Would non-human subject research look distracted/off topic on a clin psy app?

[gohogwild]

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I recently got a small position in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab where I will likely be working with guinea pigs as subjects. Is this... not so good? I am not 100% sure I believe in guinea pigs as valid behavioral models to inform human psychology. But it's also my first research lab so I'm just glad they took me in. Also I'm pretty jazzed since I want to have an emphasis in neuroscience/biomarkers of psychopathology/biopsychology BUT:

Does animal-subject research will look worse than human-subject research?

 

[psych.meout]

I recently got a small position in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab where I will likely be working with guinea pigs as subjects. Is this... not so good? I am not 100% sure I believe in guinea pigs as valid behavioral models to inform human psychology. But it's also my first research lab so I'm just glad they took me in. Also I'm pretty jazzed since I want to have an emphasis in neuroscience/biomarkers of psychopathology/biopsychology BUT:

Does animal-subject research will look worse than human-subject research?

It's all about what other research experience you have and how you talk about your experiences (e.g., what you learned, how it fits into your grad school research interests)

 

[gohogwild]

It's all about what other research experience you have and how you talk about your experiences (e.g., what you learned, how it fits into your grad school research interests)

Makes a little too much sense.... thank you.

 

[PsyDr]

Guinea pigs are pretty good human models. Their physiology has similarities to humans, which is why they were used in TB research that won the Nobel prize. Their behavioral repertoire is social, limited, and responds to drugs with special affinity for Da agents.

 

[gohogwild]

Guinea pigs are pretty good human models. Their physiology has similarities to humans, which is why they were used in TB research that won the Nobel prize. Their behavioral repertoire is social, limited, and responds to drugs with special affinity for Da agents.

Thank you, that is reassuring.

 

[Ollie123]

A lot will depend on who you are applying to work with. In my circles that would be a huge, huge plus. Vastly better than the "I helped run mturk surveys" kind of lab experience many undergrads get.

So perhaps not "ideal" and probably shouldn't have that be literally your only research experience but if you want to explore it, go for it.

I know multiple clinical psychologist who exclusively do pre-clinical research.

 

[DrBakedGoods]

Echoing other people. It's *how* you can talk about your experiences and relate them back to the lab you want to be applying to. I worked with non-human subjects as part of a research internship and even though it had nothing to do with what I wanted to do in the future, I could frame it as taking advantage of available opportunities, being able to learn a brand new thing quickly & adapt, etc. Also I'm sure the PI will be able to write you a great LOR as a result.

 

[gohogwild]

A lot will depend on who you are applying to work with. In my circles that would be a huge, huge plus. Vastly better than the "I helped run mturk surveys" kind of lab experience many undergrads get.

So perhaps not "ideal" and probably shouldn't have that be literally your only research experience but if you want to explore it, go for it.

I know multiple clinical psychologist who exclusively do pre-clinical research.

Nice! Can I ask what your circles are? Biopsych?

 

[gohogwild]

Echoing other people. It's *how* you can talk about your experiences and relate them back to the lab you want to be applying to. I worked with non-human subjects as part of a research internship and even though it had nothing to do with what I wanted to do in the future, I could frame it as taking advantage of available opportunities, being able to learn a brand new thing quickly & adapt, etc. Also I'm sure the PI will be able to write you a great LOR as a result.

Good pointers for future interviews! Thank you.

 

[PsyDr]

Here’s some personal experience:

1) Find a theme that reconciles the two different areas (e.g., I am interested in how anxiety and social behavior intersect. And guinea pigs models offer an interesting mammalian model of how Da influences that behavior because they typically stick to the walls, but if you get them all cracked out on Da agents: boom! Right to the middle of the holding area. They’re kinda weird because they parent, but not as long as other rodent models. I wonder if that’s like how some people need an extra boost to be social and if that’s nature or nurture.).

2) behave yourself. Just trust me on this one.

 

[Ollie123]

Nice! Can I ask what your circles are? Biopsych?

Sorta? Addiction/health psychology with a strong neuroscience bend. I do some neuroimaging work, though it runs the gambit from that to qualitative/policy work.

Research is heavily interdisciplinary these days. There are no disciplinary boundaries anymore. If you spent a year building microchips it could still be super-relevant at the right lab.

None of this is to say you can get away without having any true clinical psych experience. Definitely work in a more traditional setting too. Just make sure you can weave a story.