Will this count as research (Psychology)

[IS250]

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I'm a Biology major and recently there was an opening as a research assistant/volunteer in the Psychology department involving behavioral and fMRI studies on learning and decision making.

Will this count as acceptable research?

Thank you.

 

[loveoforganic]

yes

 

[Morsetlis]

Yes, but if you still have time, aim for a bit harder scientific research after you're done with this one.

 

[red10]

if you want to research in english that's fine. Psych is perfectly acceptable. There's no need to do "harder" science unless you're interested in it

 

[apumic]

Yes, but if you still have time, aim for a bit harder scientific research after you're done with this one.

False. 😀

OP, any research is fine. Scientific research is best, which psych most definitely qualifies under. IME, you'll probably learn better research methods in psych than you ever would in a "harder" field (the "hard" fields get pretty sloppy at times, in my observation).

 

[LizzyM]

Research is most valuable, from the point of view of your application, if you have the opportunity to develop a hypothesis, get a little funding, run your experiments, trouble-shoot, reach a conclusion, write it up & share it (poster, presentation, publication). If you are just following someone else's protocol and just doing a tech's job, it is OK but not as good. This holds true for research at the bench, with animal models or with human subjects.

 

[IS250]

thanks for everyones' inputs.

I will try to aim for "harder" research but none is available and time is narrow for me as I plan to apply to med schools starting in June/July.

I understand that doing research of your own is highly regarded but what are the statistics of people doing that? I assumed most are following the research of others as assitants or so.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Yes, but if you still have time, aim for a bit harder scientific research after you're done with this one.

Harder? 🙄🙄🙄 What does that even mean anyways?

What ever that means, that's horrible advise. People should do research in an area in which they have an interest in. Something that is meaningful to them. Something that will motivate them. Not something that will supposedly impress someone else.

 

[still h0ping]

Wow.. why is this even a question if it's scientific research?

Sorry, I'm being kind of blunt, I research at an fmri lab too.. So basically, being in an fmri lab, means you're studying or analyzing a neurophysiological process in which blood flows to different regions requiring more oxygen.. You're studying activation patterns over the most complex organ - the brain.. why does this need to get anymore scientific?

I didn't understand Morsetlis's comment about getting into a "harder" lab either.. does he mean science research = wet lab research? Just do something you're interested in and stick with it.

By the way - if it helps, call it a neuroscience lab instead of a psych lab... people tend to misunderstand the breadth that psych covers, and don't always understand the relationship between cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience.

 

[LizzyM]

thanks for everyones' inputs.

I will try to aim for "harder" research but none is available and time is narrow for me as I plan to apply to med schools starting in June/July.

I understand that doing research of your own is highly regarded but what are the statistics of people doing that? I assumed most are following the research of others as assitants or so.

Most people who have their own little project began as an assistant or tech during sophomore year, worked over the following summer and through junior year. Then they get some funding and do their little project in the summer after junior year. Some people start research during freshman year (I suppose many of them learned some special skills in HS) and have a poster or publication by senior yr.

I'd estimate that at least 10% of our applicants have this level of research experience but that 10% are over represented among those who are invited to interview at a research intensive med school.