Senior Gabbi Krutsinger to publish original research in psychology journal

Concordia University, Nebraska senior Gabrielle Krutsinger is a psychology major, A Cappella choir member and now, a soon-to-be-published researcher. This May, her research manuscript entitled “Effects of Warm and Cool Colors on Emotions” will be published in the Journal of Psychological Inquiry (JPI), an international journal dedicated to advancing theory in psychology.  

The process of getting published began when Krutsinger took Applied Research, a psychology course available at Concordia, in the spring semester of 2023, with former professor Dr. Sara Brady. Krutsinger decided to take a deeper look into color psychology, an area that particularly interested her, and conduct research regarding how different colors can elicit different emotions.  

“I chose to do my research on this particular topic because...there was a gap in research pertaining to understanding how warm versus cool colors elicit emotions, which inspired me to dig deeper,” Krutsinger said.  

Concordia has allowed me to truly dive into academics in a way that has pushed me beyond what I thought was possible. I would have never thought that I could have completed a full research study and get it published as an undergraduate.

She conducted an experiment with over 130 participants, creating a survey that presented participants with a variety of color swatches and asked them to report the emotions they felt when viewing the images. She presented her findings at the 2023 Academic and Research Symposium at Concordia, and after guidance from Brady, decided to pursue publication in an undergraduate research journal.  

“It took a lot of perseverance, patience and communication to get my research published in JPI,” Krutsinger said. “I wasn’t completely prepared for the amount of feedback I received, which was overwhelming at first...I remember spending close to ten or more hours working on the first round of feedback the editors gave me!”  

After the initial edits that Krutsinger completed in preparation for sending her manuscript to JPI for publication, she had to complete edits requested by the journal. Then, she worked with Brady to make and “defend” these edits.  

“Dr. Brady and I had to figure out and essentially fight for every change we did to ‘prove’ my manuscript was publication-ready,” she said.  

About a month after submitting her revised manuscript, Krutsinger received an email stating that her research had been accepted for publication in the JPI. She recalls the emotions she felt at finding out that her hard work had paid off.  

“I felt proud of the quality of my research, but I was the most proud of myself for not giving up when things got difficult,” she said.  

Krutsinger credits Concordia with helping her throughout her college journey and her journey toward publication. Becoming more confident in her skills and the path that God is calling her to pursue was one major outcome of her Concordia education, she said.  

“Concordia has allowed me to truly dive into academics in a way that has pushed me beyond what I thought was possible,” she said. “I would have never thought that I could have completed a full research study and get it published as an undergraduate.”  

“The psychology professors, particularly Dr. Warren and Professor Kim Boyce have challenged me to grow and expand my capability to connect with others. Dr. Sara Brady was by far my biggest academic mentor and supporter when she worked with me on my research!” Krutsinger said. “The faculty and staff here at Concordia have been incredible in fostering my growth in academics, communication, professionalism, work ethic and humility.”  

Krutsinger is set to graduate from Concordia with a degree in psychology this May, shortly before her undergraduate research is published in the JPI. Next year, she looks forward to furthering her education by pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Nebraska – Kearney.  

“I am very excited to work toward my goal of becoming a clinical mental health therapist to work with underserved rural areas in Nebraska,” she said about her post-graduation plans. Above all, she looks forward to using the skills she gained during her time at Concordia to practice empathy and meet the needs of her future clients.  

Interested in the psychology program at Concordia University, Nebraska? Learn more on the department page.