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Avoiding the Nightmare & Worry of Plagiarism

Transitioning From College to the Great Beyond

The Gospel According to Josh: An Interview With Professional Actor and Playwright Josh Rivedal

Going Global by Going Virtual: Internationalizing Student Psychology Organizations

building relationships that advance psychology

•receiveinternationalrecognitionforacademicexcellence

•enjoylifetimemembership

•gainaccessto$300,000inawardsandgrants

•developleadershipskills

•networkwithleadingpsychologistatconventions

•subscribetoelectronicpublications

•publishyourresearchinajournal

•gainasenseofcommunitywithPsiChisocialmedia

PSI CHI ®

THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN

PSYCHOLOGY

PSI CHI ®

THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN

PSYCHOLOGY

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With PSI CHI membership, you can...StayconnectedwithPSICHI

2 EYEONPSICHI | FALL 2012 COPYRIGHT © 2012 PSI CHI2 EYEONPSICHI | FALL 2011

8 Wisdom From the Workplace TheRealandUnrealWorldsofCollege

10 Three Heads ARE Better Than One Questions(andAnswers)AboutGraduateSchool

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columns

FALL 2012 | EYEONPSICHI 3COPYRIGHT © 2012 PSI CHI

features

12 Avoiding the Nightmare & Worry of Plagiarism

RichardBromfield,PhDHarvardMedicalSchool

14 Transitioning From College to the Great Beyond

MarisaT.CohenSt.FrancisCollege(NY)

16 Going Global by Going Virtual: Internationalizing Student Psychology Organizations

RichardVelayoPhDMichaelTrushPaceUniversity

19 The Gospel According to Josh: An Interview With Professional Actor and Playwright Josh Rivedal

MerrySleigh,PhDWinthropUniversity(SC)

4 President’s Message PsychologyIsaContactSport

5 Past-President’s Message OutgoingPresidentShares

‘BehindScenes’Appreciation

6 Executive Director’s Message PsiChiandInternationalPsychology

7 Building Bridges: Psi Chi and International Psychology

22 Awards & Grants

28 Chapter Activities

contents | fall 2012

www.psichi.orgfall 2012 | Volume 17 | numBer 1

editor/art [email protected]

associate editorMarthaS.Zlokovich,[email protected]

design [email protected]

editorial [email protected]

PublishedbyPsiChi,theInternationalHonorSocietyinPsychology.FoundedSeptember4,1929,attheNinthInternationalCongressofPsychology,YaleUniversity,NewHaven,Connecticut.MemberoftheAssociationofCollegeHonorSocieties.Eye on Psi Chi (ISSN1092-0803)ispublishedquarterlybyPsiChi,theInternationalHonorSocietyinPsychology.Allcontents©2012byPsiChi.Thepublicationschedulefollowstheacademicyear:fall,winter,spring,andsummer.PeriodicalspostagepaidatChattanooga,Tennessee,andatadditionalmailingoffices.PrintedintheUSA.Allopinionsexpressedinsignedarticlesarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarilyreflectthoseoftheeditorsand/orPsiChi.

ed i to ri al of fice: PsiChiCentralOffice|POBox709,Chattanooga,TN37401-0709StreetAddress:825VineStreet|Chattanooga,TN37403Telephone:+1-423-756-2044|Fax:+1-423-265-1529Email:[email protected]|Website:www.psichi.org

Permissionmustbeobtainedfromtheauthor(s)toreprintoradaptatableorfigure;toreprintquotationsexceedingthelimitsoffairusefromonesource,and/ortoreprintanyportionofpoetry,prose,orsonglyrics.Allpersonswishingtoutilizeanyoftheabovematerialsmustwritetotheoriginalauthor(s)andpublishertorequestnonexclusiveworldrightsinalllanguagestousecopyrightedmaterialinthepresentarticleandinfutureprintandnonprinteditions.Allpersonswishingtoutilizeanyoftheabovematerialsareresponsibleforobtainingproperpermissionfromcopyrightownersandareliableforanyandalllicensingfeesrequired.Allpersonswishingtoutilizeanyoftheabovematerialsmustincludecopiesofallpermissionsandcreditlineswiththearticlesubmission.PsiChidoesnotacceptpaidadvertisingforitspublicationsEye on Psi ChiorPsi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research.Thesocietydoesnotwishtoappeartoendorseanyparticularproductsorservices.

psi chi Board of directorssociety presidentJasonR.Young,[email protected]

past-presidentSusanAmato-Henderson,[email protected]

president-electMariaJ.Lavooy,[email protected]

eastern regional Vice-presidentMercedesMcCormick,[email protected]

midwestern regional Vice-presidentReganA.R.Gurung,[email protected]

rocKy mountain regional Vice-presidentSusanBecker,[email protected]

southeastern regional Vice-president MerryJ.Sleigh,[email protected]

southwestern regional Vice-president EvanZucker,[email protected]

western regional Vice-presidentJonGrahe,[email protected]

eXecutiVe directorMarthaS.Zlokovich,[email protected]

eXecutiVe officer/[email protected]

eye ON PSI CHI

eye ON PSI CHI

departments

Jason Young, PhDPsiChiSocietyPresidentHunterCollege,CUNY

4 EYEONPSICHI | FALL 2012 COPYRIGHT © 2012 PSI CHI

president’s message

I am just beginning my year as President of Psi Chi, and I’m excited at the prospect of some major developments opening up for the organization this coming year.

One of the biggest changes will be the development of a new Psi Chi website to allow access to more information in an easier to navigate format. In addition, you will see the membership application process shift from faculty data entry to online application by prospective students, interactive features within each region, and continual improvement of online submissions for awards and grants.

But it is the development of some other new initiatives that I want to highlight here to support one of the most important experiences you can gain during your time in college. Sure, everyone tells you to “get involved,” and most of you, by dint of being a Psi Chi member, likely already fall into the “well-connected” category.

There is, however, an increasing truism about best preparing for any career involving the application of psychology: you must gain some form of research or internship experience (e.g., Giordano, Davis, & Licht, 2012; Wegenek & Buskist, 2010). Taking classes is not enough to cultivate the variety of skills you will need for the specific research or practitioner environs to which you may aspire.

Psychology is a contact sport. You must directly, viscerally encounter the specific settings in which psychology is studied and applied in order to a) acquire helpful research- or practitioner-related skills that future graduate programs and employers will value, and, equally importantly, b) assess early enough in your student career whether or not these psychology-relevant experiences are a “good fit” for your own career goals. In other words, fully immerse yourself in these experiences in order to appreciate the challenges and demands of being a researcher and/or practitioner. If that feels enlightening and exciting, go forward; if not, speak with an advisor immediately to re-evaluate your career course.

Where does Psi Chi fit into this process? Everywhere. One of the central goals of Psi Chi (in addition, of course, to honoring your excellent progress in your psychology work) is to provide monetary support to help our members conduct research and present that research at conferences.

With respect to research support, Psi Chi offers a number of awards and grants (see http://www.psichi.org/awards/data_sheet.aspx for a quick overview) that help fund specific research projects, summer research experiences, and research and practitioner-related internship opportunities.

What if research opportunities on your campus are limited? One option is to contact area research institutions. This could include other colleges and universities, as well as hospitals, clinics, government-run health agencies, and sometimes even private industries that may have in-house research divisions.

More persistent students, who are often more assertive about their education, will take the initiative to find out about these off-campus opportunities. There is no rulebook here other than conducting yourself as a professional as you seek out these experiences.

In addition, Psi Chi is working to help provide some online research opportunities that would allow our members to collect data at their own campuses for larger projects being conducted at multiple sites. Some of these projects may also offer publication opportunities for participating researchers. As one example, our Western Regional Vice-President, Jon Grahe, is currently working with Psi Beta (the psychology honor society for community college students) to develop an online National Research Project. Details on this project were included in regional vice-presidents’ fall 2012 letters, and more will be sent to Psi Chi members in coming weeks.

With respect to presenting your research, Psi Chi in recent years has made special efforts to listen to its members and has been increasing the number and variety of travel grants to psychology conferences. Regional travel grants help with costs associated with attending and presenting at any of the six regional psychology conventions. More of our members attend these conventions than any other type of conference. Deadlines for these grants vary by region. Check http://www.psichi.org/Regions/ for details on your region’s travel grants.

In addition, Psi Chi recognizes that there are many other more specialized conferences that our members would like to attend. Some of these hosted by the Society for Research in Child Development, the Psychonomics Society, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and a large number of other research- and practitioner-oriented conferences. To help our members attend these conferences, we have made available our new Unrestricted Travel Grant; details are available at http://www.psichi.org/awards/forms/Unrestricted_Travel.aspx.

Going forward, in line with Psi Chi’s continuing expansion as an international society, we will be working to increase support for international and cross-cultural research opportunities. Look for invitations to connect with Psi Chi’s international chapters and students in a variety of ways in the coming year.

We continually seek your input, and I hope that during the coming year I will have the opportunity to help shepherd many new initiatives into fruition that directly influence the professional growth of our members. Here’s to a promising year!

ReferencesGiordano,P.J.,Davis,S.F.,&Licht,C.A.(2012).Your graduate training in

psychology: Effective strategies for success.ThousandOaks,CA:SagePublications.

Wegenek,A.R.,&Buskist,W.(2010).The insider’s guide to the psychology major: Everything you need to know about the degree and the profession. Washington,DC:AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.

Psychology Is a Contact Sport


My year serving as President of the Psi Chi Board of Directors has been invigorating, challenging, and eye opening. As I move

comfortably to my new role as past president, I recognize just how much I will miss my day-to-day involvement in Psi Chi. In this column, I hope to enlighten you on the amount of work done “behind the scenes” by the staff, executive staff, and the Board of Directors to keep Psi Chi on track to achieve the goals of our strategic plan.

The Central Office in Chattanooga, TN, is abuzz with a flurry of activity every day. Our staff, although small in number compared to other honor societies and nonprofit membership organizations, are the most committed, caring, and compassionate people that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. If not for them, Psi Chi’s ability to serve the needs of our members would suffer. Our phenomenal staff include Susan Iles and her interns in Communications; Kat Bozeman and Linda Williams in Membership Services (and merchandise); Jennifer Baldwin and her intern in Awards and Grants; Kevin Germain and Chris Smith in IT; Dael Hoyt in Finance; and Debbie Garvich who provides administrative assistance.

These people are truly amazing, and their commitment to Psi Chi is clear in all that they do. EVERY STAFF MEMBER has stepped up into new roles or is new to our organization during the past year. Times of transition can be quite disruptive, so I wish to publicly thank each and every staff member for his or her willingness to take charge, transition into new roles, and work in, sometimes, less than ideal conditions. The next time you have the pleasure to interact with any of them, I encourage you to give them your thanks and appreciation. I have learned a lot about the inner workings of Psi Chi during the past year, and will forever be grateful that these wonderful people are part of our family!

Our organization maintains its operation and vision through the hard work of Executive Director Martha Zlokovich, PhD and Chief Operating Officer Michele Rumpf. Both Martha and Michele work hard every day to maintain the vision of the Board of Directors, of which they are nonvoting members. Martha is Psi Chi’s liaison to universities and psychology organizations around the world, and Michele manages staff in the Central Office. Their time is spread thin, and their efforts are relentless. The dynamics of their jobs change annually, as new Boards come in with new visions and priorities. Both executives also deserve public recognition for their ability to keep “the ship sailing” through the

rough waters of transition and the ever-increasing demands of providing quality services to more than 660,000 members.

Finally, my colleagues on the Board of Directors are driven, ambitious, goal-oriented individuals. It is clear that their primary concern is to enhance membership benefits while being fiscally responsible. The strategic planning that was conducted a year ago is in place, and much of this past year was spent reframing priorities and directing efforts toward the following strategic initiatives:

1) Raising Central Office capacity This goal focuses on our ability to continue

offering quality services to our members through IT infrastructure, website redesign, staffing demands, and increased/improved services.

2) Improving the logistics of internationalization This goal focuses on developing new processes

and changing old ones in an effort to be sensitive to the needs of ALL members, including those from other countries. This initiative is far reaching and includes things as simple as updating our process for mailing (we now mail internationally) to programming online forms to allow for various phone number and zip code formats. It also involves developing methods to assess our progress with internationalization and laying the foundation for long-term goals.

3) Enhancing and promoting value of Psi Chi to both current members and potential new members

This has kept the Board of Directors busy enhancing existing benefits (such as increased travel grant funding), designing new opportunities for members (such as new research grants), and communicating these to members in different ways (such as Facebook and Twitter).

4) Encouraging and providing support for faculty advisors

Providing support, recognition, and incentives for faculty advisors allow them to better support their student and alumni members.

As Psi Chi continues to grow and become a premier international honor society, please remember that the Board of Directors and staff are open to hearing your suggestions, ideas, and needs. While we have not changed Psi Chi’s mission, we are always open to ideas for improving the route through which we achieve that mission!

Outgoing President Shares

‘Behind Scenes’ Appreciation

Susan Amato-Henderson, PhDPsiChiPast-PresidentMichiganTechnologicalUniversity

pastpresident’s message


Psi Chi and International Psychology

Even though Psi Chi only became an international society in 2009, it has long been a part of international psychology. In fact,

it was officially founded at the 9th International Congress of Psychology (ICP), held for the first time in the United States in 1929 at Yale University (Lewis, 1950/1979). Psi Chi has grown in many ways since it began with the signatures of faculty from 14 universities. These 14 charter members accepted another eight universities by January 1, 1930, increasing the number of charter chapters to 22.

By 2002, Psi Chi had 1,000 chapters, and it currently has 1,129. By 1970, there were 61,588 lifetime members of Psi Chi (Hunt, 1979), and now there are more than 660,000! Psi Chi has more chapters than any other university honor society; it’s the largest honor society—in both number of chapters and number of members—specific to one major.

Even though Psi Chi has only been an international organization since 2009, it has maintained a tie to international psychology throughout its existence. For example, when ICP came to the United States in 1963, once again Psi Chi was there (Portenier, 1969/1979). Psi Chi’s Board of Directors (called the National Council then) named 1963 Psi Chi’s International Year and encouraged chapters to participate in ICP events in Washington, DC. Psi Chi members attending the meeting had the opportunity to “learn of recent contributions to the field of psychology by other countries, and the program and activities of Psi Chi became known to countries around the world” (Portenier, pp. 21).

Most recently, Psi Chi was present at the July 2012 ICP held in Cape Town, South Africa. Past and current Psi Chi Board members met with students and faculty from all over the world to let them know about Psi Chi and learn about psychology programs in their countries. Drs. Susie Amato Henderson (Board President at the time), Maria Lavooy, (Southeastern Regional Vice-President at the time, now Board President-Elect), Past-Presidents John Davis and Florence Denmark, Randall Osborne (past Southwestern Regional Vice-President), along with Chief Operating Officer Michele Rumpf and I attended and participated in the event.

Dr. Amato and I also attended the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology meeting in Stellenbosch, South Africa the week before ICP. This meeting was held on the University of Stellenbosch campus and provided lots of

opportunities to talk about Psi Chi with students and faculty from psychology departments around the world. Since these two meetings (and the efforts of Psi Chi Ambassadors Drs. Florence Denmark, Harold Takooshian, Bernardo Carducci, Susan Becker, Gina Grimshaw, John Davis, Mercedes McCormick, Joseph Ferrari, Melanie Domenech-Rodríguez, and Paul Hettich), Psi Chi has received requests for applications from universities in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, New Zealand, Columbia, Russian Federation, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Currently, Psi Chi has applications in progress from universities in Guatemala, Russia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Australia. Psi Chi has also forged more opportunities to work with APA’s Division 52, International Psychology, and enjoys the advice of its President-Elect Dr. Mercedes McCormick who is currently Psi Chi’s Eastern Regional VP.

Starting with one affiliate chapter before 2009 at the University of Victoria in Canada, Psi Chi has also grown with regard to international chapters. Today, Psi Chi has three chapters outside the 50 U.S. states—two chapters in Puerto Rico and one in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, five new international chapters have joined Psi Chi since the University of Victoria was awarded full chapter status including a second chapter in Canada, and one in Egypt, Ireland, and New Zealand. Two other chapters, in Barbados and in Trinidad and Tobago, have been approved but not yet installed their chapter.

There are many reasons for students, faculty, and alumni to be proud members of Psi Chi, and one of these is how Psi Chi has continued to grow internationally. As more chapters from other countries join Psi Chi, all U.S. chapters should consider how their members might reach out to a chapter outside the United States to exchange ideas and encourage new chapters to make the most of their Psi Chi memberships. If your chapter would like to partner with another chapter via Skype or similar social media, please e-mail [email protected].

ReferencesEditor,Hunt,T.(Ed.).(1979).History of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in

Psychology: Fiftieth anniversary 1929–1979.Arlington,VA:PsiChi.Lewis,F.H.(1950/1979).TwentyYearsofPsiChi:1929-1950.InT.Hunt(Ed.).(1979).History of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology: Fiftieth anniversary 1929–1979(pp.1-13).Arlington,VA:PsiChi.

Portenier,L.G.(1969/1979).TheFortiethAnniversary:1954-1969.InT.Hunt(Ed.).(1979).History of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology: Fiftieth anniversary 1929–1979(pp.16-26).Arlington,VA:PsiChi.

Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD PsiChiExecutiveDirectorAssociateEditor

executive director’s message

COPYRIGHT © 2012 PSI CHI FALL 2012 | EYEONPSICHI 7

international

Chapters Outside the 50 statesUniversity of Puerto Rico MayagüezUniversity of Puerto Rico Río PiedrasUniversity of the Virgin Islands

International ChaptersBarbados; The University of the

West Indies–Cavehill*

Canada; University of VictoriaCanada; University of British

Columbia–VancouverEgypt; American University in CairoIreland; National University of

Ireland–Galway New Zealand; Victoria University of

WellingtonTrinidad and Tobago; The University of

the West Indies–St. Augustine*

*Charterapprovedbutnotyetinstalledattimeofpublication.

Building Bridges: Psi Chi and International Psychology(The following are excerpts from a larger work. To read the entire article visit http://www.psichi.org/pdf/building_bridges_aug2012.pdf)

Mercedes A. McCormick, PhD—Psi Chi Eastern Regional Vice-President “How can Psi Chi best partner with international psychologists to expand the honor society worldwide? This question was the theme of a symposium at the 120th meeting of the American Psychological Association in Orlando, FL, in August 2012. This symposium brought together six outstanding psychologists in international psychology from North and Central America to offer their suggestions.”

Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD—Psi Chi Executive Director and Past-President (2003–04) “Since 2009 the first two international chapters (affiliate chapters in Canada and Ireland that became full chapters at that time) have expanded to ten. These include seven chapters in six countries, and another three chapters outside the 50 states. Additional applications are in progress from faculty in Guatemala, Russia Federation, Italy, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Nigeria, and Australia.”

Alvin Y. Wang, PhD—Psi Chi Past-President (2009–10) “Psi Chi’s Board of Directors is currently discussing several issues related to our international efforts. Perhaps the most critical is how we can meaningfully integrate international chapters into the governance structure of our society.”

Maria del Pilar Grazioso, PhD —Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Professor of Psychology “Efforts to develop opportunities for collaboration between Psi Chi International and Division 52 might entail a wide array of projects. As a means to foster a sustainable possibility for the enhancement of training, research, international relationships, and community outreach, our program at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala has a long tradition of working together on community partnerships.”

Harold Takooshian, PhD—Psi Chi Past-President (1998–99)“In 2010, to mark the 125th anniversary of the origin of psychology in Russia in 1885, Professor Alexander Voronov integrated Psi Chi into his 5-day multi-city conference. Hundreds of students and faculty at five institutions in two cities appeared visibly excited to learn about the benefits of Psi Chi.”

Florence Denmark, PhD—Psi Chi Past-President (1978–80)“Division 52 is the primary Division within APA with a focus on the internationalization of psychology, whereas Psi Chi is the largest and newest international psychological organization with students, faculty, and other professionals comprising its membership worldwide. Going forward, it is our goal to build bridges between Psi Chi and Division 52.”

Richard S. Velayo, PhD—Past President of the APA Division of International Psychology “What I would like to emphasize is how Internet-based technologies may help build bridges between Psi Chi and Division 52 which will further the internationalization efforts of both organizations. In other words, we can go global by going virtual! Internationalization efforts by Psi Chi and Division 52 may continue to explore innovative ways to collaborate and perform outreach.”

American University of Cairo (Egypt)PsiChiChapter’sinductionceremony

Chaptermembersfromthe University of Victoria (Canada)

wisdom from the workplace | Paul Hettich, PhD

8 EYEONPSICHI | FALL 2012

The Real and Unreal Worlds of College“College is not the real world!” How many times have you heard someone speak these words or, similarly, “Wait until you get to the real world!”? I concurred with these messages in “School-Smart but Culture-Dumb” (Hettich, 2011) in which I summarized three real-life examples of recent college graduates to illustrate inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Table 1 in that article compared college and workplace settings on 16 dimensions that represent important differences in organizational cultures and practices. For example, in the workplace, compared to college, you can expect less concrete feedback, less control over your schedule, less personal support, less structure in your assignments, fewer right answers, and less time off. In addition, you will experience high expectations from your boss for consistently excellent performance, productive teamwork, active participation in your tasks, application of your knowledge, and adaptability to changes. Such comparisons are the ways in which college is not the real world.

New graduates are likely to encounter serious problems if they cannot quickly discern and adapt to these discrepancies. Not only are the differences real, but also the distinctions reveal that some aspects of college (e.g., expectations of frequent feedback, its focus on your personal development, the academic calendar) actually counter-prepare you for the workplace, or instill habits and expectations that are opposite workplace practices. Elwood Holton and Sharon Naquin (2001) pinpoint the nature of these differences.

College and work are fundamentally different. The knowledge you acquired from college will be critical to your success, but the process of succeeding in school is very different from the process of succeeding at work. Certain aspects of your education may have prepared you to be a professional, but evidence from the workplace indicates that this is not enough for professional success. …Worse yet, the culture of education is so different from the culture of work that if you continue to have the same expectations of your employer that you did of your college and professors, you’ll be greatly disappointed with your job and make costly career mistakes. (p. 7).

To reduce the effects of college’s counter-preparation practices, I highly recommend (and employers agree) that you complete at least one internship (Hettich, 2012) preferably in a nonacademic setting, acquire diverse part-time job experiences, complete job-related courses such as management, marketing, economics, and communications, and become involved in extracurricular and volunteer activities to develop interpersonal and leadership skills. Coursework alone is a necessary but inadequate preparation for the workplace.

Yet, College is the Real World In his annual hiring survey of employers for the Collegiate Employment Research Institute, Philip Gardner (2007) sought

explanations for why recent graduates are disciplined or fired from their jobs and why others are promoted or given new assignments. Table 1 lists several reasons why new hires are disciplined, ranked in order by mean score and showing the corresponding percentage of occurrence at the high end of the scale; behaviors shown in bold are also reasons for being fired. As you examine Table 1 note how easy it is to identify college situations that are counterparts of workplace behaviors. Yet, a student can possess a mediocre work ethic, show minimal initiative, be late for class, fail to follow instructions in an assignment, text-message during class—in general, do just enough to get by—and still receive a passing grade. In the workplace such behaviors could be cause for termination—a consequence drastically different from receiving a C or D grade. In short, behaviors (whether in corporate or in graduate/professional school settings) that lead to discipline or termination are the same behaviors students should avoid during college.

A major factor that accounts for the seemingly harsh consequence of being fired is a person’s accountability to others. For instance, the disinterested student who ignores instructions, arrives late to class, and submits assignments late is usually harming just one person. On the job, however, such actions can affect the performance and evaluation of coworkers and the supervisor. Remember: College is all about your personal development, but the workplace is about organizational productivity and making the boss look good. The transition from college to workplace involves a major switch from being

COPYRIGHT © 2012 PSI CHI

Table 1| Factors That Influence the Disciplining and Termination of New Hires

Reasons for Discipline Occurrence: Fairly Very Often (%)

Mean Score

Lack of work ethic/commitment 52 3.46

Unethical behavior 46 3.22

Failure to follow instructions 41 3.21

Ineffectiveinteams 41 3.19

Failuretotakeinitiative 26 3.10

Missing assignments/deadlines 33 2.98

Unabletocommunicateeffectively—verbally 32 2.97

Inappropriate use of technology 34 2.90

Being late for work 28 2.83

Unabletocommunicateeffectively—writing 28 2.81

Note:Occurrence:Percentageatthehighendofthescale.MeanScore:5=highestBehaviorsinboldfacearealsoreasonsforterminatingnewhires.

Note:FromMoving Up or Moving Out of the Company? Factors That Influence the Promoting or Firing of New College Hires(ResearchBrief1-2007)byP.Gardner.2007.Adaptedwithpermission.

FALL 2012 | EYEONPSICHI 9

self-centered to other-centered. Teachers, staff, and administrators who enforce high standards for performance and accountability are not simply being “hardnosed,” they are doing you a favor—preparing you for the real world after college.

From a positive perspective, Gardner (2007) also asked employers to identify characteristics that lead to promotions and new assignments. Table 2 lists the top ten characteristics (from a group of 1500 that respondents named) by relative frequency and integrates them with a series of work strategies identified by Robert Kelly as “Star Performers.” These qualities are also essential for success in graduate and professional school and are defined in Table 3.

As you study the definitions, identify those aspects of your coursework, extracurricular and volunteer pursuits, jobs, and other daily activities that enable you to establish and practice these characteristics. Why not tape this list by a mirror or computer as a set of personal goals? Or discuss it at your next Psi Chi meeting? If you can firmly establish the values these characteristics reflect while you are in college, chances are you will apply them successfully in your professional and personal life. The list is certainly not complete but it is a good start.

Your coursework and college life in general are teaching you to distinguish among a diverse array of values, theories, ideas and concepts. Along the way, you can jumpstart your professional preparedness by learning to discriminate among those aspects of college life that do and do not reflect the other real world you will

enter after graduation. You can do this now— paying forward—or put it off until you enter the workplace and pay the price of an early career setback.

ReferencesGardner,P.(2007).Moving up or moving out? Factors that influence the promoting or firing of new college

hires.(ResearchBrief1-2007).Retrievedfromwww.ceri.msu.edu/publications/pdf/brief1-07.pdf.Hettich,P.(2012,Summer).Internships!.Eye on Psi Chi. 16(4),6–7.Hettich,P.(2011,Summer).School-smartbutculture-dumb.Eye on Psi Chi. 15(4),10–11.Holton,E.S.,&Naquin,S.S.(2001).How to succeed in your first job: Tips for new College graduates.SanFrancisco,CA:Berrett-KoehlerPublishers,Inc.

Paul Hettich, PhD,ProfessorEmeritusatDePaulUniversity(IL),wasanArmypersonnelpsychologist,programevaluatorinaneducationR&Dlab,andacorporateappliedscientist—positionsthatcreateda“realworld”foundationforhiscareerincollegeteachingandadministration.HewasinspiredtocoauthorConnect College to Career: A Student Guide to Work and Life Transitions(2005)bygraduatesandemployerswhorevealedamajordisconnectbetweenuniversityandworkplaceexpectations,cultures,andpractices.

[email protected]


Table 2| Characteristics That Lead to Promotion and New Assignments

Characteristics Relative frequency (%) identified by employers

Takinginitiative 16

Self-management 13

Personalattributes 9

Commitment 9

Leadership 8

“Showandtell” 7

Technicalcompetence 7

Organizationalsavvy 5

Learning 5

Criticalthinking/cognitiveabilities 5

Note: FromMoving Up or Moving Out of the Company? Factors That Influence the Promoting or Firing of New College Hires(ResearchBrief1-2007)byP.Gardner.2007.Adaptedwithpermission.

Table 3| Definitions of Characteristics That Lead to Promotions and New Assignments

Term Definition

Takinginitiative Acceptingresponsibilityaboveandbeyondthestatedjob,volunteeringforadditionalactivities,promotingnewideas,beingself-motivated,aself-starter.

Self-management

Regulatingyourownworkcommitments,timemanagement,completingworkontime,handlingstress,customerserviceorientation,abilitytohandlechange,accountability.

Personalattributes Beingfriendly,dependable,patient,flexible,reliable,andrespectingdiversity.

CommitmentandPassion

Workingwithapositiveattitude,demonstratingworkethic,enthusiasm,anddedication.

Leadership Formulating,startingandbuildingconsensusoncommongoals,workingtoaccomplishthem,developingmanagementskills,recognizingtheneedtodeveloppeople.

Showandtell

Presentingone’sideaspersuasivelyinwrittenandoralforms.

Technicalcompetence

Possessingcoreknowledgeinanareaofstudy,demonstratingcoreacumenappropriateforposition,obtainingmasteryofcurrentposition,displayinghighlevelofcompetence.

Organizationalsavvy

Navigatingthecompetinginterestsinanorganization,promotioncorporation,addressingconflictsandworkingwellwithothers(interpersonalskills),fittingwiththeorganization,gettingthingsdone.

Learning Showinganeagernesstolearnandtopursuenewideas,willingtoobtainadditionalknowledgefornextposition.

Criticalthinking/cognitiveabilities

Thinkingcriticallyandanalytically,evaluatingdata,beinginnovative,creative,andopen-minded.

Note:FromMoving Up or Moving Out of the Company? Factors That Influence the Promoting or Firing of New College Hires(ResearchBrief1-2007)byP.Gardner.2007.Adaptedwithpermission.

10 EYEONPSICHI | FALL 2012

three heads are Better than one | Scott W. VanderStoep, PhD, Mitchell M. Handelsman, PhD, and R. Eric Landrum, PhD


Questions (and Answers) About Graduate School Dear readers,In this issue’s “Three-Headed Advice” column, we have adapted the questions we were asked at our last in-person gig at the Midwestern Psychological Association meeting May 2012 in Chicago. We appreciate our continued opportunity to serve by answering your questions of interest.

What is a good way to narrow down the search of professors to work with in graduate school?Landrum: Nice question! First, it is good you are thinking ahead and know to do your research about the professors already at a particular university. As with so much of the graduate school admissions process, this too is about match-and-fit. After you have read about all of the faculty in your program of interest (including what’s on their web site as well as some author-based PsycINFO searches), you need to seriously self-reflect about what your interest areas are and what they might be in the future. Then, it is about match-and-fit. But let’s say you want the answer to this question as you are writing your personal statement for your graduate admission package. The additional piece of advice I would offer would be to not put all your eggs in one basket; that is, do not limit yourself to wanting to work with only one graduate faculty member. You may not know if that faculty member is about to retire, go on sabbatical, or enter the job market. Always include two to three faculty members you would be most interested in working with; that way, you can avoid any eggs-in-one-basket situations.

VanderStoep: I agree with Dr. Landrum. Let me add a couple of other thoughts. First, I encourage students to consider sending an email to potential faculty advisors. Make sure this email is carefully prepared and professional. It is your first impression and it must be done well. Ask the professor if she/he will be taking students next year. This is where you will get insight into sabbaticals, leaving for another institution and other constraints to which Dr. Landrum referred.

Second, picking a professor within a program should be an important criterion, but let me offer other criteria. First, location is a big deal to some and irrelevant to others. If you think there is a zero percent chance you would ever live in fill in the blank then save their time and your money and do not apply. Second (this may sound like I am speaking out of both sides of my mouth), have a broad and diverse portfolio of schools. Many students suffer from what might be called an ESPN worldview of higher education. That is, unless a university appears regularly on College Game Day, students assume

it is not worth considering. In fact, having a broad and diverse set of schools will allow you to find some schools that you have never heard of. It is far better to be happy and perform high-quality work with a stellar advisor at a lesser-known institution than to be miserable and perform marginal work at a well-known institution.

Handelsman: As usual, my colleagues have nailed this one! I would concur and add simply that you can also have a diverse portfolio of professors to work with in each program you apply to. Define your interests as broad (not diffuse, but broad). In some programs you may wind up working with more than one professor and thus learn a range of research skills.

I originally graduated with a BA and a low-ish GPA. Now my GPA is climbing higher as I finish two more BAs. How will this be viewed?Landrum: First, good for you for being so persistent. Generally graduate programs concentrate most on what you did last. Although the graduate program will probably request transcripts from all of your bachelor’s degrees and undergraduate institutions, they tend to value most that which you have completed most recently. This is why a master’s degree is often a great stepping-stone to a doctoral degree program. Sometimes undergraduates with a less-than-stellar undergraduate transcript enter a master’s program to “prove themselves,” then apply to a doctoral degree once the master’s is complete. In your particular case, you substituted two additional bachelor’s degrees as your stepping stone. Also,be sure to be fair with the data. Do not gloss over that first degree with the low-ish GPA. If asked about it, tell the story; perhaps you were not a serious student when you first arrived to college, but your record since that time proves otherwise. Do not leave your first degree off of your CV in an attempt to hide it—always be fair with the data.

VanderStoep: Interestingly, I just had an advising appointment with a student last week who had a poor first-year GPA. He has now hit his stride academically and is doing much better. I told him not to ignore his first-year GPA when writing his personal statement; people will notice it so there is no sense in pretending it is not there. This is similar to your experience, in the sense that my student’s first-year GPA is roughly equivalent to your first BA and his later GPA is equivalent to your subsequent degrees. Thus, I agree with Dr. Landrum that you should not ignore something in your past.

The trick will be to describe carefully what was going on in your first degree. Was the topic of study different/more difficult/not something you enjoyed? Did you have self-assessed maturity issues that prevented you from achieving? Describing this academic transformation might help you because it will show a positive


three heads are Better than one | Scott W. VanderStoep, PhD, Mitchell M. Handelsman, PhD, and R. Eric Landrum, PhD

Scott VanderStoep, PhD,previouslyservedasPsiChiMidwestRegionalVice-Presidentfrom2002–06andPresidentfrom2008-09.Hiseducationaljourneybeganinthesameplacewherehecurrentlyworks—HopeCollege(MI)—andwhereheisassociateprofessorandDeanofSocialSciences.Inhis18yearsofcollegeteaching,hehastaughtintroductory,developmental,social,cognitive,industrial/organizational,researchlab,psychologyofreligion,andadvanceddataanalysis.

Mitch Handelsman, PhD,iscurrentlyprofessorofpsychologyandaCUPresident’sTeachingScholarattheUniversityofColoradoDenver,wherehehasbeenonthefacultysince1982.In2003–04,hewaspresidentoftheRockyMountainPsychologicalAssociation.HeisalicensedpsychologistandafellowofAPA.HecurrentlywritesthequarterlycolumnEthicsMattersforEye on Psi Chi.Hisblog,“TheEthicalProfessor,”canbefoundatpsychologytoday.com.

AfrequentcontributortoEye on Psi Chi,R. Eric Landrum, PhD,isaformerPsiChiRockyMountainRegionalVice-President(2009–11).AprofessoratBoiseStateUniversity(ID)andthechapter’sfacultyadvisor,Dr.Landrumoftengivetalksaboutissuessuchasgraduateschooladmissions.Hehasover225professionalpresentationsatconferencesandpublishedover20booksorbookchapters,andhaspublishedover65professionalarticlesinscholarly,peer-reviewedjournals.


change. Conversely, it also might hurt you because sometimes programs are so competitive they are just looking for reasons to eliminate people because there are so many strong applicants in the pool.

Handelsman: Let me balance this discussion a bit by encouraging you to not pay too much attention to your first degree. Because of the recency effect that Dr. Landrum explained, I would spend more time detailing the graduate-study-related experiences you have had in your last two degree programs including internships, research experience (in detail), development of career goals, and writing ability. Another way to put this: SHOW them what you have done rather than telling them too much about why you started slowly.

Should I self-disclose my own mental illness in my essay?Landrum: This is a complicated question, and I am so glad to have trusted colleagues to also weigh in on any potential advice to offer here. First, congratulations on making so much progress given the situation. The ability to treat and cope with a mental illness is admirable, and even more so if you are able to seriously consider graduate school with the motivation of helping others; your perspective could be extremely valuable and insightful. As for disclosure, I lean toward encouraging disclosure; this will avail you to some of the positive impacts of the protections offered by the Americans with Disabilities Act., I think this is a delicate balance; you want to disclose (which also allows you to be fair with the ‘data’), but if you over-emphasize this, some on the faculty might begin to question whether the mental illness might overshadow your ability to benefit from graduate education and successfully enter the profession. Of course, all of this would be context dependent on such factors as to the type of mental illness, its severity, if remission is possible, and so on. Consultations with your undergraduate faculty mentor and advisors will be key for you to be able to navigate this delicate situation.

VanderStoep: I tend to recommend more limited disclosure than Dr. Landrum is recommending. First, prevalence rates for mental illness are very high, especially for anxiety and depression. Using

mental illness to make the case for graduate admission to clinical psychology could be seen as analogous to a medical school applicant saying she is more qualified because she is diabetic. I know this is an extreme analogy, but the argument seems plausible. Second, my fear is that such disclosure creates certain impressions that might not be helpful.

However, the one exception to my own rule would be if your particular condition makes you a particularly unique applicant for a particular program. For example, a diagnosis of PTSD might benefit someone who is applying to a program in trauma psychology. But overall, I am concerned that a general diagnosis of mental illness may draw unnecessary and unwanted attention to your application.

Fortunately, our Three-Headed Advice panel has a clinical psychologist, who can now break the tie between me and Dr. Landrum. Dr. Handelsman, the floor is yours.

Handelsman: I have another analogous question: If you were applying to a graduate program in chemistry, would you disclose your mental illness? The key point is that experiencing a mental illness, in and of itself, is not a qualification for graduate study. Having said that, many people who experience mental illness learn a lot about themselves and a lot about mental illness. What you know about yourself and mental illness might be good to include in your statement, but you may not need to discuss any details of how you know it!

One mistake that I have seen in some personal statements is students who write that because they had success with a particular treatment (cognitive-behavioral therapy, Paxil, dance therapy, mindfulness, whatever), they know that that particular treatment will work for anybody with that illness. That is, they overgeneralize from their experience. In this case, they still need to learn the research behind various treatments and understand that there are unique elements to peoples’ experience with mental illness that may influence treatment decisions and effectiveness.

However you decide to proceed, make sure you get several experienced people to read and comment on your draft statements. They can tell you if they see any red flags regardless of the level of detail you choose to present.


L ike much in human psychology, plagiarism is a funny thing, full of paradox and contradiction. A majority

of students judge it to be wrong and a form of cheating. Yet, despite this moral aware-ness and their dread of failure or expulsion, plagiarism remains an ever present threat, risk, and temptation. How can we account for this?

Some suggest that cheating and plagiarism are such a visible part of modern society that they inevitably pervade the culture and life of a university. This might be true. However, there may be an alternative explanation. Most students do not wish to

cheat and want no part of academic trouble or misdeed. Their flirtations with plagiaristic misdeeds may stem from misunderstanding and confusion as to why and how one properly cites and references when writing essays, research papers, and theses.

Many students begin their writing mis-sions with a noble and clear determination to write a paper that is honestly their own, but then, harsh reality sets in. They encounter a web site that doesn’t seem to fit their criterion for citation. They find that someone else already said what they, the students, thought were their own ideas. They reread what they’ve written and find that it seems so

boring and repetitive that they cannot bear to stick with their own writing. As the hour grows late and exhaustion sets in, or other work waits, students’ resolve and resourceful-ness wane. Discouraged or no longer caring, they give up, settle for indecision, and let their citing or referencing slide. “Who cares,” that devilish little guy on their shoulder urges, and; “what difference does it make?” So the students submit something they do not feel confident about, hoping not to be accused of plagiarism.

You do not need to suffer such agony, hardship, frustration, and possibly the tough consequences of plagiarism. All that is required is some clarity regarding proper academic citation. Remember, American Psychology Association (APA) style has a purpose; it was not devised as a modern form of torture.

The purpose of APA style is to give credit where credit is due. It is really not so complex or obscure. Take this example from a recent book on introverts by Susan Cain.

She writes, “Heritability statistics derived from twin studies show that introversion-extroversion is only 40 to 50 percent heritable” (Cain, 2012, p. 108). Consider the many ways in which you can refer to Cain’s sentence and idea:

Avoiding the Nightmare & Worry of

PlagiarismThereissomethingyoushouldknowaboutyourprofessors.Theirpassionis their subject matter, not teaching students how to write. Howevermuchstudentshatetheirprofessorsmarkingtheirpapersup inredanddowngradingforweakwritingorciting,theirprofessorshateitevenmore.Professors have plenty to do without being the grammar or plagiarismpolice.Inaperfectworldimaginedbyprofessors,allstudentswouldcometotheirclassesknowinghowtowriteandciteproperly.Whenreadingyourwriting,itiswhatyouhavelearnedandwhatyouhavetosaythatintereststhem.Unfortunately,inarealworld,professorscannothelpbutcollidewith,tripon,andsufferwritingandcitingthatdistractsfromandundermineswhatastudentlikeyoutriestoconvey.(Bromfield,2011,p.5-6)

Richard Bromfield, PhDHarvard Medical School (MA)


ethics


• Cainsays,“introversion-extroversionisonly 40 to 50 percent heritable” (2012, p. 108).

• In2012,Cainsuggestedthatwhetheranindividual is introverted or extroverted is “only 40 to 50 percent heritable” (p. 108).

• Aperson’stendencytobeintrovertedorextroverted cannot wholly be explained by genetics (Cain, 2012).

• Heredity,soclaimsSusanCain(2012),probably accounts for no more than half of any one child’s being introverted or extroverted.

• Isintroversionperfectlydeterminedbygenetics? Not at all, according to Susan Cain and the findings of twin studies (2012).The possibilities are endless.It is up to you whether you state it as Cain

claims, says, writes, proposes, hypothesizes, wonders, assumes, thinks, etc. You can mention Cain at the beginning of the sentence, in the middle, or at the end. You can use her exact words, or use your own. You, as the writer, can state it almost any way you choose in order to best make your argument and express your own genuine voice. All you need to do is give credit to the original scholar or writer by quoting exact statements or paraphrasing (i.e., putting into your own words) those same ideas. All that matters is that you give Cain the credit and make clear which words are precisely hers and which are yours. It is that easy and direct.

By understanding why you cite, you will find yourself free and flexible to write papers that are accurate and APA approved. Most of all you will be able to express yourself in ways that are interesting, engaging, and convincing. And, not to be dismissed, accurate citation will allow you to feel proud of your work and to sleep well after it is done.

ReferencesBromfield,R.(2011).How to cite APA [style]- 6th in psychology, social

work, education, and the social sciences.ChestnutHill,MA:Basil.Cain,S.(2012).Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop

talking.NY,NewYork:Crown.

____________Richard Bromfield, PhD,isapsychologistontheclinicalfacultyofHarvardMedicalSchool.Heisauthorofseveralbooksforcliniciansandparents,including:Doing Therapy With Children and Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome; Teens in Therapy; Embracing Asperger’s;and,How to Cite APA [Style]–6th in Psychology Social Work, Education, and the Social Sciences.

Plagiarism Q&A1. What do I do if I am unsure about a citation?

Whenindoubt,cite.Thoughyourwritingmaybogdownunnecessarilyfromanoverabundanceofciting,youwillnevergetintotroublefordoingso.

2. What if I truly come up with an idea, and then discover that someone else already said it, or something like it?

Thisisacommonexperienceforallofus.Unfortunately,theoriginalsourcestillgetsthecreditandneedstobecited.However,youcanalwaysaddafootnotetoyourpaperthatdescribestoyourprofessorwhatyourthinkingwasandhowyoucametoitonyourown.Mostprofessorswillfindyourthinkingprocessinterestingandwillappreciateyourrevealingitwhilealsotakingcaretodothepropercitingoftheoriginalsource.

3. Sometimes, I find that a lot of different people or studies came to the same conclusion. How many of these do I need to cite?

Again,whenwritingaboutarichareaofstudyorresearch,youmayfindtoomanyreferencestocite.Youneednotciteallorevenmostofthem.Yourjobistomerelyshowtheofficialsourceforyourstatementoridea.Intermsofsubstance,citeperhapstwosources,especiallythemostrecentandwellresearched

4. Plagiarism scares me. Should I just quote the whole paper and leave my own thinking out of it?

Apaperthatisvirtuallyalistingofblockorlengthyquotesstrungtogethercan,whileproperlycited,beboringforyoutowriteandboringforyourprofessortoread.Itisimportantthatyoulearnhowtociteinwaysthatintegrateyourownthinking.

5. What do I do when I am really stumped by some detail of citation or referencing?

Thisissuretohappen.ConsulttheAPAmanualorguidebooks.Googleyourdilemma.Frustratingasitis,strivetolearntherightwaytohandlethesourceinquestion.Ifyoucannotfindasolution,addafootnoteorbracketedcommentinyourpaperthatexplicitlyexplainsyourproblemandbesteffortstoyourprofessor.Youwillneverbepenalizedoraccusedofplagiarismifyoumakeagoodandopenefforttociteproperly.

6. Is it worth my time to master APA style?

Itabsolutelyis.BycomingtounderstandanduseAPAstylecomfortably,yourwriting(andciting)willgroweasierandmoreflexible.Themoreyouknowhowtociteandreference,thebetteryoubecomeatreadingandtakingnotesonpotentialsourcematerial,savingyourselfthatfamiliarandawfultaskofgoingbacktorelocateoriginalsources.


T he transition between college and the “real world” can be one of the most daunting times in an individual’s

life. Even with the assistance of great mentors and a supportive college career counseling program, it still can create a sense of uneasiness. During these uncertain economic times, students may have trouble deciding what path to follow, whether it is a career or continuing their education by enrolling in a Masters or Doctoral program. Some may even consider enrolling in school while working a job simultaneously, making them a more competitive candidate for positions in academia down the road.

There are many books that help transitioning students prepare for graduate school, ranging in topics from acing the GREs to writing the most attention grabbing and effective personal statement. Also helpful are guides and manuals that discuss the benefits of shadowing professionals before committing to a career path. Despite the multitude of resources available, often the richest source of information comes from individuals who have previously gone or are now going through a transition themselves. Who better to ask than peers who are preparing for the future, transitioning, and flourishing?

No Time for SenioritisDon’t assume your senior year will be a time that you can devote all of your energy and attention to job and graduate school applications. While these forms need to be filled out and submitted, schoolwork keeps coming. Senior year in college is much different than in high school; the classes are harder, senior theses need to be completed, and the prospect of entering the “real world” approaches. Many students wish they had spent the summer prior to their senior year getting “ahead” by researching potential

employment opportunities and graduate programs.

The ‘Fit’ Needs to Work Two WaysMost students were shocked that their graduate school interviews did not only focus on why they wanted to attend the school, but also on why it would be a good “fit” for them. Unlike applications to undergraduate institutions, graduate admissions interviewers look for a well thought-out 5 to 10 year plan and clearly defined examples of how the graduate program will fit into your current life.

It is important to not only research the program or company you are applying to, but to look up “key players” (professors, potential supervisors, etc.) and discuss how their accomplishments have personally influenced you. For example, read research papers of a professor you hope to work with, paying special attention to the sections outlining directions for future research. Consider what you can add to their agenda, and take it another step further. The better you can articulate the working relationship you hope to have with the professors, the more successful a contender you will be.

Seek SupportWhile the decision about your future is ultimately in your hands, it is important to communicate with others during such a formative time. Students stressed the importance of being proactive to seek out opportunities and helpful resources.

Help at CollegeWithin their college, students noted many sources of help, such as workshops, career fairs, and networking opportunities, in addition to access to faculty members. Most described relying heavily on their academic

advisors, starting as early as their sophomore year. With their advisors, students were able to craft a schedule that gave them depth of knowledge in their field of interest, but also a well-rounded education ranging from the social to “hard” sciences. The academic advisors also made sure that the students were on track towards graduation.

Faculty members were also a great support. While students counted on their favorite professors for recommendations, they also looked to them for career advice. Remember, most of the faculty members in your subject area went through the same process as you. By approaching counselors and other faculty on your own, you get advice tailored to your personal needs, and you can also voice any of your concerns.

Finally, students revealed that the career counseling center was one of the most important sources of information. Students were able to set up appointments to practice interviewing techniques, review their applications, as well as network during career fairs. For example, two students discussed making appointments with the career counseling center to review general interview approaches for graduate and employment opportunities, and to schedule times to have their resumes edited. One even said that the individual he contacted at the career center was so obliging that she set up a series of mock interviews which really helped him learn how to talk to others.

Help at WorkNot only did students rely on their college for help, but they also received support from outside their university. Many turned to their supervisor and fellow workers for job connections and advice. If you want to ask your supervisor for a recommendation, it is important to approach them at least a month or two before applications are due so they

Transitioning FromCollege

to the Great BeyondMarisa T. Cohen St. Francis College (NY)


career preparation | graduate school

have time to evaluate you. Chances are they will be writing several recommendations, so it is better to be proactive and give them the time they need. It is also helpful if you provide them with a copy of the courses you took in school, a short description of where you plan to apply, as well as a list of all your awards, accomplishments, and extracurricular activities. This information can help your supervisor tailor a letter to highlight everything you have achieved.

Start EarlyMany students echoed the same sentiment that they felt they had started their search late in the game. Most noted the reasons for starting at the end of their junior and senior years as being bogged down by work and other commitments as well as being uncertain of exactly what they wanted to do upon graduation. These students agreed that had they looked earlier into programs in their general area of interest and contemplated specific geographic regions , they would have saved a lot of time during the search process later.

Students felt they should have begun their admissions essays during their junior year, using the summer prior to their final college year as a time to edit and perfect their work. This way, instead of scrambling to complete

applications while balancing school work and other commitments, they could devote their energy and focus to their interviews and last minute preparations.

Take Advantage of All OpportunitiesOf the students interviewed for this article, all were active in several clubs, jobs, teams, and honor societies. Surprisingly, they all said they wish they had taken part in more. One student who already has a lot on her plate said she wished she had gotten involved with internships, even if it meant less time for schoolwork. While she wants to enter the mental health counseling field, she fears she will proceed down this path and later decide it is not for her. Had she been able to work in the field, perhaps she would have been more certain in her career choice. Another student also affirmed this belief saying he worked six part time jobs in different areas of psychology. This was his conscious choice and gave him great exposure to opportunities available in the future,despite giving him less time for other activities.

It’s Up to YouWhile everyone’s journey is unique, the ideas students expressed regarding their futures share many common themes. All students

emphasized the need to prepare early, take advantage of all of the support available, and explore all options when preparing for the future. No matter what is in store for you on your personal search, remember that this is an important time for self-exploration, reflection, and growth. Good luck!

Editor’s Note:Intalkingwithsomeofhermostreflectiveandthoughtfulstudents,MarisaT.Cohen,PhD,shareswhatherstudentssaytheywishtheyhadknownordoneintheirtransitionfromcollegetobeyond.

Marisa T. Cohen, PhD,isanassistantprofessorofpsychologyatSt.FrancisCollegeinBrooklyn,NewYork.Sheteacheseducationalpsychology,socialpsychology,generalpsychology,andresearchmethodscourses.Dr.Cohenhasseverallines

ofresearch,allwiththefocusofimprovinglearninginthe

classroom.Shehascontinuedwithherdissertationwork,whichcenteredonimageryinterventionsforteachingstudentsnovelvocabularyinthesciencecontentarea.Shehasalsoworkedwithcolleaguestoexaminemisconceptionsstudentsholdinscience.Finally,hercurrentresearchfocusesontheabilityofstudentstoassesstheirownknowledge,self-regulate,andadequatelyprepareforexams.Beyondherteachingcommitments,Dr.Cohenhas

servedontheGraduateStudentIssuesCommitteefortheNortheasternEducationalResearchAssociation,andisthecochairoftheNationalGraduateStudentCommitteeforKappaDeltaPi,anhonorsocietyineducation.

to the Great Beyond


international

In this day and age, students tend to be quite comfortable with and may even prefer to use Internet-based technologies

to communicate with one another. Extending the use of various forms of online communication (e.g., Facebook, Skype, teleconferencing, blogs) to student groups is a natural extension of the way students use technology for corresponding with their classmates and friends. The Internet has enormous potential for assisting in internationalization efforts among student psychology organizations through online collaboration and exchange of ideas and resources.

There continues to be a growing trend with the use of the Web to internationalize the psychology curriculum (Power & Velayo, 2006; Velayo, 2004). For instance, many psychology instructors use social media in their teaching in an effort to internationalize their courses (Velayo, 2011). Going virtual can contribute to going global. Student psychology organizations can provide the extra-curricular means to infuse a more international perspective about psychology in their communications with their members. Presumably, many of their members already have the necessary technological knowledge and skills to communicate via the Web. Students are therefore resources that may be tapped by these organizations to help extend their reach to other student groups around the world.

Benefits of an Internationalized Student Psychology OrganizationThrough Internet-based technologies, students from different locations are able to collaborate on projects and groups can interact across the globe toward a common goal. There are numerous student organizations that would benefit from the

use of such collaborative technologies. Some of these organizations include: Psi Chi (The International Honor Society in Psychology), APAGS (American Psychological Association of Graduate Students), and the APSSC (Association for Psychological Science Student Caucus), as well as university psychology clubs and student groups that share common interests in psychology. The use of collaborative technologies allows for electronic files to be shared and even viewed almost instantly in correspondence. Besides convenience and efficiency, how else does the Internet enhance interorganizational communications? O’Brien (2007) pointed out that “Globally-distributed teamwork mediated by effective use of digital technologies can motivate and influence people to approach cross-cultural communication and cultural exchanges with greater sensitivity, understanding, and ethical awareness in order to bring about positive international and social relations” (p. 4). Students are able to examine the information exchanged from a number of contexts and viewpoints. Additionally, they derive more immediate feedback from each other and allow for decisions to be made efficiently and problems to be solved more effectively.

The Internet can provide a bridge between student organizations in different universities and countries, allowing them to communicate freely. Technology can act as “a foundation for global collaborations later on in life” (O’Brien, 2007, p. 5). “The use of the Internet in education, and the doors it opens [...] gives the student ‘global experience’ not only through the social factor but also in a technical way” (O’Brien, 2007, p. 5). For example, some of the more readily accessible instant messaging technologies (e.g., Skype, GoogleTalk,

FaceTime, GoToMeeting) have textual, audio, and video capabilities that can be used for meetings with student leaders from around the world to share ideas, research, and new developments (Bekkering, 2006). Student groups can conveniently and easily share meetings, events and activities, announcements, and recognition for students in different countries for their leadership and scholarship. Moreover, students can participate and even present their work at meetings held online. Interactive sessions allow for questions and feedback at such events from anywhere in the world provided participants have Internet access.

Recommendations for Student Psychology OrganizationsMany student psychology organizations and groups are affiliated with institutions of higher learning or are under the umbrella of professional psychology organizations. It is therefore imperative that specific goals associated with the use of such technologies be clearly defined in order to decide which specific technologies may be needed and determine how these may be best used by the organization. There are hardware, software, and bandwidth requirements associated with using the Internet. In order for cross-national communications to be efficient, the technologies used should be available to the students in the student organization all participating countries. Open-source communication platforms should not only be relatively easy to learn and use, but must also be compatible with the technologies in other countries. User knowledge and familiarity must be established. Examples of these kinds of platforms are in the form of social media —Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Skype, GoogleTalk, and YouTube. The technologies must be in place before

Internationalizing Student Psychology Organizations

Richard Velayo PhD and Michael TrushPace University (NY)


international

addressing the issue of how communications may be made more effective when corresponding online.

In order for psychology organizations to successfully manage and use technology efficiently and effectively, a high level of organization and coordination is crucial. A centralized source of IT (Information Technology) personnel is needed to monitor how these technologies are being used and to routinely obtain feedback from its users on how they may be better implemented or whether there are other, more worthy technologies available. Motivated students who are familiar with the use of social media can effectively help facilitate and monitor the use of social media to reach out to members around the globe. Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that students who serve as IT personnel may be limited in the duration of their involvement in the organization, such as when they graduate. It is therefore important to establishing a system of training and a set of protocols in the use of these technologies to assure a smooth transition between student IT personnel.

Psi Chi, for example, continues to expand with chapters in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Egypt, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and two more approved in Barbados and in Trinidad and Tobago. Psi Chi may encourage collaborations between its international chapters, by promoting submissions for inter-chapter grants on collaborative projects that utilize Web-based technologies. Having virtual meetings and conferences, informal meet-and-greet sessions, utilizing Facebook as a way for members to discuss relevant psychology-related issues or using Web-based online surveys to collect data from various regions of the world, are some examples by which the Web may be used to promote inter-chapter collaborations.

Anticipated Difficulties in ImplementationAccess to Internet-based technologies may be limited in other countries, reducing their students’ ability to communicate internationally. Furthermore, language barriers could potentially serve as an issue for communication between cultures. In addition, cultural and sociopolitical views regarding technology may hinder individuals from accessing certain

information or software on the Internet because of government regulations.

Assessing Internationalization EffortsThe effectiveness of using Internet-based technology may be based on identifiable outcome measures. A strong indicator of success would be the development of international communication and conferences. Another positive outcome is an increase in the number of coordinated virtual presentations and publications that ensue from long-distance collaboration between students. Moreover, if collaborative use and production of wikis and Google documents between students in multiple cultures expands, it bodes well for the continued use of the technology to facilitate cross-cultural collaborations. Other indicators may include the following: an increase in international student attendance and involvement in international, national, regional, and in-state psychology conferences; more cross-national research collaborations between students; and greater number of student-authored research related to international and cross-cultural psychology.

Global Reach of FacebookCheredar (2012) pointed out that Facebook, the most popular social networking site, had over 825 million active users worldwide as of December 31, 2011, and can be accessed in more than 70 different languages. An average of 483 million people log on to Facebook every day (Cheredar, 2011). Of this number, 161 million come from the U.S., 46 million from India, and 37 million from Brazil. The percentage of Facebook users in various countries is astonishing: 80% of all Internet users in Chile, Turkey, and Venezuela, 60% of all Internet users in the U.S. and U.K., 20-30% of all Internet users in Brazil, Germany, and India, and 15% of all Internet users in Japan, Russia, and South Korea. Unsurprisingly, there is zero percent penetration in countries that restrict Facebook, such as in China. The global reach of Facebook, and many other Internet-based technologies, is tremendous. Its use by so many students and various academic, professional, and business organizations is indicative of the future of interorganizational communications in a world that is increasingly becoming more global and

interconnected. Many student psychological organizations routinely use collaborative technologies to share ideas, collect data, hold virtual conferences, and more. The burning question is how can we best utilize these powerful communication tools to aid with internationalizing our student psychology organizations, and in turn, internationalize psychology. Let us begin to explore the ways.

ReferencesBekkering,E.,&Shim,J.P.(2006).i2iTrustinvideoconferencing.

Communications of the ACM, 49,103-107.Cheredar,T.(2012).Facebookuserdata:845Mmonthlyusers,2.7Bdailylikes&comments.VentureBeat.Retrievedfromhttp://venturebeat.com/2012/02/01/facebook-ipo-usage-data/

O’Brien,A.,Alfano,C.,&Magnusson,E.(2007).Improvingcross-culturalcommunicationthroughcollaborativetechnologies.Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 4744,125-131,DOI:10.1007/978-3-540-77006-0_17.

Power,F.,&Velayo,R.(2006,Winter).Helloworld!:Thecaseforinternationalizingthepsychologycurriculum.International Psychology Reporter, 10,10-11.

Velayo,R.(2004).Extendingourreach:Focalpointsthathelpinternationalizepsychology.International Psychology Reporter, 8,1-4.

Velayo,R.(2011,Winter).Internationalizingtheteachingofpsychologybyusingemergingsocialmedia.Eye on PsiChi, 15(2),6-7.

Richard Velayo, PhD,isaprofessorofpsychologyatPaceUniversity.HereceivedhisPhDineducationandpsychology(combinedprogram)fromtheUniversityofMichigan,AnnArbor).Hisscholarlyinterestsincludethepedagogicalapplicationofmultimediaandinternet-basedtechnologies,instructionalpsychology,and

theinternationalizationofthepsychologycurriculum.HeisafellowoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationandtheEasternPsychologicalAssociation.Dr.Velayoispast-presidentandcurrentwebmasterfortheAPADivisionofInternationalPsychology,past-presidentoftheAcademicDivisionoftheNewYorkStatePsychologicalAssociation,past-chairofthePsychologySectionoftheNewYorkAcademyofSciences,NGOrepresentativetotheUnitedNationsfortheInternationalCouncilofPsychologists,andamemberoftheEasternRegionalPsiChiSteeringCommittee.Hehaspublishedinseveraljournalsandpresentedinnumerouslocal,regional,national,[email protected]

Michael TrushisadoctoralcandidateinthePsyDintheSchool-ClinicalPsychologyProgramatPaceUniversity,NewYorkCity.HewasparticipatingintheMAdegreeingeneralpsychologyatPaceUniversitypriortogettingacceptedinthePsyDprogram.Mr.ThrushisalsoDr.Velayo’sgraduateassistantwhoisinvolvedwithresearchonstrategiestointernationalize

thepsychologycurriculum.HeisalsotheassociateeditorofPsych Eye,thenewsletterofPace’sPsychologyDepartmentintheNewYorkCitycampus.

COPYRIGHT © 2012 PSI CHI FALL 2012 | EYEONPSICHI 19

Your chapter probably begins the academic year in the same way that our chapter does, with the officers

brainstorming possible activities and setting goals. Last year, we were doing this planning process—pulling out our “tried and true” ideas while simultaneously attempting to think outside the box—when I received an e-mail from Josh Rivedal. Josh described a one-person show he developed in conjunction with Baruch College and

offered to perform for interested Psi Chi chapters. I almost deleted the e-mail, but I am so glad that I did not.

Our chapter sponsored Josh’s performance in spring 2012. Almost 200 students across campus gathered in the student center for a 50-minute show that literally made us laugh and cry throughout. Josh played multiple characters, bringing each to life in a unique way, and revealed his complicated relationship with his father who

died by suicide. Following the performance, Josh spoke with us about suicide prevention and willingly answered very personal questions about the impact of suicide on survivors and communities. The total production lasted about 75 minutes, and the audience’s attention never waned.

After watching the audience respond to Josh’s show in such a positive way, I could not believe that just a few months earlier, I had almost banished Josh to my junk mail

Merry Sleigh, PhDWinthrop University (SC)

An Interview With Professional Actor and Playwright Josh Rivedal


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folder. The words he used in that initial e-mail could not convey the power of his performance. The Gospel According to Josh was education and entertainment at its best. I asked Josh if he would sit down for an interview in the hopes that other Psi Chi chapters would not accidentally miss out on this opportunity.

Josh, thanks for your willingness to be interviewed today.My pleasure, Merry. I never pass up the chance to talk, and I had such a great time working with you at Winthrop University this past spring. It is always nice speaking with you.

What inspired you to create The Gospel According to Josh?My initial inspiration to create The Gospel According to Josh was my desire to simply write a play in which I could star. After some early success, my acting career was on life support back in 2009, and my writing career was not doing much better. I saw people like Whoopi Goldberg, Camryn Manheim, and John Leguizamo who created solo shows for themselves and achieved some wonderful career success after performing their one-person shows.

I started writing The Gospel According to Josh right after my dad took his life in 2009, and I had no idea what direction I was going with it. But it quickly turned into an autobiographical comedy that details the strained relationship I had with my dad and all of the quirky and awkward things I went through to go into show business—things like starring on an episode of the Maury Povich Show where I had to pretend to date a 450-pound woman, auditioning for a creepy film director in the middle of a forest in New Jersey, and accidentally costarring on a reality TV show that featured Erik Estrada from TV’s CHiPS. However, the show does take a poignant turn at the end when I find out in the play that my dad killed himself. It is a real portrayal of how someone has to deal with emotional repercussions when one of their loved ones dies by suicide. And I deal with the topic of suicide in a sensitive and non-sensationalist manner.

After producing the show in New York and Philadelphia, and shortly thereafter going through my own bout of clinical depression and a near suicide attempt, it dawned on me that I can use this show to start helping people. I can help people like myself and like my father who did not speak out and ask for help because of the stigma surrounding talking about and getting help for suicide and mental health issues. It is pretty incredible that from my initial desire to revive my acting career came a play that has transformed into something that is able to help tens of thousands of students all across the world.

At first, we thought you might be offering to do a religious presentation on our campus, because of your play’s title. How did you come up with the title, The Gospel According to Josh? That’s a great question and one that I get all the time. My dad happened to be a religious man, and his beliefs affected his persona, how I wrote his character in the play, and how I portray him as an actor. I do not make fun of his beliefs, and I do not promote them either. They are just part of the story. If my dad was a fisherman, then I’m sure the title would have Tilapia in it or something. “Gospel” is also a bit of a double entendre. It means “good news,” and my good news is that suicide is preventable, and any and all of us can get help for it.

What made you reach out to Psi Chi as

an avenue to get your production to college campuses? The issue of suicide is one that affects a large number of college students (it is the second leading cause of death for 18- to –24-year-olds), so I looked into college clubs and organizations whose success was driven by its students. After investigating www.psichi.org, I realized that Psi Chi was a natural fit. I saw that Psi Chi was founded with the purpose of “advancing the science of psychology,” and I know that mental illnesses and suicide prevention research are aspects of psychological science that need a lot more advancement and funding.

Upon further research, I also read that one of Psi Chi’s major goals is to “nourish and stimulate professional growth through programs designed to augment and enhance the regular curriculum.” The Gospel According to Josh seemed like a perfect vehicle for chapters to accomplish this goal. Because Psi Chi officers are known for their leadership abilities, they seemed like an ideal resource to utilize for putting together a social advocacy event.

How did you first link up with the Psi Chi chapter at Baruch College?I was able to first link up with the Baruch College Psi Chi chapter through a gentleman, Dr. David Sitt, who works in the Department of Psychology at Baruch College and is also the faculty advisor for Psi Chi. I had initially sent out some very discombobulated pitch e-mails to psychology professors all across the United States that outlined my ideas on the way I wanted to develop a program that combined The Gospel According to Josh with education on suicide prevention and mental wellness.

Not many people were responding. After about a month of revising my pitch e-mail and resending, Dr. Sitt called me with questions about my idea of pairing live theatre with suicide prevention education. After a few meetings with Dr. Sitt and his colleague, Professor Sapolsky, they decided to green-light the project and have the Baruch Chapter of Psi Chi and the Baruch Department of Psychology sponsor the premiere of The Gospel According to Josh with suicide prevention and mental wellness education.

What happened after this initial performance? I am very fortunate to have gotten the


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opportunity from Dr. Sitt and the Baruch College chapter of Psi Chi to do this work because it has grown exponentially. In the 2011–12 school year, I was able to go to more than 20 schools across the country and present my work—places like Arizona State University; University of Nevada, Reno; Yeshiva University; and Florida Memorial University. I have also presented The Gospel According to Josh on high school and middle school campuses and have worked with the Hawaii Department of Education. I’ve been fortunate to have my audiences consist of low-income and at-risk-youth, Native Americans, faith and nonfaith based schools, and people ages 8 to 68. It is pretty amazing to be able to reach such a wide demographic of people in such a positive way.

What type of feedback have you gotten from your production?I have gotten some tremendous feedback from my production and suicide prevention work. I’ve received e-mails from some very brave young people who have lost loved ones to suicide or have made their own attempts and are working on getting help for their suicide ideations. In some schools, I have actually witnessed students making appointments to see their school psychologist after my show. Others have told me that I am promoting healing in their family after they’ve lost a loved one to suicide. I have been able to hug students and educators who have felt comfortable sharing their stories of suicide attempts. People have told me that I am helping them cope with their mental health issues or the way they’re dealing with having lost a friend or family member to suicide. One young lady even quoted something I said verbatim and mentioned in her e-mail to a counselor that what I said was the reason she was getting help. Basically, this is the best and most fulfilling work I have ever done. I’m able to be a working artist while helping people deal with their issues and stay alive.

What do you think your father would think about your work on behalf of suicide prevention?We did not have the best relationship when he was alive, but I think he would be happy and proud of the work I am doing. I’m doing it for him and for me. He grew up in a time when it was not okay to talk about how you feel or get help if you need it. But I am working to change that, and I think he is able

to rest a little more peacefully knowing, that, in some way, his death and my work may help prevent other people from ever having to go through the emotional and physical pain he experienced when he took his life.

What does a Psi Chi chapter need to do to bring this type of event to its campus?There are a variety of ways you can bring an event to your campus. For example, you can pair the event with a psychology class on mental disorders, such as Abnormal Psychology. Ninety percent of suicides are the result of an untreated mental health issue like clinical depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and bipolar disorder.

You can also offer to partner with the counseling center, student government, the psychology department, social work department, residence life, Greek organizations, or all of the above. Good times of year to bring events like this to your campus are• Nationalsuicidepreventionweek—

always the week surrounding September 10, which is World Suicide Prevention Day.

• TheweekprecedingSuicideSurvivorDay—November 17.

• EarlyDecemberbeforethestressoffinals.• LateJanuaryatthestartofthespring

semester. • Marchduringsocialworkmonth.• LateAprilorearlyMaybeforethestress

of finals.

What does the chapter need to do to prepare in advance for this type of production?Setting up this kind of event is a relatively easy process. There are really just a few basic steps:• Setupavenuewithsomeoneincampus

activities or the student life center. The venue could be a theatre, a lecture hall, a classroom, or an auditorium.

• MakesureyourPsiChiofficersandadvisor are all helping with the planning of the event (many hands make light work).

• Advertise.Manyspeakershavetemplateflyers that can help with this or assist

in setting up events via social media. Interview the speaker for the school newspaper or a school radio show in anticipation of the event. You could also advertise through your psychology professors, and ask them to offer extra credit to students that attend.

• (Optional)Findapersonortwooncampus to serve on the panel to answer questions from the audience at the end of the event. It is always nice to have either someone from the psychology department or counseling center to answer the very difficult clinical questions audiences may have.

Our chapter has a small operating budget, and I know the cost of events is a concern for us. How can chapters keep the costs manageable?There are a few options: • OftenstudentclubslikePsiChi

collaborate with the counseling center or student government, their psychology department, or an Active Minds club to help with funding and promotion.

• SpeakerscanhelpthePsiChichapterfind the most affordable means of transportation to get to their college or university; time of day permitting, some will fly in and out on the same day to negate the cost of a hotel.

• Chapterscanchargeadmissiontohelpoffset the cost of the program.

Josh, thanks for your time and your contributions to this important topic.Anytime. Thank you!

In2009,Josh Rivedalwroteanddevelopedtheplay,The Gospel According to Joshforthecommercialstage.InMayof2011atBaruchCollegeinNewYorkCityinconjunctionwiththeBaruchCollegeChapterofPsiChi,JoshlaunchedThe Gospel According to Josh:Youth Suicide Preventionprogramtopromotesuicideprevention,goodmentalhealth,andahelpseekingcultureamongcollegestudents.ThisprogramhasplayedtocollegesinmorethantwentystatesandtwoCanadianprovinces.JoshalsoworksfulltimeasanactorandplaywrightinNewYorkCity.HevolunteersfortheTrevorProjectandservesontheboardoftheNewYorkCitychapterofTheAmericanFoundationforSuicidePrevention.FormoreinformationabouttheYouthSuicidePrevention

Program,gotohttp://www.yspp.org/TocontactJosh:[email protected]

Merry SleighreceivedherPhDindevelopmentalpsychologyfromVirginiaTechin1996andhasbeeninvolvedwithPsiChiforover20years.Dr.SleighcurrentlyteachesatWinthropUniversityandishonoredtoserveasthePsiChiSoutheasternRegionalVice-President.

fall 2001 2 | vol 17 | no 1 going global eye€¦ · on psi chi fall 2001 2 | vol 17 | no 1 eye...

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