of seeing and re-thinking my research interests that encompass multimodal behavioral cues in a more complex mediatized environment. In this pursuit, I facilitated and built new connections across multiple disciplines including developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and even contemporary music, which allowed me to envision and develop a unique research identity. At the end of the summer, I found myself being more confident and passionate about my career as a researcher. 

During my stay, I worked at the Institute of Psychology at HU Berlin, located at the Adlershof campus in the south-east of Berlin. In collaboration with Denis’ research team, I studied how people move through different phases of physical health and mental well-being, with consideration of multiple life events (e.g., marriage, unemployment) that may occur over their lifespan. Working closely with the team, I was able to learn about various aspects of aging and how they change using the wide-ranging representative longitudinal data, including the German Socio-Economic Panel and the Berlin Aging Study. Trained as a statistician and quantitative psychologist, I contributed my expertise in causal inference and multivariate methods to estimate the effects of dynamic life events and identify developmental trajectories across different domains of physical or mental health. This allowed me to push forward the ongoing two research projects, as well as to develop two new projects concerning methodological considerations for longitudinal causal inference in aging research and extensions for between-country comparison. 

Adlershof, where the natural and applied sciences are based, provided a peaceful and relaxed environment for research and personal development. Our team had a great conversation during lunch at the canteen, and went to a nearby park in Köpenick to take short walks and relish the sunshine. I lived in Friedrichshain during the visit, which took me about 30 minutes to commute via S-Bahn train. Since Berlin is a well-connected city, I was able to move from one place to another easily and quickly, exploring the dynamics in between. I enjoyed visiting different art museums and going to concerts, cafes, and bakeries located near Friedrichshain or Mitte, which is less than a 20-minute trip by U-Bahn train. Among many others, my favorite part was Gerhard Richter’s exhibition in the Neue Nationalgaleri, which let me think about the aesthetics and philosophy of modern art and abstract paintings. While staying in Berlin, I felt very lucky to be surrounded by all the art and creativity. 

Also, I had a fun time with my other collaborators in Germany. I was greeted by the amazing percussion/drum duo, Robyn Schulkowsky and Joey Baron, with whom I performed in the Data Sonification Ensemble at Stanford CCRMA (Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics) in Winter 2023-24. I also met Prof. Dr. Robert Gaschler at FernUniversität in Hagen, discussing how to facilitate and open new possibilities for our research projects on media multitasking and task switching. The time together, across disciplines and approaches, was priceless in that their perspectives gave me insights about how to articulate my research interests in understanding multimodal behavioral and cognitive dynamics. With Robert in cognitive/experimental psychology, I was able to find new directions in experimental studies that can explore individuals’ temporal dynamics between multiple behavioral/cognitive tasks. With Robyn and Joey in contemporary music, I was able to find the parallel between musicians’ attentional shifts to different sounds and people’s task-switching behavior on smartphones. Finally, with Denis and their team in developmental psychology, I was able to learn and model how multiple aspects of aging change over time, in response to different life transitions. During the summer of 2024, these experiences allowed me to think about who I am as a researcher and what threads of work to pursue, which constitute my research identity. 

Overall, I had a wonderful summer in Berlin as part of the Graduate Research & Internship Program in Germany (GRIP) for Summer 2024. Exploring the city by foot, working across cultures and disciplines, and discovering myself as a researcher, I am grateful for the support and opportunities from the Stanford Club of Germany and The Europe Center. I highly recommend applying to the next cohort of GRIP, spending beautiful summer days in Germany, and returning to Stanford along with personal growth and professional development.