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post #31 of 45
1/9/10 at 5:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
Not too interested in clinical psych in the long run. It's the experimentation that really interests me. Particularly social psych.

I'm a social worker doing therapy in a clinical setting. Ultimately, I chose social work over psych because I have little interest in research. I learned this by working in a Clinical Psych research lab for 2 years. If your sole interest is research, I would not advise any psych avenue, honestly. Have you considered Sociology?
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post #32 of 45
1/9/10 at 5:40pm
I think a social psych phd program would not involve any clinical work, right? Yeah, sociology might also be of interest to the OP!
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post #33 of 45
1/9/10 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
I mean basically I have lots of theories about human behavior and I want to test them via experiments...the kind you read about in your psych/sociology classes in college. What is the path to that?
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post #34 of 45
1/9/10 at 5:49pm
I'd say an investigation into the social psych Ph.D programs is in order.
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post #35 of 45
1/9/10 at 7:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
I mean basically I have lots of theories about human behavior and I want to test them via experiments...the kind you read about in your psych/sociology classes in college. What is the path to that?

I'd suggest conducting a thorough literature review of some of the areas you're interested in. Maybe you can access your alma matter's online psych databases. With thousands of articles published every year, chances are decent that there are a lot of answers to your questions out there already in obscure academic journals. Also, after you get some answers to your questions, you might be able to determine if your real interest is conducting research or learning about human nature, the latter of which could be accomplished in your free time, while the former will cost you about 6 years and 60,000 bones.

I hope I don't sound like a naysayer, but these programs are intense and it would be very wise to be sure you are 100% sure you want to spend your life conducting research before you apply to any schools. When I was at a research lab, I spent well over 50% of my time fiddling with raw data on a spreadsheet, not doing the creative work... so keep that in mind, too. But if it's your thing, go for it!
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post #36 of 45
1/9/10 at 8:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by msza View Post
I'd suggest conducting a thorough literature review of some of the areas you're interested in. Maybe you can access your alma matter's online psych databases. With thousands of articles published every year, chances are decent that there are a lot of answers to your questions out there already in obscure academic journals. Also, after you get some answers to your questions, you might be able to determine if your real interest is conducting research or learning about human nature, the latter of which could be accomplished in your free time, while the former will cost you about 6 years and 60,000 bones.

I hope I don't sound like a naysayer, but these programs are intense and it would be very wise to be sure you are 100% sure you want to spend your life conducting research before you apply to any schools. When I was at a research lab, I spent well over 50% of my time fiddling with raw data on a spreadsheet, not doing the creative work... so keep that in mind, too. But if it's your thing, go for it!

This is good advice, but PhDs are almost always free (with a small stipend, too!), so you're just losing 6 years of earning potential.
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post #37 of 45
1/15/10 at 7:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles
I mean basically I have lots of theories about human behavior and I want to test them via experiments...the kind you read about in your psych/sociology classes in college. What is the path to that?
A social/personality or cognitive psych Ph.D. program. You would have no problem getting into a fully funded, well-regarded program with a little preparation. However, I would strongly advise you that research can be a socially isolating career. The vast majority of your time is spent working alone. How much social contact would you require to be happy in your work life?
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post #38 of 45
1/15/10 at 10:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asch View Post
A social/personality or cognitive psych Ph.D. program. You would have no problem getting into a fully funded, well-regarded program with a little preparation. However, I would strongly advise you that research can be a socially isolating career. The vast majority of your time is spent working alone. How much social contact would you require to be happy in your work life?

Depends on how much time I had for social life outside of work. Is this a workaholic type of career or is it balanced?
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post #39 of 45
1/15/10 at 4:21pm
I'll PM you.
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post #40 of 45
1/15/10 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
...But I am willing to "settle" for a job that makes me $100-$150K in the long run as long as I truly enjoy it.

Please pm me with details when you find this.
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post #41 of 45
1/15/10 at 5:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakota rube View Post
Please pm me with details when you find this.
Easy. For one, upper management/investment decisioning at a non-profit foundation (e.g. Rockefeller, Gates, etc.). If you have experience in the field and find a job at a good one, you will be making $150+ guaranteed. I've seen people as young as 29 in these kinds of positions.
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post #42 of 45
1/15/10 at 6:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
I mean basically I have lots of theories about human behavior and I want to test them via experiments...the kind you read about in your psych/sociology classes in college. What is the path to that?

Its a hobby. Keep your job in finance.

Do some research and i'm sure that your personal theories have already been coined/developed by researchers and their studies duplicated 10x over.

dl
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post #43 of 45
1/16/10 at 4:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroStyles View Post
Depends on how much time I had for social life outside of work. Is this a workaholic type of career or is it balanced?

Do you want to be a professor of psychology? Then it's a workaholic type of career for little pay (if you can even find a TT position... if you're an adjunct, good luck doing any research at all). Most places you'll be writing grant after grant after grant. In social psych you'd be worse off than in cognitive, as funding sources for social are drying up.

All that said, research psychologist is a pretty cool job.
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post #44 of 45
1/16/10 at 6:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwiteaboy View Post
Do you want to be a professor of psychology? Then it's a workaholic type of career for little pay.

What program are you in Kwiteaboy?

Most academics I come across are lazy asses content to do very little, if any real clinical work and enjoy exerting their "power" by breaking students balls. The adjuncts I have had are by and large hardworking clinicians who get a little extra nut every month by teaching a class or 2 but have good positions in the field or well developed private practices.

My dissertation sucks and is taking longer than expected so I'm considering teaching for a year while I wrap it up but I'd never spend 8 years post undergrad in higher ed to be a teacher full time.

dl
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post #45 of 45
1/17/10 at 5:52am
I'm in a clinical PhD program that's research-oriented. Most of the faculty in my program are not involved in the clinical training and spend most of their time writing grants and running experiments and stuff. My dream is to be one of the lazy faculty that you describe, though I'd rather be unemployed than ever have to do clinical work for a career.
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