Psychology Student Here, And Wanting To Learn

[Jline]

Hi Mizzy,

Although I am pleased to hear PTSD continues to be studied, your inquiry made me feel a little "lab ratish"

 

[Aine]

Mizzy,

I'm also a psychology student but I am a sufferer of PTSD too.
As a fellow student you should know the ethical guidelines of the APA and BPS inside out and back to front before you start a research study. I don't know what your assignment/hypothesis was, but if you were just doing a survey, the chances are you wouldn't have gotten a very high grade, in any case. You want to be producing quantitative data, not qualitative data. Ratio data is preferable as it provides a stronger correlation between your variables.
The very fact that this thread exists shows that you have done little to no reading on the disorder to which you were assigned.
I suggest that you do some more reading on the people you would like to research and then go and redesign your study/survey, before approaching anthony in the proper manner.

Good luck with your work,
Aine

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

Ayesha,

Were you upset by her inquiry?

I naturally get defensive. Not open for debate,just more of a state your business kind of question. Also a little curious..."What would you do? " what? If put in the same place again, knowing what you know now, would I still do nothing? Most likely.

That's the way life is, you can't rewind it. You can't see the end results. Only the now.

 

[gdf]

Hi Aine,

I think I'll hijack Mizzy's thread here and kick in my feelings on qualitative vs. quantitative research approaches. I think some good research comes out of qualitative formats if they are approached and executed properly. But then, I am a sociologist at heart (studying psychology) which tends to lend itself to the qualitative side. I think undergrad psych students tend to want to dream big in hopes of getting into doctoral programs and it may make them a little over-zealous when they get assigned a project where they need to have human subjects in some shape or form. Scoring it big in some way in undergrad seems to be coveted for the doctoral program application but it blinds them to the fact that people are more than subjects. You make an excellent point--read, understand and then design.

When people come onto the forum with an entitlement attitude about research it really makes me feel objectified which echos my feelings of abuse; that you are here to give me what I want no matter how you wind up feeling. Creepy feeling--ya just wanna go take a shower after seeing those kinds of requests. As you said, she did not do a great deal of research on her group beforehand or she would have taken a different approach. I find in working with a lot of kids (and adults) in my field that success at work relies heavily on social ability and does not always depend on talent. Anthony certainly set the bar fairly low $$wise and even a college student could afford $25 I think it is for a month to get access to a data pool this big. Glad he set those ground rules. Hopping off the soap box now...

Gina

 

[Aine]

Gina,

I agree with you about qualitative data. I think in a lot of ways, it's more accurate as it provides in depth knowledge of your participants. However, the education board doesn't agree. We're given higher marks for having a better quality of statistical data within our research.
I don't think we have a doctoral program here in England, so I'm not sure what that is. I think our equivalent might be a Ph.D. but anyone who has a post-grad and under-grad degree can apply for that.

I personally, am used to psychological studies, so her request didn't bother me so much for myself but on the behalf of everyone else. I hope you weren't too upset by it.

Aine

 

[catjudo]

Yes, a doctoral program is the same thing as a PhD program. And while anyone with a graduate degree can apply to a program, they are generally very competitive programs to be accepted into.

 

[kers]

The original poster mentioned she was in an IB program. That is a high school/secondary school based program in the US. I do give her the benefit of the doubt that she simply didn't understand what an emotional (and ethical) morass she was stepping into with her request, but she is probably more aware now.

 

[gdf]

Hi all, good points. She's a youngster who hasn't experienced the world enough to refine her approach to people yet. Not sure what excuses the "professionals" have who show up wanting to "use" us. I don't get upset so much at the content but rather in the approach people have. Kind of irks me when someone drops in and assumes we are here to help them out. I don't like feeling like a Guinea pig but I respect studies and the need for research and I value education. Sometimes when people show up on the forum stating they have some product to save us or they need people for a study it leaves feeling like a $2 hooker. Being professional and asking people if they want to help vs. just showing up expecting something makes a lot of difference to me and speaks to an element of respect and value we have as human beings.

Aine, here in the states doctoral (Ph.D.) programs go by so many initials it's an alphabet soups of academic letters. The flavor of the month is now the "Psy.D." or Doctor of Psychology vs. the Doctor of Philosophy. Then you've got Ed.D.s of Doctor of Education, MDs or Doctor of Medicine, JD's or Juris Doctors (attorneys or Barrister might be the British equivalent?) and on and on. We love to make things complicated : )

So are you in a PhD program then Aine? I think a lot of intelligent and intuitive people (education/degree or not) tend to gravitate here. That might be an interesting survey--educational levels of forum users.

Gina