More than 100 people from Midwestern universities participated in the 21st annual Mid-America Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference Saturday in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

William Addison, chair of Eastern’s psychology department, said students presented their research and views on various topics.

James Stitzel of Cedarville University in Ohio presented the roles of forgiveness and guilt on mental health and illness.

“Unforgiveness has lasting consequences on overall physical and mental health,” Stitzel said. “These unresolved issues influence personality disorders.”

Stitzel went to counseling sessions for women who were physically abused and found out religion is a “crucial factor involved in the role of forgiveness” and the motivation of persons to forgive offenders.

“I studied the Christians, Muslims and Catholics and they all seem to value forgiveness,” he said. “People who practice a religion experience higher levels and more frequent occurrences of guilt.”

Stitzel said almost every religion he looked into considered forgiveness to be a good thing.

Martha Zlokovich, psychology instructor at Southeast Missouri State University, was the keynote speaker for the conference.

Zlokovich encouraged the students who presented and the students who want to present in the future that practicing what will be part of one’s career will help to expand experience in that particular field of study.

“Mental enhancement through participation in speeches, interviews and research will aid in answering why you are doing what you do,” Zlokovich said.

She urged people to develop “social convoys,” which are people of whom you build relationships with that improve networking skills.