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PSI CHI Board of Directors
SOCIETY PRESIDENT Susan Becker, PhD president@psichi.org
WESTERN REGIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT Brittany Avila, PhD westernvp@psichi.org
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Marianne Fallon, PhD marianne.fallon@psichi.org
ABBREVIATIONS
30 · CAREER ADVICE
The Intersection of Career and Purpose Staci L. Parker, PhD
Matters
34 · MENTAL
HEALTH
Succeeding in College Without Falling Into the Imposter Phenomenon Trap
Rochelle K. Nelson, PhD
RESEARCH
The Psi Chi Journal: Your Go-To for Publishing Research
Kimberli R. H. Treadwell, PhD
Albee Therese O. Mendoza, PhD
Tammy L. Zacchilli, PhD
26 · DIVERSITY Representation
Lori A. Barker, PhD
Shawn
Julie
Mitch
Jocelyn Turner-Musa,
Celia K. Naivar Şen, PhD,
WImproving Access to Psi Chi Membership and Merchandise
Marianne Fallon, PhD Psi Chi Executive Director
hen I was a Psi Chi faculty advisor, one of my students, Sadie (name changed), was so honored to receive an invitation to become a Psi Chi member that she immediately emailed me and humbly thanked me for recognizing her academic achievement. Days went by and I wondered why I hadn’t seen Sadie’s application for Psi Chi membership. I probed—gently—and learned that Sadie, a first-generation student whose parents are immigrants, simply could not afford Psi Chi’s one-time, lifetime membership fee at that point in her academic career.
I shared information about Psi Chi’s Membership Assistance Program and asked Sadie if I could request a fee waiver on her behalf. Although she was very appreciative, she was also reluctant to accept this assistance. I assured her that Psi Chi did not want financial barriers to stand in the way of qualified students joining the organization. Eventually, Sadie agreed, and became a member of Psi Chi through its Membership Assistance Program. At her induction ceremony, I was thrilled to give her a certificate and a cord to wear at graduation signifying her hard-earned achievements. Recently, Sadie earned a master’s degree.
Strengthening Membership Assistance
Since its inception in 2014, the Membership Assistance Program has supported 100 fee waivers annually, and more during the pandemic. Even as the world recovered from COVID-19, it was clear that the demand for membership assistance was not decreasing—it was increasing. Last year, Psi Chi’s Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff worked together to change policy and raise funds, supporting 239 membership assistance fee waivers. We still received more requests than we had the means to process. This year, we hope to increase access even further because we
• removed the cap on the number of membership assistance waivers a chapter advisor can request;
• streamlined the process of requesting waivers;
• started a fundraising campaign to support membership assistance fee waivers;
• secured an anonymous donor who will match contributions to the Membership Assistance Program up to $10,000; and
• hosted chapter advisor meetups to introduce these changes and provide support to advisors wishing to participate in the Membership Assistance Program.
Improving Transfer Student Access
In addition to increasing support for membership assistance, the Board
of Directors approved changes to the undergraduate student transfer policy making it easier for transfer students who meet chapter’s eligibility requirements to become Psi Chi members. I am grateful to Todd Joseph, Psi Beta’s Executive Director, for so passionately advocating for transfer students from two-year colleges. Further, I am indebted to the students who attended the Western Psychological Association’s annual convention for their enthusiasm in becoming connected to their four-year institution through their membership in Psi Chi. The updated policy allows chapter advisors to consider academic records from all prior institutions immediately upon the student’s transfer, without requiring students to establish an academic record at their four-year institution.
Offering High-Quality Merch at Fair Prices
Many Psi Chi members choose to celebrate their affiliation with Psi Chi merchandise. A quick perusal of the graduation posts on Psi Chi’s LinkedIn and Instagram show members adorned in graduation regalia. Yet, after surveying and talking with members who purchased Psi Chi merchandise, we know that accessing merchandise reliably and at affordable prices can be challenging. So, we
• transitioned merchandise operations back in house to reduce turnaround time and enhance customer service;
• improved ease at checkout while maintaining high standards of security;
• offered discounts on graduation regalia, including 30% off graduation cords and 10% off other graduation regalia until December 31, 2024; and
• have begun examining ways to improve affordability, particularly for graduation regalia.
We know that members or their family may not have disposable income, and chapters that previously provided regalia might have experienced budget cuts. We also know that Psi Chi, as a nonprofit, cannot compete with large retailers. Psi Chi is committed to providing members with high-quality products at fair prices with all proceeds from merchandise sales directly supporting Psi Chi programming. Strengthening membership assistance, enhancing transfer student access, and exploring ways to offer high-quality merchandise affordably mark Psi Chi’s commitment to continuously improve our members’ opportunities and experiences. When I gave Sadie her certificate and cord at her induction ceremony, we locked eyes and (I) got a bit emotional. In that moment, I was proud to be part of an organization dedicated to recognizing excellence in qualified members regardless of economic circumstance.
Psychological Insights From a Milestone: Four Lessons Learned From
Shawn R. Charlton, PhD, and Parker Hamilton University of Central Arkansas
Psi Chi turned 95 on September 4, 2024—and what graceful aging it has shown (Charlton, 2024a)! Nobody could’ve imagined that the brainchild of two graduate students, Edwin Newman and Frederick Lewis, would grow into such an impactful organization. Psi Chi’s successes, challenges, and history are worth celebrating!
This milestone made us think about the importance of celebrations in our lives. Temporal landmarks like birthdays,
Psi Chi’s 95th Anniversary
anniversaries, and even New Year’s Eve are more than just excuses for party hats and noisemakers. They can be important psychological power-ups! These events make us reflect on the past and commit to the future (Peetz & Wilson, 2013). They can boost our motivation by giving us that “fresh start” feeling (Dai et al., 2013). Plus, celebrating together strengthens our social bonds (Brick et al., 2022). Temporal landmarks can be moments to reset, recenter, and recommit!
So, has Psi Chi’s big 9-5 sparked any of these positive vibes for us? You bet! We’ve been reflecting on Psi Chi’s history and future potential, and we’ve come up with four important life lessons:
1. Purpose Matters
Psi Chi has a crystal-clear mission: “Recognizing and promoting excellence in the science and application of psychology” (Psi Chi, n.d.). It’s like a North Star guiding all their decisions. Having a personal mission statement can do wonders for our own lives too (Li et al., 2017). It helps us define what “success”—an incredibly subjective concept—means to us (Martela & Steger, 2016). As Stončikaitė (2019) put it, “ ‘success’ is a very personal definition ... based on one’s social, religious and cultural backgrounds, upbringing and value system” (p. 8). So, find your purpose—it’s like a compass for life!
2. Learning Is a Lifetime Pursuit
Psi Chi today is as different from its 1929 version as a smartphone is from the candlestick phones of the 1920s. The organization has had to constantly “reskill” and “upskill” to keep up with members’ changing needs. Just flip (well, click now that it is a digital magazine) through old issues of Eye on Psi Chi, and you’ll see how topics have evolved (Generative AI, anyone; Charlton, 2024b). We need to cultivate a habit of lifelong learning to remain resilient and adaptive throughout our lives. And lifelong learning is more than formal education. It’s about cultivating curiosity and seizing learning opportunities in our everyday environments (Narushima et al., 2016). Our local communities—including home and work—are filled with opportunities to try a new hobby, attend a local lecture, or finally figure out how to use all the features on our smartphones.
3. Relationships Are Key
Psi Chi is all about bringing people together, whether it’s through chapter events, regional activities, webinars, or advisor meet-ups.
Society leadership is actively developing strategies to use technology to build global relationships (Hofer & Hargittai, 2024). It turns out, these social connections are crucial for our well-being. A study in Colombia found that family interactions, social networks, support systems, and community engagement were all predictors of happiness (Velásquez, 2016). So, channel your inner Psi Chi and be international in making those connections happen!
4. Change Happens
You’re only going to be this age once, so make it count! Psi Chi has seen a lot of changes in 95 years—some planned, some not so much. Life’s the same way. We can’t control everything (wouldn’t that be nice?), but we can learn to navigate the currents. Think of yourself as a kayaker on the river of life. You can’t stop the flow, but you can steer your boat! The three lessons above—having a purpose, continuous learning, and building relationships—are like your paddle, life jacket, and map. They’ll help you stay resilient and adaptable no matter what rapids come your way.
We chose this upbeat, growth-focused intro to balance out the heavier topics in this edition of Psychology in the Headlines. Brace yourself for some deep dives into poverty, grief, chronic pain, and negative self-esteem. The contrast between our celebratory opener and these serious headlines highlights an important point: Psychology is all about the full spectrum of human experience. It’s not just about solving problems—it’s about helping people thrive in all aspects of life. Whether you’re facing a major obstacle or just trying to live your best life, psychological insights can be your secret weapon.
So, as we blow out Psi Chi’s 95 candles, let’s take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come in understanding behavior and the influences that shape it. And let’s get excited about where we’re headed next. After all, in the world of psychology, there’s always something new to discover, always another question to ask, and always another way to grow.
References
Brick, D. J., Wight, K. G., Bettman, J. R., Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2022). Celebrate good times: How celebrations increase perceived social support. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 42 (2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/07439156221145696
Charlton, S. R. (2024a, Spring). We are looking good for 95…but wait until you see us at 100! Eye on Psi, 28 (3), 4–6. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye28.3.4
Charlton, S. R. (2024b, Fall). Psychological literacy is critical in a world of generative AI. Eye on Psi Chi, 29 (1), 6–7. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye29.1.6
Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2015). Put your imperfections behind you: Temporal landmarks spur goal initiation when they signal new beginnings. Psychological Science, 26 (12), 1927–1936. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615605818
Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2013). The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior. Management Science, 60 (10), 2563–2582. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901
Hofer, M., & Hargittai, E. (2024). Online social engagement, depression, and anxiety among older adults. New Media & Society, 26 (1), 113–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211054377
Li, S.-T. T., Frohna, J. G., & Bostwick, S. B. (2017). Using your personal mission statement to inspire and achieve success. Academic Pediatrics, 17 (2), 107–109. https://doi.org/j.acap.2016.11.010
Martela, F., & Steger, M. F. (2016). The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11 (5), 531–545. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2015.1137623
Narushima, M., Liu, J., & Diestelkamp, N. (2016). Lifelong learning in active aging discourse: Its conserving effect on wellbeing, health and vulnerability. Ageing and Society, 38 (4), 651–675. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x16001136
Peetz, J., & Wilson, A. E. (2013). The post-birthday world: Consequences of temporal landmarks for temporal selfappraisal and motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104 (2), 249–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030477
Psi Chi. (n.d.). Mission & purpose. Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. Retrieved October 3, 2024, at https://www.psichi.org/page/purpose
Stončikaitė, I. (2019). Revisiting happiness and well-being in later life from interdisciplinary age-studies perspectives. Behavioral Sciences, 9 (9), 94. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9090094
Velásquez, L. (2016). The importance of relational goods for happiness: Evidence from Manizales, Colombia. In M. Rojas (Ed.), Handbook of happiness research in Latin America (pp. 91–112). Springer.
A Cost of Poverty: Negative Impacts on Mental Health
Alexandrea O’Neill, Sherayle Faucette, and Deja Thomas University of Central Arkansas
Worries about money, including financial sustainability, the job market, and personal finances, are common stressors for almost all adults (American Psychological Association, 2023). However, the magnitude of these worries can be much greater for those who live in poverty, where financial concerns become major sources of distress and disruption (Cherry, 2023).
Poverty affects more than just a person’s financial life. It is also a significant determinant of physical and mental health (Simon et al., 2018). Living in a severe state of poverty can negatively affect education, physical health, social support, and overall well-being that can last generations (Marshall Lee et al., 2022). Growing research indicates that mental health issues represent a major public health concern, with the heaviest impact falling on economically disadvantaged populations (Knifton et al., 2020).
Poverty and mental illness have been shown to interact in a negative cycle, especially in low—and middle-income countries (Lund et al., 2011). Speaking to this cycle, Ridley (2020) states:
Poverty itself can influence cognitive function by capturing attention and taxing mental bandwidth. Mental illness may have similar effects, by capturing attention, causing excessive rumination, and distorting people’s memories and beliefs about their abilities. Such cognitive impacts could alter a range of economic decisions and outcomes, from finding jobs to saving to education … (p. 5)
As suggested by Ridley, individuals living with poverty experience negative cognitive consequences, leading them to struggle to find a job, which can lead to working jobs that, in and of themselves, worsen mental illness (Allan et al., 2022). Thus, furthering the cycle where worsening mental illness makes it difficult to earn a stable income (Tarr, 2018), unstable income leads to housing insecurity, which feeds back into further mental health challenges (Marbin et al., 2022).
This cycle can start from birth, as poverty leaves devastating impacts on children’s mental health (Resources to Recover, 2023). However, states that have implemented more antipoverty programs were shown to reduce mental health symptoms significantly in children (Knopf et al., 2023). People who have access to basic necessities like food, water, and shelter can better focus on treating their mental illnesses (Excel Psychiatry, n.d). Alleviating the stress of multigenerational poverty is going to take multilayered efforts, but it is imperative to find solutions to help end this continuous cycle (Van, L.E., 2023).
Psychologists can play a role in mitigating the cycle between poverty and mental health. Training psychologists to address social determinants on mental health with cultural humility and community-based participatory research is critical to accomplishing this goal (Woods-Jaeger et al., 2024).
References
Allan, B. A., Kim, T., & Shein, B. (2022). Underemployment and mental health: A longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 69 (5), 578–588. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000610
American Psychological Association. (2023, November). Stress in America 2023: A nation recovering from collective trauma [Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2023/collective-trauma-recovery
Cherry, K. (2023, September 6). Understanding and preventing financial stress Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-and-preventing-financial-stress-3144546 Excel Psychiatry. (n.d). Breaking the cycle of poverty and mental health Excel Psychiatry. https://excel-psychiatry.com/poverty-and-mental-health/ Knifton, L., & Inglis, G. (2020). Poverty and mental health: policy, practice and research implications. BJPsych Bulletin, 44 (5), 193–196. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2020.78 Knopf, A. (2023). Anti‐poverty programs can improve mental health in children. Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update, 25 (7), 6–7. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpu.30784
Lund, C., De Silva, M., Plagerson, S., Cooper, S., Chisholm, D., Das, J., Knapp, M., & Patel, V. (2011). Poverty and mental disorders: Breaking the cycle in low-income and middle-income countries. The Lancet, 378 (9801), 1502–1514. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/22008425/
Marbin, D., Gutwinski, S., Schreiter, S., & Heinz, A. (2022). Perspectives in poverty and mental health. Frontiers in Public Health, 10 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.975482
Marshall Lee, E. D., Hinger, C., Lam, H., & Wood, K. A. (2022). Addressing deep poverty-related stress across multiple levels of intervention. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 32 (1), 34–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/ int0000255
Resources to Recover. (2023, July 24). The mental health toll of poverty: Understanding challenges faced by the poor in the United States https://www.rtor.org/2023/07/20/the-mental-health-toll-of-poverty/ Ridley, M., Rio, G., Schilbach, F., & Patel, V. (2020). Poverty, depression, and anxiety: Causal evidence and mechanisms. Science, 370 (6522). http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay0214
Simon, K., Beder, M., & Manseau, M.W. (2018). Addressing poverty and mental illness. Psychiatric Times, 35 (6). https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/addressing-poverty-and-mental-illness
Tarr, P. (2018, November 19). Homelessness and mental illness: A challenge to our society. Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. https://bbrfoundation.org/blog/homelessness-and-mental-illness-challenge-our-society Van, L. E. (2023, November 23). The three faces of poverty-related stress . Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/happybytes/202311/the-three-faces-of-poverty-related-stress Woods-Jaeger, B., Cho, B., & Briggs, E. C. (2024). Training psychologists to address social determinants of mental health. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 18 (1), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000307
Grief’s Hidden Toll: How Grief Accelerates Aging
Ashanti Levingston, Kennedi Carroll, and Will Auner
As we age, we encounter more opportunities to experience the loss of important relationships. Debra Kouremetis (2024) writing for Psychology Today, wrote “A paradox of living is that striving to age healthfully can lead to increased longevity, meaning you’ll have more experiences with death the older you get.” Grieving a loss has both a physical and psychological impact.
Grief and aging are closely linked, creating a complex relationship that can impact an individual’s emotional and mental health. Thompson (2024) reported that experiencing grief can affect the pace of physical aging, including influences on memory, depression, and cellular indicators of aging. The emotional toll of grief—such as feelings of anger, apathy, or guilt—can make it more difficult to recall information, stay focused, and manage everyday tasks (Gerber et al., 2022). Writing for NPR, McCoy (2021) summarized this relationship as, “Grief is tied to all sorts of different brain functions we have, from being able to recall memories to taking the perspective of another person, to even things like regulating our heart rate and the experience of pain and suffering.”
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—offer a useful framework for understanding the emotional impact of aging and memory loss (Tyrrell, 2023). Initially, it may not be clear how grief is increasing memory loss. According to O’Conner, “Newer methods, including neuroimaging, have observed that the greatest impact of the death
of a loved one is in those who have the most severe psychological grief reactions” (O’Conner, 2019). Bereavement camps are one of many instrumental resources in addressing these challenges, as they provide structured support throughout each stage of grief (Salinas, 2021). By helping those affected by grief process with their emotions and manage cognitive difficulties, these camps play a crucial role in facilitating recovery and improving overall well-being.
Time plays a great part in growing in your grief. Reynolds and Grühn (2023) “found that individuals who experienced a recent loss reported more grief and more negative death attitudes compared to individuals who experienced a loss more than 5 years ago.” This goes to show that time does heal, grief teaches you that life goes on, and we know that time never stops for anyone. Although time passes by, you allow yourself to move on and let go of things holding you back. The knowledge in knowing that we all have a death date, and time is not stopping for us, it makes people realize the things that are truly valuable in life.
Grief can even make you age biologically. Scientists have conducted research studies proving this statement.
Biological aging involves the gradual decline in how well your cells, tissues and organs function. For this study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 4,500 people who provided blood samples for DNA testing as part of a longterm study on health. The participants were tracked from their teenage years into adulthood. Two or more losses in adulthood were more strongly linked to accelerated biological aging than one loss, and significantly more so than no losses, results show. About 40% of participants experienced at least one loss between ages 33 and 43. (Thompson, 2024).
Understanding that grief has the ability to alter one’s cognitive abilities is crucial for developing effective strategies to support others in managing both their cognitive and emotional health while also improving their quality of life. “Acceptance involves coming to terms with one’s self and finding ways to continue living a meaningful life,” (Kessler, 2013). By understanding and working through the stages of grief, we can provide essential support to those dealing with aging and memory loss. With effective coping strategies and positive interventions, we might find ways to slow down the aging process and make life a little more manageable and more fulfilling.
References
Gerber, K., Brijnath, B., Lock, K., Bryant, C., Hills, D., & Hjorth, L. (2022). “Unprepared for the depth of my feelings” - Capturing grief in older people through research poetry. Age and Ageing, 51 (3). https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac030 Kessler, D. (2013). Five stages of grief by Elisabeth Kubler Ross & David Kessler Grief.com https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/ Kouremetis, D. (2024, March 28). Aging often means losing those around us. Psychology Today. Retrieved September 15, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/raging-with-grace/202403/ aging-often-means-losing-those-around-us McCoy, B. (2021, December 20). How your brain copes with grief, and why it takes time to heal NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/20/1056741090/grief-loss-holiday-brain-healing O’Connor, M.-F. (2019). Grief: A brief history of research on how body, mind, and brain adapt. Psychosomatic Medicine, 81 (8), 731–738. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000717
Reynolds, C. M., & Grühn, D. (2023). Does time heal all wounds? An investigation of time, grief, and attitudes toward death. Death Studies , 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2023.2297065
Salinas, C. L. (2021). The impact of bereavement camp for children with grief. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30 (1), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000147
Thompson, D. (2024, July 29). Grief can truly age people, study finds U.S. News; HeathDay. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-07-29/grief-can-truly-age-people-study-finds Tyrrell, P. (2023, February 26). Kubler-Ross stages of dying and subsequent models of grief. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507885/
Pain Beyond the Physical:
The Far-Reaching Impact of Chronic Pain on Overall Psychological Well-Being
Becky Bandy and Karma Bowers University of Central Arkansas
Chronic pain—pain that persists or recurs over the course of three months (Thomas et al., 2024) and is distinct from a typical acute pain experience (Garner, 2023)—can be debilitating, physically and psychologically (De La Rosa et al., 2023). Psychological responses to chronic pain enhance its disruptions and can be magnified by its presence (Hooten, 2016). Often, physical and psychological consequences of chronic pain increase together (Gatchel, 2004).
The mechanisms connecting chronic pain and psychological conditions are not fully understood. Hooten (2016) explored possible connections—including neural systems—between pain and decreased psychological well-being, suggesting there may be direct links between the two experiences. Garner (2023) reported that people with chronic pain were found to have unique neural activity signatures, suggesting direct neural connections between chronic pain and psychological well-being. Because of the link with psychological well-being, chronic pain may exacerbate suicidal ideation. Lewcun and colleagues (2018) showed that pain duration was a significant predictor of suicidal ideation: The longer the pain lasted, the more suicidal ideation thoughts participants reported. This research team recommended routine screening for suicidal thoughts in patients with chronic pain. Treating those with psychological challenges linked to chronic pain can become complicated. Managing the effects of chronic pain and PTSD evokes anxieties that result in an existential crisis about how life is going to look like with these illnesses, and in concerns about dying (Reed et al., 2023). Different therapies have started to come out to fully understand and treat chronic pain and mental health together (Kleinke, 1991). Beyond understanding the link between the two, there is evidence suggesting CBT has a beneficial outcome for the patient (Morley & Williams, 2015).
As research grows around the link between mental health and chronic pain, Marshall (2022) states that researchers explored the effectiveness of Pain Reprocessing Therapy for treating chronic back pain. Ashar and colleagues (2022) states, “the brain can generate pain in the absence of injury or after an injury is healed, people can unlearn that pain.” This condition affects 20% of Americans. PRT is based on the assumption that chronic pain can last even without a physical cause due to neural pathways misfiring in the brain. Results concluded that participants were pain-free or nearly pain-free. This study reinforces the idea that therapies such as PRT could be key in transforming how pain is treated and offer hope to millions of Americans seeking an alternative to pharmaceuticals and traditional pain management. As research suggests, there is a link between mental health and chronic pain. They can be debilitating illnesses but understanding how to treat the two illnesses is becoming prevalent in today’s research.
References
Ashar, Y. K., Gordon, A., Schubiner, H., Uipi, C., Knight, K., Anderson, Z., Carlisle, J., Polisky, L., Geuter, S., Flood, T. F., Kragel, P. A., Dimidjian, S., Lumley, M. A., & Wager, T. D. (2022). Effect of pain reprocessing therapy vs Placebo and usual care for patients with chronic back pain. JAMA Psychiatry, 79 (1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2669
De La Rosa, J. S., Brady, B. R., Ibrahim, M. M., Herder, K. E., Wallace, J. S., Padilla, A. R., & Vanderah, T. W. (2023). Co-occurrence of chronic pain and anxiety/depression symptoms in U.S. adults: Prevalence, functional impacts, and opportunities. Pain, 165 (5), 666–673. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003056
Garner, I. (2023, May 22). Has science cracked the code on chronic pain? University of California San Francisco. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2023/05/425386/has-science-cracked-code-chronic-pain
Gatchel, R. J. (2004). Comorbidity of chronic pain and mental health disorders: The biopsychosocial perspective. American Psychologist, 59 (8), 795–805. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.59.8.795
Hooten, W. M. (2016, June 22). Chronic pain and mental health disorders. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 91 (7), 955–970. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(16)30182-3/fulltext
Kleinke, C. L. (1991). How chronic pain patients cope with depression: Relation to treatment outcome in a multidisciplinary pain clinic. Rehabilitation Psychology, 36 (4), 207–218. https://doi.org/10.1037//0090-5550.36.4.207
Lewcun, B., Kennedy, T. M., Tress, J., Miller, K. S., Sherker, J., & Sherry, D. D. (2018). Predicting suicidal ideation in adolescents with chronic amplified pain: The roles of depression and pain duration. Psychological Services, 15(3), 309–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000210
Marshall, L. (2022, March 11). Unlearning pain: How psychological therapy could aid chronic pain . Alumni Association. https://www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2022/03/11unlearning-pain-how-psychological-therapy-could-aid-chronic-pain
Morley, S., & Williams, A. (2015, April). New developments in the psychological management of chronic pain. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 60 (4), 168–175. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F070674371506000403
Reed, D. E., Williams, R. M., Engel, C. C., & Zeliadt, S. B. (2023). Introducing the integrated model of co-occurring chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder: Adding meaning-making and existential concepts to current theory. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001591
Thomas, M. V., van Ryckeghem, D. M., Schulz, A., Müller, R., Lambracht, K., Adermann, J., & Vögele, C. (2024). Mental disorders in chronic pain patients seeking treatment at atertiary pain hospital. European Journal of Health Psychology, 31 (1), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000142
From Instagram to TikTok: Changes in Women’s Self-Esteem in the Social Media Age
Catherine McCutcheon, Kayla Evans, and Libby Heiskell University of Central Arkansas
As social media becomes more embedded in daily life, its impact on behavior and mental health is increasingly evident. This is especially true for women, where evidence suggests social media use increases eating disorders and body dysmorphia as well as decreased self-esteem (Dollimore et al., 2024).
Research shows several concerning outcomes regarding social media and women’s self-esteem. First, girls and women may experience increased anxiety and eating disorders due to fear of missing out, which worsens when access to social media is restricted, a common strategy for mitigating negative impacts (Bissell & Chou, 2024). Second, college women with high appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC) report higher depression and lower body esteem with increased social media use (Choukas-Bradley et al., 2019). Third, disordered eating
becomes more prevalent as women compare their body image to social media posts (Choukas-Bradley, 2020). Hogue and Mills (2019) similarly noted that women and girls feel worse about themselves when comparing with friends and peers online.
The widespread influence of social media has formed a pervasive culture of comparison among women (Pedalino & Camerini, 2022). Celebrity posts, often featuring sexualized images, significantly influence women and girls, leading to decreased self-confidence (Skowronski et al., 2021). Kim Kardashian’s large presence, for example, exerts a notable impact on girls and women (Pedalino & Camerini, 2022). Additionally, Maheux et al. (2024) found that concerns about appearance transfer between online and offline spaces, with social media reinforcing body image issues in daily life. These effects extend beyond body image, affecting communication and contributing to negative mental health outcomes (Li & Zhuo, 2023).
In 2016, CBS News reported on how social media has significantly impacted young teenage girls’ self-esteem, shifting comparisons from celebrities to friends and colleagues (CBS News, 2016).
Fortunately, there are strategies for addressing the negative self-esteem effects associated with social media usage. Current evidence suggests direct strategies are: (a) setting boundaries, (b) curating feeds to include positive influences, and (c) engaging in offline activities that enrich our lives and connections (Alejo, 2023). Social media fasts can also be useful. Egamulin (2024) found that a one-week social media break improved self-esteem and body-esteem among women. Similarly, Alejo (2023) reported that a three-day break from social media led to greater self-compassion in girls. These studies suggest that the negative impacts of social media on self-esteem can be reversed and managed.
As social media continues to evolve, understanding its psychological effects and developing strategies for healthier engagement are crucial. When used correctly, social media can enhance self-esteem and strengthen real-life relationships.
References
Alejo, A. (2023, February 28). Social media fasting benefits young women and girls, finds Colorado Study. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/social-media- fasting-benefits- young-women-and-girls -finds-colorado-study/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h
Bissell, K., & Chou, S. (2024). Living for the likes: Social media use, fear of missing out, and body and life satisfaction in women. Psychology of Popular Media, 13 (3), 481–489. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000507
CBS News. (2016). Living in live time: Social media’s impact on girls. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/social-media-use-teens/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h
Choukas-Bradley, S., Nesi, J., Widman, L., & Galla, B. M. (2020). The appearance-related social media consciousness scale: Development and validation with adolescents. Body Image, 33 , 164–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.017
Choukas-Bradley, S., Nesi, J., Widman, L., & Higgins, M. K. (2019). Camera-ready: Young women’s appearancerelated social media consciousness. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8 (4), 473–481. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000196
Dollimore, K., Hurst, M., Cassarly, J. A., & Bell, B. T. (2024). Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between young student women’s experiences of everyday sexual harassment on social media and self-objectification, body shame, and personal safety anxiety. Psychology of Popular Media . https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000554
Egamulin. (2024, May 1). Social-media break has huge impact on young women’s body image: York U study. News@York. https://www.yorku.ca/news/2024/04/30social-media-break- has-huge-impact-on-young-womens-body-imageyork-u-study/
Hogue, J. V., & Mills, J. S. (2019). The effects of active social media engagement with peers on body image in young women. Body Image, 28 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.11.002
Li, P., & Zhuo, Q. (2023). Emotional straying: Flux and management of women’s emotions in social media. PLOS ONE, 18 (12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295835
Maheux, A. J., Burnell, K., & Choukas-Bradley, S. (2024). Bidirectional associations between online and offline appearance concerns during early-to-middle adolescence. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001795
Padalino, F., & Camerini, A.-L. (2022). Instagram use and body dissatisfaction: The mediating role of upward social comparison with peers and influencers among young females. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (3), 1543. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031543
Skowronski, M., Busching, R., & Krahé, B. (2021). Links between exposure to sexualized Instagram images and body image concerns in girls and boys. Journal of Media Psychology, 34 (1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000296
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For over 50 years, we have been preparing the next generation of mental health professionals.
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Founded as the first freestanding school of psychology, our California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) enjoys APA, CACREP, and COAMFTE accreditations, and provides students small cohorts, exceptional support, a wide network of alumni in the field, and a curriculum rooted in a history of notable faculty including Abraham Maslow, Viktor Frankl, Igor Ansoff, Jay Haley, and many others.
Founded as the first freestanding school of psychology, our California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) enjoys APA, CACREP, and COAMFTE accreditations, and provides students small cohorts, exceptional support, a wide network of alumni in the field, and a curriculum rooted in a history of notable faculty including Abraham Maslow, Viktor Frankl, Igor Ansoff, Jay Haley, and many others.
Let our legacy help you build yours.
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Clinical Psychology priority application deadline is November 15.
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Congratulations to Psi Chi's 2024 Scholarship Recipients!
by Psi Chi Awards and Grants
It is an honor to recognize these scholarship recipients for their outstanding dedication to psychology and to society. All student members are encouraged to apply for scholarship funding—the application portal will open in spring 2025.
GRADUATE RECIPIENTS
Annie Cooper
Arizona State University
Annie is a second-year PhD student in the Cognitive Science Psychology program at Arizona State University. She focuses on memory, decisionmaking, and computational methods, using techniques like fMRI and pupillometry to explore how the human brain functions.
Annie's research combines advanced neuroimaging techniques and computational methods to investigate the neural mechanisms behind memory and decision-making. The Psi Chi Graduate Scholarship will support her work, enhancing her skills and positioning her to make significant contributions in cognitive science and psychology for her future career.
Alireza Zareian Jahromi
Fordham University (NY)
Ali is a third-year PhD student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at Fordham University. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in clinical psychology from Shiraz University in Iran in 2017 and 2020, respectively. Ali is currently the copresident of the Psi Chi Rose Hill Chapter at Fordham University.
Ali's research aims to enhance the well-being of school-aged children through socio-emotional interventions, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and self-compassion. He is also interested in the teacher-child relationship and its influence on their mental health.
Ray Kaidbay
Michigan School of Psychology
Ray is a dedicated psychology researcher and practitioner pursuing a PsyD at the Michigan School of Psychology. With a focus on psychological flexibility and trauma, Ray is committed to advancing mental health through research, clinical practice, and leadership, particularly for underserved populations.
This scholarship empowers me to continue my research on psychological flexibility and trauma, directly contributing to my growth as a psychologist. It relieves financial stress, allowing me to focus on advancing mental health interventions for underserved communities, ultimately shaping my career and commitment to making a meaningful impact in psychology.
Artemiy Leonov
University of West Georgia
Artemiy, an international student from Russia, is a first-year community psychology PhD student at University of West Georgia. In pursuit of the doctorate degree, he performs research in theoretical psychology, investigating the emergence of self-conscious emotions and philosophical properties of knowledge generated by psychological science.
In the age of computation, I firmly believe that psychology should not lose its interest in human experience. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to explore theoretical options of improving methodologies of psychological investigation, making the fullness and diversity of human emotions and identities compatible with scientific rigor.
Erica Medina
Michigan School of Psychology
Erica is a fourth-year doctoral student currently on an internship at a university counseling center. She is currently working on her dissertation focused on the implementation of an interpersonal psychotherapy intervention for depression with Latino emerging adults.
This scholarship will assist in the final year of my doctoral program and in the completion of my doctoral degree by providing me with financial assistance to complete my dissertation and internship.
Rita M. Rivera, PsyD
Drake University (IA)
Rita is a licensed clinical psychologist at Yale University. She is currently pursuing a master’s in clinical psychopharmacology at Drake University. Rita has clinical and research experience with multicultural/multilingual populations in the US and Latin America. She is a Hispanic/Latina clinician, a first-generation immigrant, and an international student.
The scholarship will allow me to pursue a master’s in clinical psychopharmacology, which is a vital step toward becoming a multiculturally sensitive, prescribing psychologist. By covering tuition expenses, the funds will enable me to gain critical expertise in the intersection of medication and psychological treatment, equipping me to provide holistic, patient-centered care. This advanced training will enhance my ability to serve marginalized and underserved populations by offering more integrated and comprehensive mental health services.
Julia Toomey
Utah Valley University
Julia is a second-year clinical mental health counseling student at Utah Valley University. Her research explores psychometric testing, telehealth, methodology app development, and the relationship between the Multicultural Orientation Framework and psychotherapy outcomes. As Psi Chi chapter president, she is passionate about helping others succeed and promoting connection.
This scholarship has impacted my life in many ways. It has given me the opportunity to work less, allowing me to devote more time to self-care, research, school, and professional growth. Thank you, Psi Chi, and my advisor, Russ Bailey, for your continued support, knowledge, encouragement, and believing in me.
Alyssa Zerbe
Marywood University (PA)
Alyssa graduated summa cum laude with a BA in psychology and art at Albright College where she served as Psi Chi President. Currently, she is pursuing her master of arts in art therapy at Marywood University. This scholarship will allow her to continue her studies to provide therapeutic benefits to improve the lives of her future clients as a practicing art therapist.
INEZ BEVERLY PROSSER SCHOLARSHIP FOR WOMEN OF COLOR GRADUATE RECIPIENT
Tatianna Dugue
The City College of New York
Tatianna is a clinical psychology doctoral student at The City College of New York (CCNY). She investigates spirituality and its affirming possibilities for queer mental health. She is passionate about working with emerging adults in their integration of their queer and spiritual identities as well as exploring identity across the lifespan with patients.
Tatianna hopes to become one of the few queer Black female psychologists in New York with her training at CCNY and dedicate much of her practice to helping minoritized individuals in their mental health. Receiving the Prosser Scholarship in remembrance of the first African American woman to receive a PhD in psychology is an incredible honor and she is grateful to have it aid her clinical journey.
Psi Chi has personally provided me with so many tools and resources to advance my career in the field. This scholarship will allow me to defray the costs of graduate school as a low-income student. Without funds such as these, I wouldn't have been able to attend college in the first place as I am fully responsible for the costs of my studies. I am incredibly grateful to receive this Psi Chi Honor Society scholarship to continue my career in this beloved science and positively impact those around me.
UNDERGRADUATE RECIPIENTS
Suzanne Aguirre
Milligan University (TN)
Suzanne is a first-generation college student double majoring in psychology and social work at Milligan University. She aims to pursue graduate studies in developmental psychology and dedicated to supporting underserved communities and empowering future Latina students in higher education.
Receiving the Psi Chi Undergraduate Scholarship was genuinely life-changing for me. It helped alleviate worries of financial burdens, allowing me to focus solely on my education and research. This support brings me one step closer to my dream of making a difference in the lives of others through my work.
James Belanger
Rice University (TX)
Driven by a fascination with language and the human mind, James Belanger is a senior at Rice University majoring in psychology, cognitive sciences, and linguistics. As Psi Chi chapter president, he has promoted mental health awareness on campus and intends to pursue research focusing on psycholinguistics and cognitive neuroscience.
Receiving this scholarship will significantly support my academic journey, allowing me to deepen my interdisciplinary studies concerning cognition. I am committed to advancing our understanding of language and cognition, and this scholarship will enable me to pursue research that can make a meaningful impact in these fields.
Alina Hyk
Oregon State University
Alina is a senior honors student at Oregon State University, double majoring in psychology and computer science with minors in statistics and mathematics. She is working extensively on research in AI, exploring human-computer interaction, anthropomorphism of AI systems, and LLM applications for science and education.
This scholarship provides invaluable support, allowing me to finally take the advanced fall courses I’ve been working toward. These classes will empower me to push the boundaries of AI research, advancing innovative systems in education and science. I’m incredibly grateful for this transformative opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the field!
Riley Lanning
Hastings College (NE)
Riley is a senior psychology and philosophy double major with a minor in biology. She serves as her chapter’s Psi Chi president among other leadership positions. Riley has worked as a research assistant at Hastings College and KU Leuven in Belgium and hopes to pursue gut-brain axis research during graduate school.
Receiving this generous support allows me to pursue my academic aspirations in psychological research with greater focus and determination. I’m excited to continue making a meaningful impact in my community and pursuing scientific training and research after graduation.
Faith Miller
Auburn University (AL)
Faith is a senior honors psychology student at Auburn University. She serves as Psi Chi chapter president, works as a research assistant in several labs, and serves on several other leadership teams on campus. She hopes to pursue a career in clinical neuropsychology, conducting research on neurodegenerative diseases and aging.
As a first-generation student, it was hard to imagine the full financial burden of a career in academia. A crucial scholarship I received won’t be renewed this year, leaving me to cover housing costs. My family struggles due to past financial hardships, so I have worked two jobs to manage expenses. This scholarship helps ease my burden and support future PhD plans.
Mai Tran
University of Michigan
Mai Tran is a senior at the University of Michigan serving as Psi Chi chapter events chair. She is majoring in biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience (BCN) and aims to pursue a career in clinical psychology with a focus on child development and family dynamics.
Receiving this scholarship enables access to critical resources and opportunities, thus empowers me to advance my education in psychology and pursue research opportunities that I'm passionate about. It also allows me to dedicate more time to my chapter's academic rigor and overall success.
Manasha Sahana Vengat
University of California, San Diego
Manasha Sahana Vengat is a senior business psychology major with minors in critical gender studies and marketing. At UCSD, she is the President of their Psi Chi Chapter, VP Marketing of College Panhellenic Association, an AOII, an intern at the LGBT Resource Center, and an ELC Lab research assistant.
Being a recipient of the Psi Chi Scholarship will alleviate the financial burden of tuition and expenses, enabling me to focus on completing my final year at UC San Diego. This support empowers me to advance my research, contribute to our chapter's initiatives, and make a meaningful impact in the field of psychology.
Maria Lujan Lopez Zavala
Kansas State University
Lujan is an international student from Paraguay. She is a senior in psychology with a minor in conflict analysis and trauma studies. Lujan is the president of the Psi Chi chapter at her school, and previously served as an ambassador. Right now, she is working in 2 research labs, as well as a teaching assistant in a psych class. She hopes to attend graduate school and get a PhD in industrial-organizational psychology.
CHRISTIAN LADD HALL SCHOLARSHIP
(sponsored by McGraw Hill)
UNDERGRADUATE RECIPIENT
Ariana Espinosa Grimaldo (Christian Ladd Hall Scholarship)
Texas A&M University–Central Texas
Ariana completed her associate degree at Temple College and is currently a senior at Texas A&M University–Central Texas, pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology. She has been a member of the Psi Chi Chapter at Texas A&M University–Central Texas since spring of 2024. Ariana currently serves as the secretary of her Psi Chi chapter and the Psychology Club’s social media coordinator.
Through research, I hope to bring awareness of mental health topics within the Hispanic/Latin American community, specifically reducing the cultural stigma surrounding psychological disorders. As an immigrant and first-generation student, I aspire to advocate for mental health resources that will facilitate clinical practices for Spanish-speaking and underprivileged communities.
Making an Excellent First Impression: Your First 90 Days on the Job
Diane A. Safer, PhD Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Remember that feeling when you arrived as a new student on your college campus, a little nervous, eager to explore, make friends, and find your way? When you get a new job, those same emotions often come back, especially if this new job is your first job. Once again it’s your chance to carve out a place in a new environment. As you step into this new chapter, the first 90 days offer a unique chance to establish your role and demonstrate your potential.
The first 90 days—whether you view it as three months or a quarter of the business year—are crucial for new hires to acclimate to the company culture and build relationships with their team. During this time, you have the chance to bolster your credibility, begin to build relationships, and establish yourself.
The Power of First Impressions
You’ve likely heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This is especially important when you start a new job, as people quickly form opinions that tend to last. And they are often self-perpetuating.
First impressions have been found to affect everything from election results, where quick judgments about candidates’ personalities based on their looks can predict their success (Olivola & Todorov, 2010), to court decisions that affect judicial decisions (Zebrowitz & McDonald, 1991). People often stick to their first impressions of others and struggle to change their minds, even when they are given plenty of evidence that contradicts their initial opinion (Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2014).
The start of a new job is a critical time to impress your boss, your colleagues, and a key time to make and solidify a great first impression. Here are some tips to guide you through your first three months on the job. Focus on these key strategies to be better equipped to make a positive impact and start your new role on the right foot.
Dive in With Caution
It’s both exciting and nerve-wracking to start a new position. You may be worried that you don’t know enough. You may feel like you need to prove yourself. You may be excited and filled with lots of excellent ideas about new and better ways to do things. When starting a new job, it’s important to dive in with enthusiasm but proceed with caution to ensure you understand your new company’s culture, your new boss’s expectations, and your new team’s dynamics.
Consider these approaches:
Use the first weeks to learn. Absorb as much as you can and clarify what’s expected of you as you start to build strong relationships with the colleagues you’ll be working closely with.
Think carefully before you speak. Keep personal opinions to yourself for now. Save those big ideas for later.
Spend most of your time listening. Follow the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule (Guy-Evans, 2023). Spend 80% of time listening, and only 20% talking, and even then, mostly asking questions.
Be flexible. Be willing to do things differently than how you did them before. New places bring new rules and expectations.
Be an Excellent Communicator
Effective communication is key to your success in the first 90 days of any role. Clear communication helps you gain others’ trust and understand expectations. Asking the right questions shows you’re engaged and prevents misunderstandings that can slow you down.
Think about doing these actions to excel:
Communicate often and well. Check in regularly to update your manager and confirm you are on the right track. Set up times to meet with your coworkers to align expectations.
Be responsive. Respond to your emails and other messages promptly, even if it’s just to acknowledge receipt and let the sender know you’ll follow up.
Seek feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you need clarification or input—this shows your eagerness to learn and adapt and demonstrates your commitment to doing your best.
Listen actively. Give others your full attention, avoid interruptions, and use verbal and nonverbal cues (such as nodding) to show engagement and to confirm your understanding. Fully focus on the speaker to understand their message and respond thoughtfully.
Exceed Expectations
As you start your new job, it’s crucial to go beyond what’s expected. This means not only meeting deadlines and fulfilling job responsibilities but also actively seeking ways to contribute. This will demonstrate you are a proactive and dedicated team member.
Adopt these practices:
Take initiative. Don’t wait for things to happen—actively seek out ways to contribute and assist. Offer your help before being asked.
Be enthusiastic. Embrace new opportunities with a positive attitude. Say “yes” to experiences that challenge you and expand your horizons. Commit to excellence. Dedicate yourself fully to your tasks by staying focused and motivated. By consistently working hard, you will build skills while significantly contributing to your team and organization’s success.
Focus on Impact, Not Balance
In the first 90 days of a new job, striving for perfect work-life balance may not be realistic. This is a pivotal time to prove your dedication and establish a strong foundation for your role. Be prepared to invest extra effort to show your commitment and make a positive impression.
Here are some strategies to help you navigate this demanding period:
Maximize your time. Work later and harder at this new stage to show what you are capable of. Be the first to arrive, return from lunch early, and, if possible, be one of the last to leave.
Be present and engaged. Immerse yourself fully during these early days. Let your boss and new colleagues see you. Even if you are remote or hybrid, keep your camera on during these virtual meetings and team conversations to show your presence. When in the office, stay off your cellphone while at work.
Exude Professionalism
Embodying professionalism encompasses a range of behaviors and attitudes that reflect respect, integrity, and competence. This means communicating effectively, being punctual and reliable, maintaining a positive attitude, and treating others with courtesy and professionalism. It also involves taking ownership of your work, being accountable for your actions, and continuously striving for excellence.
Follow some practical approaches to showing professionalism:
Build trust. Do everything you promise to do.
Be polished at all times. In addition to drafting professional emails, use that same level of professionalism in voice-mail messages, notes, texts, and even hellos in the hallways.
Be positive. Don’t say ANYTHING bad about your previous company, boss, or situation.
Stay off social media. Keep your work life and personal life separate. Do not connect with new colleagues on social media platforms, other than LinkedIn.
Prepare Before You Even Begin
Preparing yourself for a new job before you start can set the stage for a successful transition. Early preparation will position you to hit the ground running. This preparation can also help reduce the anxiety and uncertainty that often accompany change, allowing you to approach your first days with confidence and focus.
Here are some ideas on how to prep in advance:
Get to know the company. Review recent social media posts and look at company press releases, easily found on the company website, to understand the company’s culture and values. Research industry trends to gain a deeper understanding of your field and where your company fits in.
Tools and software. Find out what key tools, software, and processes are commonly used in your new position and try to familiarize yourself with them before you even arrive.
Online courses. Take an online course to set you up for success, such as this free Coursera course: Assimilating Into Your New Job to craft a success plan before you start your new job.
Finally, consider putting together what is called a 30-60-90 Day Plan (Nykiel, 2023). This plan involves setting goals and identifying priorities for the first 30, 60, and 90 days of your new job. Use the first 30 days to focus on learning and defining your initial outcomes. What specific goals will you set for yourself during this initial phase to ensure a strong start? By day 60 you will be taking on more responsibilities and really begin to utilize your skills and show your value. How will you measure your progress and demonstrate your contributions at this stage? At the end of the first quarter, the 90-day mark, you should have a good understanding of your role and how you can make an impact. What do you intend to accomplish by then? (Huhman, 2018).
Starting your first job after graduation is a significant milestone filled with both opportunities and challenges. Making a positive first impression and aiming for a meaningful impact within the first 90 days will set the stage for success. Focus on being proactive, seeking feedback, and continuously striving to improve. As you progress through these initial 90 days, you’ll soon transition from being the newcomer to a valued team member. The effort you put in now will pay off in the long run. It will help you build a solid reputation and a valued employee as you move forward.
Good luck—you got this!
References
Guy-Evans, O. (2023, September 21). Pareto Principle (the 80-20 rule): Examples & more. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/pareto-principle.html
Huhman, H. (2018, July 22). Starting a new job? Follow the ‘30/60/90’ plan. Glassdoor.com https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/starting-job-follow-306090-plan/ Nykiel, T. (2023, May 12). The 30-60-90 day plan: Your secret weapon for new job success. The Muse https://www.themuse.com/advice/30-60-90-day-plan-instructions-template-example Olivola, C. Y., & Todorov, A. (2010). Elected in 100 milliseconds: Appearance-Based trait inferences and voting. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 34 (2), 83–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-009-0082-1
Society for Personality and Social Psychology. (2014, February 14). Even fact will not change first impressions. ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140214111207.htm
Zebrowitz, L. A., & McDonald, S. M. (1991). The impact of litigants’ baby-facedness and attractiveness on adjudications in small claims courts. Law and Human Behavior, 15(6), 603–623. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065855
Diane A. Safer, PhD, is the inaugural director of career and professional development for graduate students and postdocs and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. A former business professional with more than 20 years of experience in PR firms serving healthcare/biotech companies, Dr. Safer ran her own information consulting company for 10 years before moving to career and professional development. Dr. Safer is actively involved in key professional career organizations, including the Graduate Career Consortium (GCC), where she has cochaired the Mentoring Committee for the past four years, the National Postdoc Association (NPA), and the National Association of College and Employers (NACE). She completed her BA in psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and earned her MA and PhD in social psychology at Columbia University in New York, NY.
Questions
(and
Answers) About Building Effective Mentor–Mentee Relationships in Graduate School
Julie Radico, PsyD, ABPP Radico Psychological and Consultation Services, LLC
Graduate students acquire many kinds of mentors, such as academic advisors, research mentors, clinical supervisors, and even peer mentors. But how can you, as a future or current graduate student, ensure that all of these relationships are both productive and meaningful? In the latest issue of this series, our three graduate school experts share their personal experiences from both sides of the mentor–mentee relationship.
To get us started, please tell us a little about which kinds of mentors you had while in graduate school and how these different mentors supported your professional journey.
Radico: I had many individuals that served as formal and informal mentors throughout my graduate school experience. My student cohort members served as informal mentors, and sometimes sponsors, for me. As everyone in my cohort worked in the profession
ABPP
already, they had remarkable insights into the nuances of different specialty areas of psychology that I was only starting to learn about. These relationships highlighted an important aspect of mentorship, the ability to authentically share your areas of strength and growth.
Prinstein: I am fortunate to have worked with outstanding mentors in graduate school on internship/postdoc. Each advised me in a way that was appropriate for my stage of training, offering detailed feedback and scaffolding as I got started, and more autonomy as I grew confidence and skill. They were invested in my success and happiness before their own, and they were incredible role models for giving back to the field in a variety of ways while they maintained impressive programs of research. I am lucky that, in addition to these formal mentors, several of their colleagues and collaborators became professional “aunts” and “uncles” who looked out for me from afar, offered me opportunities when available, and encouraged and supported me when they didn’t need to. I was lucky to be in training environments that focused on what was best for trainees and created a nurturing climate. All of my peers and all of the faculty were consistently supportive, inspiring, and wonderfully instructive.
Mitch Prinstein, PhD,
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Jocelyn Turner-Musa, PhD Morgan State University (MD)
Turner-Musa: Rather than use the term “mentor” I use the term “guidepost.” Like the guideposts seen on highways that provide guidance to travelers, I had individuals who provided guidance to me as I traversed graduate school. Some of these individuals were my professors who provided guidance in my graduate coursework, some were my peers who provided social support, and some were supervisors or individuals I worked with. Each of these guideposts provided valuable information and support, which assisted me in my professional journey eventually guiding me to my current position.
How should students go about finding mentors in graduate school?
Radico: There might be formalized processes in your graduate program for being assigned someone in a cohort above you to serve as a mentor. Oftentimes students will seek out faculty mentorship based on how their areas of interest align with faculty. It’s important to know that there might not always be perfect alignment and that your area of interest might be so niche that no one on the faculty has the exact experience that you’re looking for. I would encourage students to keep an open mind and have transparent conversations with those they are hoping to receive mentoring from about what their goals are.
Prinstein: Most faculty choose to work in a training program because they want to be useful to students. And most understand that each student needs something different based on the mentee’s preexisting strengths and experiences. It is important for students to spend some time considering and expressing their needs to mentors so faculty can be specific in how they can be helpful. Not all faculty have relevant experience, and some may be too busy to help. But the majority will be happy to serve as a formal or informal mentor if they can, and help students learn from their experience.
Turner-Musa: I would start by learning about faculty in your department whose interests align with yours. Someone with whom you have something in common. You can then reach out to them to schedule a time to meet to discuss your interest in working with them or in having them serve as a mentor. I think it’s important to specify what you’re interested in and how you think they can support you.
Do
you have any tips for making the most of your time with a mentor?
Radico: Have a sense of your areas for growth and your goals. Your mentor will often help you identify additional areas for growth,
so it will likely be helpful for you to have a foundational sense of where you feel you need to enhance your skills or experiences. It’s important to be as authentic as possible and to not pretend that you know things that you don’t. Mentors can do their best work if they have a good sense of who they are working with. In thinking about a practical approach to meetings, it’s often helpful to come with an agenda or specific questions that you have.
Prinstein: It is important to be as candid and forthcoming as feels comfortable so a mentor can address a mentee’s true needs. This is hard to do when a mentee is highly invested in presenting an ideal version of themselves to their mentor, or fears they must try and impress their mentor in every meeting or with every draft. Not only is this exhausting and continually anxiety-provoking for students, but it maintains a distance with the mentor that ultimately makes it difficult to truly address students’ needs.
Turner-Musa: If your mentor is a faculty member in your department, be mindful of their time and be very clear about expectations during your time together. For example, work with them to develop a scheduled time to meet and what to expect during the meeting.
Please share some examples of clear and realistic expectations you could set with a mentor or mentee.
Radico: This depends on the specific goals that you’re working on. I would encourage individuals to consider setting SMARTgoals (i.e., specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time focused). Your goal might be to read a book chapter, or your goal might be that you want to write your dissertation. Those goals might be related, but they are very different in the length of time, energy, and additional related goals that it will take to achieve each of those tasks.
Prinstein: Every mentee is different, so it is critical for mentors to adapt to their students’ needs. Some students need structure, others encouragement, and others just need faculty to set up guard rails and stay out of the way. Moreover, students may need different things at different points in their graduate career. It is often helpful to explicitly ask students what they feel they need and be ready to change your mentoring style quickly. For instance, in some meetings, a mentee may need a sounding board to discuss broad theoretical issues and generate a wide array of hypotheses. Weeks later, that same student may need a writing coach who offers heavy track changes within a document. Still later, the student may need tight deadlines to keep them moving forward through a challenging part of their work, and at other times, they may benefit most from broad feedback on the ideas within their draft without adding a comment bubble at all.
Turner-Musa: Develop a shared plan of expectations, such as what you plan to discuss during your time together. One example may be discussing professional development, academic guidance, career goals, personal challenges, etc. Establish a timeline and measurable steps for reaching your goals.
As your skills and experiences grow, how can you ensure that your mentorships remain beneficial and relevant over time?
Radico: Your mentors are not all knowing, and like all relationships, your needs and how you both can best collaborate might change over time. Mentors expect that you will grow, that you will eventually become a peer, and also that you might do some reverse mentoring to provide them insight into areas that they don’t know as much about as you do. Having a good working relationship, where both of you present authentically and have candid conversations about how best to work together is crucial. These conversations should be ongoing, as checking in about the working relationship over time can be really helpful.
Prinstein: The more honest a student is in what they are enjoying, what they find challenging, and what they are struggling with, the easier it is for the relationship to adapt. Ideal mentor–mentee relationships are colleagial from the start, with each member of the dyad feeling like they are learning from one another. At first, the mentor may have skills the mentee needs to learn (e.g., how to write in a scientific style that fits our profession), while the mentee has experiences, perspectives, and ideas that enrich the mentor’s own understanding of a research topic. Years later, the student is adept at writing on their own, and the relationship is one in which the mentor is helping the mentee find their own unique voice and niche to excel as an autonomous professional.
Turner-Musa: Maintain an open line of communication with your mentor. Provide them with updates about your academic and professional journey. Stay connected.
How might having a mentor from a similar or different background (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) impact your graduate school experience?
Radico: Matching on intersectional identities could offer benefits in a mentoring relationship. Nevertheless, you may share none or few intersectional identities with your mentor. Sharing identities may help your mentor understand some of your lived experiences, however it doesn’t mean that the mentor will have an inherent understanding of who you are as a person. It can be helpful and inspirational to work with somebody with whom you share identities, it also can be helpful to have mentors who have different identities from you. Ideally, your mentorship will not only come from one individual, so it may be most helpful to seek out mentorship from multiple individuals over the course of time and be open to considering diverse perspectives.
Prinstein: To understand all of human behavior, we need all human experiences to inform the scientific process. It is therefore critical for every voice to be heard and for mentor–mentee discussions to be characterized by openness, curiosity, and acceptance. This not only enriches the science, but also helps all students understand that their perspective is valued and critical for the success of our field.
Turner-Musa: Most of my “mentors” were from the same race and/ or gender as myself. This was helpful because we could better relate to each other given our common bond(s). Given this, I benefitted and learned from their experiences, which helped me to better navigate
graduate school and my career path. I also had mentors who were not from a similar background in terms of race, gender, SES or discipline. Nevertheless, these mentors assisted me in areas in which their expertise was needed, and they too played an integral role in my personal and professional development. Just as “one size does not always fit all,” there is diversity in mentors and mentoring.
What are some ways to show appreciation or return support to a mentor?
Radico: Mentors want to see you thriving. The best appreciation you can show is being engaged, thoughtful, and putting in good effort. Your mentor wants to see you succeed. It can sometimes be tricky, but it’s often helpful to provide feedback to the mentor about how your collaboration is going and what might help you best succeed. You know yourself better than anybody else, so if the mentorship relationship is not hitting the mark, in a kind and thoughtful way, share that.
Prinstein: Pursue what will make you most happy. A good mentor does not want to produce a clone of themselves; they want to help their students find their own passion and a path that will help them have a happy career and life. Mentors feel supported and appreciated when their mentees are happy.
Turner-Musa: One way is to simply let them know how you’re doing. Keep in touch with them. Mentors appreciate learning about your academic, career, and personal achievements. Another way is to include your mentor in your research. For example, one of my mentees recently reached out and asked me to collaborate on a grant she’s working on. If successful, the research would support graduate students in my department. What a wonderful way to say, “Thank you.”
Julie Radico, PsyD, ABPP is a Pennsylvania licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified in clinical health psychology. She has extensive experience in multi-disciplinary patient-centered clinical care, education, research, wellness, and leadership. She earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology and master’s degrees (clinical psychology & counseling and clinical health psychology) at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Radico completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Radico serves in leadership positions for the American Psychological Association, Pennsylvania Psychological Association, American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology, APA Society for Health Psychologists, and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM).
Mitch Prinstein, PhD, ABPP is the Chief Science Officer of the American Psychological Association and the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and nine books, including The Portable Mentor: Expert Guide to a Career in Psychology.
Jocelyn Turner-Musa, PhD, is a professor and chairperson of the Department of Psychology at Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, MD. She is the director of student training in the MSU ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research, funded by the National Institutes of Health. She is also a member of the American Psychological Association and is Past-President of Division 1, The Society for General Psychology. Her research focuses on understanding the role of psychological and social factors on disease management and health promotion. Dr. Turner-Musa has received numerous awards including an American Fellows Award from the American Association of University Women.
Psi Chi Blueprint for Global Support at Regional Conventions
Hmaking them a stronger candidate for graduate school or the job market after graduation? This is a question often asked by third and fourth-year undergraduates. As college graduation comes ever closer, stress levels rise, and many students wonder if they have done enough during their university experiences to aid them in reaching the next level of their professional journeys. Will their grades be sufficient? What about projects, internships, personal statements, and recommendation letters?
Psi Chi members are already ahead of the game when it comes to the scholastic part of the equation. Whether choosing to enter the workforce or continuing in an academic journey, Psi Chi allows avenues for boosting one’s CV. One prime outlet for this is the programming, networking, and opportunities for sharing research offered at regional conventions. While each year members across the United States take advantage of these regional opportunities, Psi Chi is working to increase its reach to include its global members.
Global Opportunities
Psi Chi is a global organization where chapters are housed in six regions including: Eastern, Midwestern, Rocky Mountain, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western. Although United States
States are currently distributed among these six regions. Each region is led by an elected regional vice-president who represents chapters at board meetings and organizes Psi Chi events at their regional conventions tailored specifically to their chapters’ needs. Thus as global chapters are housed in a geographic region, they may also benefit from that region’s programming at regional conventions. For members not familiar with what the conventions offer, aside from the standard opportunities for interaction and networking with distinguished scholars and practitioners, Psi Chi sponsors supportive forums to showcase members’ research, including poster sessions and data blitzes. Submitting abstracts to a convention may be intimidating, especially for first-time submitters; however, Psi Chi sessions offer a place for members to discuss their original research in a supportive atmosphere for growth and guidance rather than criticism. Furthermore, each year, Psi Chi recognizes excellence in student research with regional research awards and provides travel grants to assist students and faculty in attending their regional meetings.
Global Hybrid Sessions
In 2023, under the leadership of Psi Chi Southwestern Vice-President Dr. Lisa Rosen, Psi Chi introduced its first global hybrid session at the Southwestern Psychological Association Convention (SWPA),
Celia K. Naivar Şen, PhD, MPH
Psi Chi Global Initiatives Director, Özyeğin University (Türkiye)
enabling Southwestern chapters located outside of the United States (Guam, Guatemala, and Türkiye) to virtually participate in a regional convention session. These global chapters could participate without the exorbitant fees associated with international travel. Nine abstracts won regional research awards and were able to present their studies in three special Psi Chi award sessions. Two of the award recipients were students from the global chapters who presented at SWPA’s first global hybrid session.
In the second year of the Southwestern Region’s initiative to incorporate global chapters, the 2024 SWPA convention kicked off with the Global Southwestern Psi Chi Chapter presentations. The region’s global chapters presented three original research projects, and hybrid sessions for the day allowed global members to attend two of the three award sessions and the Psi Chi Panel: Getting into Graduate School.
Blueprint for Global Chapter Incorporation
As Psi Chi aims to increase inclusion, continues to highlight the achievements of its remarkable members, and supports psychology students across the globe, the work initiated by the Southwestern Region is hopefully a model for other conventions. Including global chapters at other regional conventions may take various forms as chapter relationships grow. The first steps to more global participation are increasing awareness of the regional conventions, encouraging our global members to participate, and supporting those considering conducting new research. Members of our global chapters may not be aware of either their Psi Chi region (https://www.psichi.org/page/chapter_search) or of their eligibility for their regional convention. This article aims not only to inform our global chapters of their eligibility but to also facilitate the road to participation. For those preparing research, members may apply for a variety of Psi Chi research grants to help defray the costs of empirical research. Additionally, members may apply for Psi Chi Travel Grants to assist with transportation, registration, and lodging costs.
Beyond travel grants, the Global Initiatives Committee is working to assist regional conventions with the cost of delivering hybrid sessions enabling more global participation. Not all Psi Chi events can be hybrid, so regional programming may choose a day or a select number of panels or keynotes allowing global members an opportunity to connect to their peers in the region. Additional recommendations include:
• Be mindful of time differences between host convention and global members’ local time.
• Encourage U.S. members to attend global hybrid sessions to broaden perspective and worldview.
• Engage in a global chapter exchange showcasing how Psi Chi is represented in different regions of the world. Such invitations to share chapter reports and showcase research foster inclusion, build relationships within the region, and lead to a stronger more supportive society.
Advances in technology have facilitated worldwide communication, and as Psi Chi aims for more global representation, it is increasingly important to enhance connections with international chapters. Conventions honor the transfer of knowledge, nurture new ideas, and support collaborations making them the perfect place to grow
Student Impact of Global Sessions
Including Psi Chi’s global chapters benefits all those in attendance by increasing diversity and offering a global perspective while connecting these chapters to the greater regional community of which they are a part. As noted by presenter Elif Demirtaş (Özyeğin University),
“Presenting at the 2024 SWPA was invaluable in enhancing my research skills. Connecting with like-minded individuals and sharing well-rounded research, even from miles away, was an incredible experience. I’m grateful to Psi Chi for making this opportunity possible.”
The submissions, presentations, and awards at all conventions go far beyond their monetary value. Psi Chi members walk away with increased confidence in presenting and discussing their research. Through such an environment, students feel welcomed into the research community and inspired to grow further in their fields as expressed by Pia Lustig (Özyeğin University) who states,
“My first international psychology convention gave me the confidence of knowing that I am capable and knowledgeable within this field, giving me a boost to pursue similar experiences in the future. The response from our international Psi Chi community made me feel very welcomed.”
Not only does inclusion in conventions inspire and motivate those pursuing careers in psychology, such award presentations and award distinctions allow recipients to enhance their CVs—whether for job placement or to further their education. Such an award from the 2023 SWPA Convention aided both Sude Arslan and Onur Alp Solak (Özyeğin University) in their acceptances to the Neuro-Cognitive Psychology program at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich—Sude with full scholarship. Sude notes,
“We initially began the study to present it at our school’s local research festival, but then we had the chance to present it during the SWPA convention to an international audience. Subsequently, we were awarded a 2023 Psi Chi SWPA Regional Research Award for it. I am immensely proud of our work and seeing how our efforts paid off greatly motivated me in my choice to pursue an academic career.”
Sude Arslan
Pia Lustig
Elif Demirtaş
Psi Chi’s members from all over the world. As Psi Chi celebrates its 95th birthday and looks towards a full century of existence, the honor society works not just to promote excellence in psychology but to recognize scholarly pursuits and foster meaningful chapter experiences while developing and engaging its members across the globe. Regional conventions are the perfect place to facilitate these goals and bring all chapters to the table.
Those interested in submitting their own work for a regional convention may view contact information and deadlines at https://www.apa.org/about/apa/organizations/regionals
For Psi Chi support of research awards or grants, see the following resources: More information about Psi Chi Regional Research Awards may be found at https://www.psichi.org/page/regionalawardinfo. Information on Psi Chi travel and research grants for undergraduates (https://www.psichi.org/page/awards#undergraduate), graduate students (https://www.psichi.org/page/ awards#graduate), and faculty (https://www.psichi.org/page/ awards#faculty) may be found at their corresponding websites.
Celia K. Naivar Şen, PhD, MPH, completed her BS in psychology and BA in Plan II at the University of Texas at Austin, her master of public health at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, and her PhD in social psychology at Koç University. Dr. Naivar Şen is currently an assistant professor of psychology at Özyeğin University in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Merging social psychology and public health, Dr. Naivar Şen’s research focuses on understanding health behavior change using a mix of personality attributes, individual differences, and demographics within theoretical frameworks. Under the umbrella of health behavior change, her research topics include behaviors ranging from cancer screenings in various cultures to exercise and wellbeing. Dr. Naivar Şen currently serves as the advisor of the Özyeğin Psi Chi Chapter, Psi Chi’s SWPA Steering Committee member, and Psi Chi’s Global Initiatives Director.
2024 Global Presentations
A Dual-Process Examination of Boycott Behavior Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model
Elif Demirtaş, Halil Nebioğlu, Nilüfer Gürel, Rıdvan Güney, and Sıla Irmak Dalmızrak Özyeğin University
Increasing Inclusion of International University Students: A Theory of Planned Behavior Study
Nihaan Ayesha, Handan Çetinkaya, Laiba Ismail, Pia Lustig, Rimsha Maqsood, and Lena Yazıcı Özyeğin University
Situationships and the Theory of Planned behavior
Ayşe Lal Kendirli, Berfin Vuslat Filiz, Ceren Toraman, İrem Cantürk, and Yaren Özbey Özyeğin University
At the 2024 SWPA convention, global chapters presented three original research projects.
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LOOKING FOR COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE?
Join the Psi Chi Crowd!
Students and faculty within the United States and beyond are invited to participate in the Crowd, which is Psi Chi’s annual, guided cross-cultural research project. Specific benefits of joining the Crowd include
• a reduced burden of having to solicit large numbers of participants,
• increased diversity of student samples,
• accessible materials and protocols for participating researchers, and
• a convenient platform to engage students in the scientific research process.
Contributing to the Crowd provides unique data collection and publication experiences that can be used to strengthen any student’s CV.
For more information, visit https://www.psichi.org/Res_Opps or contact the NICE Chair, at nicechair@psichi.org
REPRESENTATION Matters
Lori A. Barker, PhD Cal Poly Pomona (CA)
An iconic photograph from the Democratic National Convention (July, 2024) depicts Kamala Harris at the podium giving her nomination acceptance speech. In the foreground is the back of a little girl’s head as she takes in this historic moment. The little girl is Kamala Harris’ grandniece, Amara Ajagu (age 8). You wonder, what is she thinking as she looks up at her aunt, the first woman of color to be in such a position? What impact will this have on her and other little girls (John, 2024)?
I first asked such questions in 2008 when Barack Obama became the first Black President of the United States. I looked at my own daughter, also 8 years old at the time, and wondered what impact this would have on her, to grow up with a family in the White House who looked like her? This led to a series of studies (Aoun et al., 2016; Barker, L.A., 2012; Barker et al., 2022; Barker et al., 2015) and an edited book (Barker, 2016).
These questions became more personal when I was elected the first Black female president of the Western Psychological Association (WPA) and chose representation as the topic for my presidential address at the 2024 convention. In preparation for this talk, I interviewed 14 college-educated, professional Black women. These women ranged in age from 23–60 and represent 12 different professions. Thirteen identify as female, one nonbinary; twelve heterosexual, and two queer. The women participated in one-on-one recorded interviews via Zoom. Undergraduate research assistants helped with interview transcription and qualitative data analysis using a multistep process (adapted from Krueger, 1998). The study was approved by the Internal Review Board (IRB) at my home university, and the women gave differing levels of informed consent, based on how they allowed me to use their information. All gave consent for their identities to be revealed.
What Is Representation?
“understanding,” “having a voice,” “hope,” “powerful,” and “validation.” In contrast, tokenism is the act of including just one or a few people from an underrepresented group to give the appearance of equality. The women consistently described tokenism in negative terms including “an illusion,” “optics,” “symbolic,” “not altruistic,” “not genuine,” “ulterior motive,” “empty,” and “simply checking a box.” When asked if representation is important, the resounding, unanimous answer was, “Yes!” When asked why, three types of representation emerged: (a) mirror, (b) window, and (c) bridge. I adapted the first two terms from Saenz et al. (2023) and introduced the third.
write books with Black main characters. Now, as an editorial assistant for a major publishing company, she helps ensure representation in children’s books, all so that other young people won’t have to feel the way she did.
The third mirror theme was safety; meaning, when I see someone like me in a position of influence, I feel protected. Brigitt Lamothe-Francois, psychology professor and licensed therapist, shared about the first time we met when she was a new part-time instructor in our department. Dr. Lamothe-Francois said, “My heart was excited when I got to see you. … It meant that I would fit, and I would fit well. … I was able to see the route because of the mat you laid out … to open that door that others could not open for me.”
I first asked, “What is representation?” Participant responses revealed one simple definition: Representation is seeing diverse people in diverse spaces. I then asked, “What is the difference between representation and tokenism?” The women consistently described representation with positive terms like “altruistic,”
an individual sees someone like them in a position of influence. This is probably what most people think of as representation. Three themes emerged in relation to mirror— achievement, empowerment, and safety. Participants recognized that seeing someone like yourself in a position of power helps you believe you can achieve the same thing. This sense of self-efficacy (“I can do it”) goes hand-in-hand with empowerment, or the feeling that one has the ability to achieve the same thing. Andriette Ward, pediatrician, shared how the mother of a three-year-old patient bought her son a doctor’s kit. The son calls it “his Dr. Ward,” because when he plays with it, he is being like Dr. Ward. Azriel (AZ) Hackett, editorial assistant and aspiring author, shared how as a young, avid reader, she never saw herself reflected because none of the main characters were Black. She contrasted this with seeing the movie Black Panther for the first time.
Some participants described the negative consequences of not having a mirror. Robinne Lee, actor and author, described being on a flight, looking for a movie to watch. As she scrolled through the available films, she found few featuring Black actors. She said, “I became really depressed because I thought, God, what made me think I could even make it in this business? It was so obvious that they were not looking to put people like me on the screen.” Keever Rhodes Muir, attorney, said that growing up, no immediate family members went to college, so she did not think this was within her reach. Even after she applied and got in, she still doubted her ability to make it. Even after practicing law for almost 30 years, she still suffers from imposter syndrome and feels nervous when she stands up in court.
“I was like, wow! Do White men feel like this every time they leave a Marvel movie? They’re like empowered by seeing Captain America. … I didn’t realize how unique that feeling was to me and how rare I felt that about the things that I was reading.” From that day, she vowed to only
window, or recognition that others from the same background see you in positions of influence. Three window themes emerged—achievement, safety, and power. The first two are the same as mirror; the third, different. In other words, participants recognized not only their ability, but the deep responsibility of providing motiva-
tion, inspiration, and protection for those coming up behind them.
Niki Hester, a brand-new high school English teacher in an urban, low income, predominantly People of Color area said, "As a teacher, representation means that I am a role model for my Black students and for my Queer students, specifically. … They’re not only seeing me, they’re seeing the literature that I’m giving them by Black authors or about Black icons or Black history. They are not only seeing me being openly Queer in front of them and unafraid of the repercussions of that, but they’re also seeing the Queer history and the Queer literature that I’m giving them. So, I am, in and of myself, a form of representation that hopefully makes them feel powerful and empowered and, hopefully, listened to."
In terms of safety, Sandee DunbarSmalley, healthcare system executive, looks out for the young residents who come to her organization. She said, “I want to stand out as that person in their corner. I will tell them, ‘Come and talk to me,’ when I see young residents that have come and they’re in shock. You know, they might have come from an HBCU to this predominantly white corporate … environment. And they need support. I really love that. They feel I’m in their corner.”
Holly Mitchell recognizes her power as a career politician in California. When a member of the California State Senate, Ms. Mitchell was moved by stories of kids not allowed to play sports and adults losing jobs because of their hairstyles. After hearing stories of little girls suspended from school, she wrote each girl a letter, including a copy of her official legislative photo, showing her hair in dread locs, a style she has worn her entire elected career. “My point would be, you’re perfect, just the way you are, because I look just like you, and I’m in the position of authority and power,” she said. Then one day she realized, “I have the power to legislate and appropriate, so why am I not going to use my power to do those things?” Thus, the CROWN Act was born, a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination in education or employment (www.theCROWNAct.com). When presenting the bill before her colleagues, Ms. Mitchell argued, “My hairstyle choice has no bearing on my capacity as a
legislator. … People elected me because of what’s inside my head, not how I choose to wear my hair.” Since passing in California, the CROWN Act has passed in 24 states, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives, but did not pass in the Senate (Legal Defense Fund, n.d.)
Representation as Bridge
The third type of representation is bridge, or the recognition that others of different backgrounds see you in a prominent position. Participants said that being a bridge represents reality, breaks down barriers, builds connections, defies stereotypes, increases understanding, normalizes differences, builds trust, and builds multicultural competence.
Pearlena Igbokwe and Sheila Ducksworth, entertainment industry executives, discussed the importance of representation in the media. Ms. Ducksworth said,
"It’s truly important that the world sees that it’s not a homogeneous assembly of people and things. That it is a real variation on all kinds of people, lifestyles, languages, culture, all of that which is what you have through representation. It may help you achieve a higher level of understanding."
Ms. Igbokwe, a self-described “gatekeeper,” discussed the impact of television on culture, citing shows such as A Different World (1987–1993) and how it raised awareness of HBCUs, and how Will and Grace (originally1998–2006) changed people’s perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community. She said, “If we could be so lucky to have shows that affect culture that kind of way, you know, I don’t complain.”
Maryam Crogman, developmental psychologist and visual artist, believes representation normalizes differences. Regarding Black women, she said,
"I don’t see the Black woman everywhere. I need to see her on TV, in every aspect—behind the camera,
in front of the camera. I need to see her in the doctor’s office. I need to see her at the market. I need to see her at the bakery. I need to see her as chair of the damn department. I need to see her as the surgeon. … Because when we see her more, we get used to her as being in charge, as having all these hats, and we’re not seeing her in one type of light anymore. We see her in all of her lights, and we’re comfortable."
In other words, exposure breeds familiarity, normalization, and comfort, which breaks down stereotypes and builds connections. One all-encompassing benefit of representation as bridge is multicultural competence, or the ability to work effectively with others who are different from you (Mio et al., 2023). Dr. DunbarSmalley shared about a White coworker who once asked why all the Black women were sitting together. Dr. Dunbar-Smalley immediately pointed to “90% of the rest of the room” and asked, “Well, why are they all sitting together?” The woman joked and made excuses, but Dr. Dunbar-Smalley persisted until the woman admitted the comment was wrong. Regarding her role at a predominantly White institution, Dr. Dunbar-Smalley said,
"If I’m not in those spaces, representing our values, our experience, then I’m not helping to educate people [who] would get away with those microaggressions. I feel that’s part of representation, is helping others understand what our experience is and what the impact of their words are. It might not be their intent, but it’s certainly an impact that I feel we need to tactfully help them understand."
The Costs
Participants mentioned many other benefits of representation, but it does not come without costs. Keywords here included, “burden,” “exhausting,” “burnout,” “painful,” “pressure,” “hell,” “alienation,” “responsibility,” “doubt,” “backlash,” and “dread.”
Anne Maitland was the first Person of Color to earn a combined MD/PhD at the University of Pennsylvania and felt the “weight of it.” She recalled how a dean pulled her aside and said, “We really need you to do well on your board exam.” She
knew, “If I failed, that’s going to reflect poorly on everybody coming up behind me.” Monique Ward, developmental psychologist, talked about the costs of doing research on diverse populations. Her general research on gender and sexuality among children, teens, and women is frequently cited (University of Michigan, 2024); when she focuses on Black populations, not so much. She said, “If I do media and gender, oh yeah, yeah. If I do media and Black women, gender, they don’t know. It’s like oh yeah, yeah, well, that’s not us. We’re not going to read that.”
AZ Hackett shared about starting a diversity club at her private, Christian high school. The student body favored the club, but few teachers supported the idea, and the administration adamantly opposed it. She said, “They couldn’t tell me that I couldn’t have the club because that would have been racist. So, what they did, they tried to make every single step of me creating that club as difficult as possible.” She persisted and finally succeeded. However, the administration continued to “bully” her. She said, “When I think about how I was just like the 17-year-old person, girl who wanted to make a change and they were actively trying to beat it out of me, it was really hard.” When she arrived at college, during a job interview at her campus social justice center, she said, “That story was what got me the job because they understood … that I knew how to still do my job in the face of adversity. … So, it was a negative experience that turned into a good experience, but it left me really hurt and kind of like tainted.” Although Ms. Hackett still bears the scars of that experience, the support of those around her who shared the same values kept her going and ultimately made her stronger. Sometimes the costs lead down a different path. Frustration motivated Jacqueline Williams Brooks, social worker and entrepreneur, to start her own business. She referenced the saying often used in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) circles, “A seat at the table.”
"Hey, I need a seat. No, you can’t have a seat. Hey, I need a seat. No, you can’t have a seat. Okay, fine. I’m going to just go build my own seat, because when you keep hitting that door … the glass ceiling … sometimes it’s important to stop and
think about if you can do your own as opposed to continually asking and trying to fight that battle to prove that you are worthy. … Well, why do I have to keep proving my worth? Let me just go build my own."
Call to Action
In this and other studies, the message is clear—representation matters. Seeing others who look like you in positions of influence gives a sense of self-efficacy, safety, hope, optimism, and empowerment. Therefore, representation is something we should work toward, and we all have a part to play. As students, professors, researchers, clinicians, administrators, and consultants, we can ensure that everyone not only has “a seat at the table,” but feels a sense of belonging and that their voices are heard.
In closing, I asked participants what they want the world to know about representation. The two youngest participants gave the most moving answers. AZ Hackett said, "I just want people to know that it should be something that you think about every day with every step of everything that you’re doing. It’s not as hard as people make it out to be. It really is at the end of the day just about caring about the people around you. … I think anything that we can do to encourage empathy, anything we can do to encourage taking another person’s perspective. Anything that we can encourage to focus on the community rather than the individual. Any initiative that contains those core tenets is what we can do."
Niki Hester argued that, although representation is good, it is not enough. She said,
"I think that we are owed representation because it’s bare minimum. Like, there’s not really anything that transformative about just seeing yourself. That should be the beginning. It shouldn’t be such a transformative experience. I [as a young girl of color] shouldn’t have been searching for representation. I should have just had it. There are so many people that just have it. Look how much power those communities have because they
have it. And think about how much power our communities could have if we had that. I think that we are owed representation, and I think that is a jumping off point for liberation. I think … that’s where we should be starting. We shouldn’t still be reaching for it."
In other words, what we really need is liberation, or full equal rights and opportunities for all, regardless of background. If this were true, there would be no need for representation, and this is what we should work toward.
References
Aoun, A., Daryaie, B., & Barker, L. A. (2016). Has change come to America? College student attitudes toward Obama’s presidency. In L. A. Barker (Ed.)., Obama on our minds: The impact of Obama on the psyche of America. Oxford University Press.
Barker, L. A. (2016). Obama on our minds: The impact of Obama on the psyche of America . Oxford University Press.
Barker, L. A. (2012, April). The Michelle Obama effect on the self-concept of African-American girls [Symposium]. Western Psychological Association Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Barker, L. A., Lopez, E., Schneider, S., Stewart, C., Nguyen, C., & Garibay, C. (2022, April 27–May 1). Election 2020: Race and Gender at the Forefront. [Symposium]. Western Psychological Association Annual Convention, Portland, OR, United States.
Barker, L. A., Wong, A., Olson, S., Burris, B., & Dixon, K. (2015, April). Can anyone be president? Middle school students on race, gender, and the presidency [Poster presentation]. Western Psychological Association Annual Convention, Las Vegas, NV, United States. John, A. (2024, August 24). A photo captures what Harris’ nomination could mean for little girls. CNN Politics.
Krueger, R. A. (1998). Analyzing & reporting focus group results Sage. Mio, J. S., Barker, L. A., Domenech Rodriguez, M. M., & Gonzalez, J. (2023). Multicultural psychology: Understanding our diverse communities (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Legal Defense Fund. (n.d.). The Crown Act https://www.naacpldf. org/crown-act/#:~:text=The%20legislation%20demands%20 protection%20against,been%20enacted%20in%2024%20states
Saenz, D., Garcia, J., Rios, D., & Franco, J. (2023, April). Healing and empowerment through the daily practice of BDSM: Blessings, disruptions, social support, and mirrors [Symposium]. Western Psychological Association Annual Convention, Riverside, CA, United States. University of Michigan. (2024). Several LSA psychology faculty included in list of world’s top 2% of scientists News and Events. LSA Psychology, University of Michigan. https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/news-events/all-news/faculty-news/ several-lsa-psychology-faculty-included-in-list-of-world-s-top-2.html
Lori A. Barker, PhD, is a professor in the Psychology Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). She received her BA in psychology from Yale University and her PhD in clinical psychology from UCLA. After receiving her degree, Dr. Barker spent one additional year at UCLA as a National Institute of Mental Health postdoctoral research fellow. Her research focuses on multicultural attitudes, factors that influence the effectiveness of multicultural education and diversity training programs, and the psychological impact of diverse presidential candidates. Dr. Barker is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in Riverside, California, and a DEI consultant.
The Intersection of Career and Purpose
Staci L. Parker, PhD
Capella University
Purpose Beyond Your Career
Most of us confuse creating a successful career with what we believe is our purpose. Our intention is often to provide stability, which connects to fulfillment; however, our purpose can be lost in this effort. Dr. Wayne Dyer suggests that “doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life” (Dyer, 1997) and that purpose and career can be fulfilled in the same effort if we can integrate who we are with what we aspire to be. Although a career offers financial rewards, professional recognition, and the satisfaction of achieving milestones, a much deeper, richer experience beneath the façade surpasses a job title or tax bracket. It is our search for purpose, the thing that drives our lives to meaning.
As scholars in the discipline of psychology, we have the unique opportunity to explore the intersection between career and purpose. Let us examine the differences between the two. As we navigate how your journey toward a life of purpose is fulfilled, we connect how your career offers the pathway. In the same manner Maslow described that “a musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself” (Maslow, 1943).
The Journey of Career Development
When we choose a career, a set of steps to follow is often already carved out for us. Most times, these steps are not unique to the person. Therefore, the journey typically involves obtaining the same skills and achievements as others on the same path—causing the illusion of competition when there really is no competition for our own uniqueness. As Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains, it is true that we all need financial stability, personal growth and development, and a sense of social significance. Unfortunately, while our career plans can provide us with certain comfort levels, fulfillment and a sense of direction, structure, and accomplishment, our plans may also blind us from the purpose that we naturally seek.
In my view, success of any kind, is not often associated with what our purpose
might be and the impact we might have on the lives of others. It is often camouflaged in the details of the actions we take from one career to another, from the slight change in direction or from that seemingly new interest in which we find ourselves engaged. The road to our purpose can be an unconscious experience until we awaken to it and we realize that we have been fulfilling our purpose the whole time.
Consider the story I shared in a previous article (Parker, 2023) where I was a little girl starting school for the first time. My desire was to become a teacher, and in my young mind, the pathway was to exemplify an excellent student and build upon that thought to becoming an excellent teacher. Unfortunately, the classroom environment was more chaotic and frustrating than I had envisioned, so I soon decided that I wanted to be a psychologist instead. Ironically, while I was on that teaching career path, my purpose of becoming someone who helped others find their purpose was being established, even though I didn’t realize it until decades later. My desire to teach led me to pursue a different career choice when my idea of what teaching looked like seemed disappointing. However, it was the disappointment that nudged me into my purpose—providing others the tools to find their own purpose through the discipline of psychology. At any rate, I’m still a teacher, just a very specific one. “Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities” (Gladwell, 2008). What appeared to be a misstep toward my eventual career as a psychologist started with the desire to teach, share experiences, and continue my growth as a student. The outcome was established from the many paths leading to my current career as a doctoral advisor at a university. Still teaching and helping others find their way to their purpose.
The sense of dissatisfaction that I illustrated in my story above is a common experience shared by individuals who focus primarily on a career path instead of their sense of purpose. They often believe that their career and purpose are the same things. In my experience, a clear indication of whether I was on the path to pursuing my purpose was the emotion I felt. If I felt excited, I learned to take that path. If the path offered external rewards,
but little to no excitement, I often focused my attention elsewhere. External rewards may not always provide the deeper, inherent needs that drive individual motivation. On this quest, the idea of purpose comes into focus.
Discovering Purpose
Purpose goes beyond the limitations of a job or an occupation. In fact, purpose will often feel like a sacrifice vs. the importance of a high salary, because it is the invisible force that drives us to contribute to something bigger than us. A mission, a cause, a vision that connects us with the core of who we are, which are our values and ultimately wish fulfillment (Dyer, 1997).
Be mindful that a purpose-driven career path doesn’t always align with a normal career path. In my case, it took many directions, and sometimes seemed disconnected. However, my purpose still led me to teach but in a different form using several different platforms. There may be many shifts that lead you away from a traditional career path so that you fulfill that career with the purpose that brings you profound satisfaction.
Clarifying Your Purpose
Beginning with introspection, clarifying your purpose provides a deep understanding of your core values, desires, and long-term objectives. Identifying your long-term objectives will allow you to imagine a future that excites you. This clarity will be your guide to decisions that will help you recognize what genuinely resonates with you. Whether you are pursuing a career, completing an education, or cultivating a relationship, your values and desires will cause you to choose paths that align with your deepest purpose.
Tony Robbins suggests that “the path to success is to take massive, determined action” (Robbins, 2001). To discover what truly drives you, think about the actions you took that made you feel most alive. Ask yourself what values you found in taking those actions. This is important because the actions you take can bring you joy, despite the external incentives. This is the key to discovering your values. Your actions will help clarify what your values are, and your values will clarify your purpose.
"If you find purpose in the work that you do, you will always be fulfilled."
• Use the model of Action Research to assess and reassess your goals as needed.
• Allow flexibility for personal and professional evolution along the way.
• Adopt a positive mindset.
• Focus on solutions.
• Realize that the tools you need may be disguised as obstacles for you to overcome before you see your success.
Include Self-Care and Resilience
As you pursue your life’s purpose, be careful to include self-care as an essential part of your journey. Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is a must. This will allow you to maintain the level of energy and focus needed to meet your objectives.
Balancing Career and Purpose
As you journey through your life experiences, be careful to distinguish between your idea of career and purpose. It will be necessary for achieving your career success and fulfilling your purpose. The steps to achieving a particular career path will seem more clear than the path of your purpose. The structure and resources needed for growth and stability will be laid out for your career, for many have taken the same path. However, although your purpose offers a deeper sense of meaning, you may find that it veers off into the proverbial woods, seeming to lead nowhere. But trust that your passion will lead you to a life and career that transcends the boundaries of any specific work or career.
It is always a challenge to travel the road less explored but with balance, career and purpose allows you to become the vessel that brings new aspects to the other road on which many have traveled. To create a life that reflects authenticity, focus on the following:
Reflect on Natural Motivations
One of the key aspects to distinguish between career and purpose is to reflect on your natural motivations. A career provides financial rewards, but purpose often appears from what Tony Robbins offers as “the genesis of genius” (Robbins,
2001) and this is the authenticity necessary for positively impacting others. Ask yourself: What activities bring you a deep sense of fulfillment, joy, and alignment with your values?
Evaluate Long-Term
Impact
Understanding the impact of your work is tied to your purpose. It brings clarity to the connection of your purpose and the trajectory of your career on a deeper level. Striking the balance between a career and purpose, for many of us, can be challenging; however, it can also lead to a more holistic and satisfying outcome in life.
Navigate Career and Purpose
A key aspect to integrate your career path with your purpose is to align your skills and your strengths with a chosen activity. When your natural skills match the requirements of a particular goal, it is likely that you will excel and discover a sense of effortlessness accompanied with competence. This is when you should notice your unique talents—natural and obtained. Assess how they align with the requirements of the goal. Use these steps as a guide to identify this alignment:
• Set clear and achievable goals.
• Create larger objectives into s maller steps.
• Use these steps to create a measurable path for progress.
Creating a purpose-driven life is a combination of your career choices that embody your purpose. It is a process that involves intentional choices, discovery of the self, and commitment to your growth. This process first requires that you clarify your values, desires, and long-term objectives. Focus on what brings you true joy and a sense of purpose. Use this process as a model for discovering the career path that will also fulfill your purpose, because if you find purpose in the work that you do, you will always be fulfilled. Remember that you can become the thing you wish for by pursuing your most authentic self.
References
Dyer, D. W. (1997). Manifest your destiny: The nine spiritual principles for getting everything you want . Harper One.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success Little, Brown and Company.
Maslow, A. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50 (4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
Parker, D. S. (2023, Spring). Adjusting the expectations for recent graduates entering the workforce. Eye On Psi Chi, 27 (3), 25–27. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye27.3.24
Robbins, T. (2001). Awaken the giant within: How to take immediate control of your mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny. Free Press.
Dr. Staci L. Parker is an organization development psychologist. She is currently a doctoral advisor for Capella University for the Psychology and Counseling Programs. Dr. Parker is a certified SCORE Mentor through the US Small Business Association; a consultant for small businesses, other consultants, non-profit organizations, and is a Certified Career Development Facilitator and Certified Performance Coach. Dr. Parker is also a published writer on Amazon.com and a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
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Succeeding in College Without Falling Into the
IMPOSTER Phenomenon Trap
Rochelle K. Nelson, PhD Queensborough Community College, Bayside (NY)
Understanding Imposter Phenomenon
The imposter phenomenon (IP), also called “imposter syndrome,” is a feeling many college students know all too well. It’s the gnawing feeling that you don’t deserve your place in college—that somehow you’ve tricked the Admissions Office into believing you belong when, in reality, you think you’re less capable than your peers (Clance, 1978; Harvey, 1985). This mindset can cause serious selfdoubt, stress, and anxiety and can sabotage your success in college (Cawcutt et al., 2021; Villwock et al., 2016). Although the imposter phenomenon isn’t considered a mental health disorder, it significantly impacts students’ well-being and academic performance.
Here’s how imposter phenomenon can take shape in your life and, more importantly, what you can do to keep it from overwhelming you during your college journey.
How Imposter Phenomenon Affects College Students
1. Low Self-Confidence and Self-Doubt
If you’re dealing with imposter phenomenon, you probably doubt your abilities— even when you succeed (Schubert & Bowker, 2019). This might make you avoid participating in class discussions or skip out on assignments that are too challenging. You’re not alone, though. Many students feel this way, and it can be damaging not just to your self-esteem but also to your academic success.
2. Perfectionism and Procrastination
Do you ever feel like it’s not good enough if your work is not perfect? That’s a hallmark of the imposter phenomenon. Many students who struggle with this feel paralyzed by the fear of not doing things perfectly, which leads to procrastination (Maftei et al., 2021). Getting caught in a cycle of overplanning or endlessly seeking reassurance before starting an assignment is easy—only to miss deadlines or feel unprepared.
3. Fear of Failure
Fear of failure is a considerable part of the imposter phenomenon (Giel et al., 2020). You may think that a tiny mistake will expose you as a fraud. This fear might hold you back from taking risks, applying for opportunities, or asking for help when needed. Avoiding these challenges only deepens the perpetuating cycle of self-doubt and anxiety.
4. Avoiding Help
If you feel like an imposter, you might avoid using academic resources like tutoring centers or office hours (Chen & Son, 2024). Why? Because asking for help feels like admitting you don’t belong or aren’t smart enough. Ironically, not seeking help can prevent you from learning and growing, reinforcing that sense of inadequacy.
How to Fight Imposter Phenomenon and Thrive in College
1. Normalize Your Feelings
First, you should know that feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you are one. Plenty of successful people—your classmates, professors, even world-renowned scientists—have dealt with imposter feelings at some point. Recognizing that it’s common can help you accept that those feelings aren’t facts.
2. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
When you obsess over every detail of an assignment or worry it’s not good enough, remind yourself that perfection isn’t the goal—progress is. Celebrate the small wins along the way, like completing a difficult reading assignment or making it through a tough week. Shifting your mindset from “I must be perfect” to “I am learning” can ease the pressure you put on yourself.
3. Use Campus Resources
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether attending office hours, seeking tutoring, or joining a study group, using available resources is a sign of strength, not weakness. Everyone needs support to succeed, and reaching out can help you stay on track and feel more confident in your abilities.
4. Challenge Negative Thoughts
The next time you have a negative thought like, “I’m not smart enough for this class,” ask yourself, “Is that really true?” Often, these negative thoughts are exaggerated or completely false. Instead of letting these negative thoughts control your actions, challenge them with evidence from your past accomplishments, such as a paper you did well on or a compliment you received from a professor. Remember, you are more capable than you give yourself credit for.
5. Set Realistic Goals
If you set the bar unrealistically high, you’re more likely to feel like a failure when you don’t meet it. Start setting SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound. Instead of “I need to get straight As,” aim for “I will study for three hours daily.” This method helps break down overwhelming tasks into more manageable steps, allowing you to track your progress and avoid burnout.
6. Practice Self-Compassion
Being hard on yourself is a common trait of the imposter phenomenon, but it’s not helpful. Instead of criticizing yourself for not being perfect, practice self-compassion. Treat yourself like you would treat a friend going through the same situation. You wouldn’t tell them they’re not good enough—you’d encourage them and remind them of their strengths. Do the same for yourself.
7. Connect With Others
Talking about your feelings can be a powerful way to combat the imposter phenomenon. Sharing your experiences with friends, classmates, or mentors can help you realize you’re not alone. Sometimes, just hearing that others feel the same way can lessen the weight of your self-doubt.
8. Keep a Journal
Writing down your thoughts can help you recognize and reframe your negative thinking patterns into more realistic, positive ones. Journaling also allows you to track your successes and growth over time, which can remind you that you’re making progress, even when it doesn’t feel like you are.
9. Seek Professional Help When Needed
If your imposter feelings are seriously affecting your mental health, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Many college campuses offer counseling services, and talking to a therapist can help you work through deep-rooted feelings of inadequacy and build healthier thought patterns.
How Academic Coaching Can Help
Many colleges now offer academic coaching, which differs from traditional academic advising or mentoring. Academic coaching helps you identify your goals, develop self-reflection skills, and build a support network that keeps you accountable (Zanchetta et al., 2020). Coaches ask open-ended questions that encourage you to think critically about your values, assumptions, and obstacles, which can help you navigate college and beyond.
Studies have shown that coaching can significantly help students to reduce imposter feelings (Zanchetta et al., 2020), build self-confidence, and develop a growth mindset. So, if your campus offers coaching services, consider trying them!
The Role of CognitiveBehavioral Therapy
Another powerful tool for managing the imposter phenomenon is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps you identify and challenge harmful thoughts while fostering more positive and realistic ones (Larsson et al., 2016). For example, if you think, “I am not good enough to pass this exam,” you can reframe your thinking to “I have studied and
sought help from my professor, and my grade will reflect the effort I have put in.”
Another CBT technique is keeping a thought journal, where you record your self-doubts and work through whether they’re true or just your fear (Utley & Garza, 2011). Similarly, behavioral experiments, such as testing a negative belief by giving a presentation, can help you gather evidence that disproves your self-doubt.
For example, imagine you have a deep fear that you’ll fail at delivering a class presentation because you believe your classmates will see you as an incompetent speaker. You’re convinced this will happen; on a scale of 0% (not at all) to 100% (I believe it with all my heart), you rate your belief at 90%—almost certain you’ll be exposed as inadequate. Now, instead of avoiding the presentation, challenge that belief. Go ahead and give the talk. Afterward, gather feedback from your professor and classmates. Reflect on their comments: Were they as critical as you expected, or did they highlight strengths you hadn’t considered? By comparing your initial fear with the actual outcome, you open the door to rethinking your negative assumptions. Over time, these behavioral experiments will help you replace distorted thoughts with more realistic and empowering beliefs about your abilities.
CBT techniques like journaling, mindfulness, and challenging cognitive distortions can be especially helpful for college students
struggling with imposter feelings. Even if you don’t have access to a therapist, many of these practices can be done independently or with the help of online resources.
Conclusion: You Deserve to Be Here
College is a time of growth, learning, and challenges—and feeling like an imposter shouldn’t hold you back from experiencing everything it has to offer. By taking steps to manage the imposter phenomenon, you can reduce its negative impact, build confidence in your abilities, and enjoy your college journey with a greater sense of ease and self-assurance.
Remember, you’re not an imposter— you’re a student who deserves to be here.
References
Cawcutt, K. A., Clance, P., & Jain, S. (2021). Bias, burnout, and imposter phenomenon: The Negative impact of under-recognized intersectionality. Women’s Health Reports (New Rochelle), 2(1), 643–647. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2021.0138
Chen, S., & Son, L. K. (2024). High impostors are more hesitant to ask for help. Behavioral Sciences, 14 (9), 810. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs14090810
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15 (3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
Giel, L. I. S., Noordzij, G., Noordegraaf-Eelens, L., & Denktas, S. (2020, Mar). Fear of failure: A polynomial regression analysis of the joint impact of the perceived learning environment and personal achievement goal orientation. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 33 (2), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2019.1695603
Harvey, J. C., & Katz, C. (1985). If I’m so successful, why do I feel like a fake? The impostor phenomenon. St Martin’s Press.
Larsson, A., Hooper, N., Osborne, L. A., Bennett, P., & McHugh, L. (2016). Using brief cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion techniques to cope with negative thoughts. Behavior Modification, 40 (3), 452–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445515621488
Maftei, A.. Dumitriu, A., & Holman, A. (2021). “They will discover I’m a fraud!” The impostor syndrome among psychology students. Studia Psychologica, 63 (4), 337–351. https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2021.04.831
Schubert, N., & Bowker, A. (2019). Examining the impostor phenomenon in relation to self-esteem level and self-esteem instability. Current Psychology, 38 749–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9650-4
Utley, A., & Garza, Y. (2011). The therapeutic use of journaling with adolescents. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 6 (1), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2011.557312
Villwock, J. A., Sobin, L. B., Koester, L. A., & Harris, T. M. (2016, Oct 31).
Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: A pilot study. International Journal of Medical Education, 7 364–369. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5801.eac4
Zanchetta, M., Junker, S., Wolf, A-M., & Traut-Mattausch, E. (2020).
“Overcoming the fear that haunts your success” – The effectiveness of interventions for reducing the impostor phenomenon. Frontiers, 11 (405). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00405
Rochelle K. Nelson, PhD, is an assistant professor of Biological Sciences and Geology at Queensborough Community College in Bayside, New York. In addition, she is a certified academic coach and aims to normalize the experience of the imposter phenomenon to help mitigate its effects on college students.
The Psi Chi Journal: Your Go-To for Publishing Research
R. H.
Kimberli
Treadwell, PhD University of Connecticut
Albee Therese O. Mendoza, PhD Delaware State University
Tammy L. Zacchilli, PhD Saint Leo University (FL)
Are you aware of the many advantages of publishing in Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research for student authors, research faculty, teaching faculty, academic advisors, and professionals in the field? Key reasons this journal should be your go-to include extensive review feedback, free online access, index citations for literature searches, and relevant articles for advising, teaching, professional issues, and more. Read on to find out more!
Benefits for All Authors
Is the Psi Chi Journal only for undergraduate publications?
No! Although our history has focused on undergraduate submissions, the journal has expanded in terms of scientific rigor and citations over the years (see Figure 1), making this an ideal journal not only for undergraduates, but also for graduate student and faculty-led research. You will find a great representation of articles written by undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.
How is the Psi Chi Journal’s submission process unique?
Our reviewers focus on providing detailed feedback for every section of the manuscript and offer a supportive environment and educational opportunity for authors to increase the strength of their submission, whether accepted for publication or not. This emphasis on substantive and detailed feedback allows the authors to recognize areas of strength and specific steps to improve.
During the review process, we have a designated APA Style reviewer whose sole purpose is to provide you with specific feedback to ensure the manuscript meets APA style guidelines
Associate editors, as well as the main editor, also work closely and flexibly with authors on recommended revisions to support authors in this process by taking time to answer questions to increase the likelihood that revisions meet with acceptance. Thus, our journal is a great place to submit your research!
Does the first author have to be a Psi Chi member?
No! So long as one author is a Psi Chi member, the order of authorship and membership is at your discretion.
Is there a special area that my research needs to focus on?
No! Our journal spans the diverse field of psychology including developmental, social, clinical, neuroscience, diversity, and educational psychology. Reviewers can also indicate their specialty areas, meaning that your paper will likely be reviewed by someone who is familiar with the area.
How
do I submit a manuscript?
Authors can submit manuscripts online and follow the straightforward instructions. Manuscripts are reviewed double-blind, so the reviewers and you will not know the identity of each other. We ask for a masked manuscript in APA Style format that makes your identity anonymous. You should also submit a separate unmasked cover letter, title page, and if an undergraduate is the first author, a sponsor letter from your faculty mentor—all three of which will not be shared with reviewers (Psi Chi, n.d.a). Our reviewers are all doctoral-level, and we are always looking for new reviewers to join the journal (Psi Chi, n.d.c).
If I’m an undergraduate student, do I need a faculty sponsor?
Yes. If you are a current undergraduate student or if your work was completed during your undergraduate career, you will need to obtain a letter of sponsorship that is hand-signed by a faculty mentor. For your sponsor’s convenience, an example sponsor statement is available on the journal’s submission guidelines webpage
How long does the review process take? It takes approximately 10 to 12 weeks (about 3 months) as there are several steps in the review process which include finding reviewers. Once a manuscript goes through peer review, the primary author will receive email notification of either (a) acceptance, (b) acceptance with minor revisions, (c) encouragement for major revisions and resubmission, or (d) rejection. Depending on the revision process, accepted manuscripts are generally published within a year after initial submission.
What is unique about published manuscripts from the Psi Chi Journal?
Our journal participates in the Open Science Badges program, which highlights unique aspects of your research to readers as well as increases transparency and scientific rigor (Psi Chi, n.d.d). These badges include:
Diversity Badge —designates manuscripts that focus on aspects of diversity
Open Data Badge—awards authors who share data needed to reproduce the results
Open Materials Badge —awards authors for sharing all materials to enable future replications
Preregistration Badge —reflects articles that achieved a basic, timestamped preregistration design
Replication Badge —emphasizes the importance of replication studies
FIGURE 1
Other unique features include that you have the option of publishing your abstract in a second language. This option increases your research visibility to an international audience. Your research visibility is also enhanced by the 40% acceptance rate in 2023–24, as well as by scientific indexing in PsycINFO, EBSCO, Google Scholar, Clarivate’s Emerging Sciences, and Crossref databases. Journal citations have increased during the past 11 years, as seen in Figure 1. Finally, it is totally free to submit for publication and access all previously published articles.
Can I base an article on a research poster?
Yes! Representatives of Psi Chi as well as the editorial staff attend regional APA conventions and poster sessions, encouraging researchers to consider submitting the results of their research to the journal.
How long has the journal been around?
The journal has been actively publishing research for almost 30 years, with the first issue in 1996 (Psi Chi, n.d.e).
How often are issues published? The journal publishes four issues per year in spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Benefits for Undergraduates and Graduate Students
Can the journal help me in my classes?
Yes, the journal has many editorials that will help you with classes. You will find topics such as how to write papers in APA Style (Hughes et al., 2023), how to prepare for the Graduate Record Examination Psychology Subject Test (Morgan, 2018), how to evaluate journals to become a proficient research consumer (Hoskova et al., 2020), and many other relevant topics for your life as a psychology student. The articles may also inspire you to write about your research for publication or could help you improve your writing by using these articles as a guide (e.g., Fallon, 2018; Kreiner & Zlokovich, 2020).
Can the journal help me with my professional development and my career?
Yes! The journal has published editorials and articles that can greatly benefit undergraduate and graduate students, especially in the areas of research. For example, there are articles on how to use Mechanical Turk (Lopez et al., 2023) as well as articles on how to phrase survey questions to obtain demographic data in an inclusive manner (Hughes et al., 2022).
Can I submit my Honors, Capstone/Senior, Masters, or Dissertation research?
Yes, the journal serves as a great outlet for research results from your graduate school milestones. In fact, there is an editorial about preparing theses and dissertations for publication (Ayala, 2018). Keep in mind that you will need to summarize this research to fewer than 35 pages for publication in the Psi Chi Journal
Benefits for Faculty Members
If I’m no longer a student, is it too late to join Psi Chi?
Psi Chi accepts member applications for full- and part-time faculty in psychology throughout your career in psychology (Psi Chi, n.d.b). You haven’t missed any deadlines! You can apply to be a member of Psi Chi at any time, and there are a variety of ways faculty can benefit from Psi Chi as a whole
How can I contribute to the journal as a faculty member?
There are many ways to become involved in the journal including submitting a manuscript as a first author, encouraging your graduate students to submit their masters and dissertation research to the journal, encouraging honors undergraduate and senior projects to be submitted as a manuscript, or becoming a reviewer for the journal.
Can I become a reviewer for the journal?
Reviewing manuscripts for the journal is a great way to increase your CV and scientific exposure to the field. Find out more on our website There is the opportunity to block out your schedule during the academic year, so you control the frequency of your reviews.
Is this a good outlet for my own faculty research?
Yes, the scientific rigor and evolution of this journal has increasingly published faculty-led research. Do consider this journal as an outlet.
Can I encourage my students to submit a manuscript?
Yes! The journal is a great place for senior capstone submissions and/or honors thesis research submissions, in conjunction with you, the faculty member.
Can I use journal articles in my teaching?
Yes! Because the journal is free and opensourced, faculty members and students alike can access articles relevant to topics discussed in the classroom. For example, in classes focused on career exploration, Psi Chi publishes articles in the Psi Chi Journal focused on professional development and student skill-building (Hughes et al., 2024).
Faculty members can also utilize journal articles to demonstrate the rigor needed to publish work in the scientific community. Faculty members can use journal articles to dive into specific subjects. Basically, when searching for articles, there are 30 different categories to choose from including Diversity, Stress, LGBTQIA+, and more (Psi Chi, n.d.f).
Faculty members, particularly those teaching research methods courses, might find the journal particularly useful in helping students gain experience in evaluating psychological research as well as guiding students to develop ideas for their own research projects. The articles in the journal serve as a great resource for literature review assignments.
Are there other outlets to publish with Psi Chi?
It’s not just data-driven research, you can also contribute an editorial to the Psi Chi Journal or consider publishing an article to other Psi Chi publications like the Eye on Psi Chi magazine.
Benefits for Those Interested in Psychology at Large
Does it cost to read the journal? No! You can access the journal online for free.
I am not a faculty member or psychology student. Is there value in reading the journal? Yes! Reading the journal as a Psi Chi member is a great way to stay updated in advances in the field of psychology. In the past two years alone, there have been several articles on COVID-19’s effects on students’ stress and burnout (e.g., Cox et al., 2024), and misinformation beliefs and vaccine status (e.g., Bossert & JongmanSereno, 2024). There have also been articles on social media’s effects on mental health including Tik Tok-specific research focused on well-being and psychological distress (e.g., von Fedak & Langlais, 2024).
Articles on certain areas of psychology (e.g., snooping on personal devices, procrastination) or particular populations (e.g., gender nonconforming individuals, Arabic adolescents) are also available.
What if I’m ready to take the next step and I have questions? Feel free to contact us!
References
Ayala, E. E. (2018). INVITED EDITORIAL: How to prepare theses and dissertations for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 23(4), 268–273. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN23.4.268
Bossert, A., & Jongman-Sereno, K. (2024). Misinformation beliefs, intellectual humility, and vaccine attitudes and status. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 29 (2), 158–167. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN29.2.158
Cox, J. K., Camparo, L. B., & Yuen, C. N. (2024). A model of students’ COVID-19 stress and burnout at a minority serving college. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 29 (1), 70–79. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN29.1.70
Fallon, M. (2018). Writing quantitative empirical manuscripts with rigor and flair (Yes, it’s possible). Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 23 (3), 184–198. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN23.3.184
Hoskova, B., Colgan, C. A., & Lai, B. S. (2020). INVITED EDITORIAL: How to become an informed research consumer: Evaluating journal impact factors and their alternatives. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 25 (4), 304–307. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN25.4.304
Hughes, J. L., Camden, A. A., Yangchen, T., Smith, G. P. A., Rodríguez, M. M. D., Rouse, S. V., McDonald, C. P., & Lopez, S. (2022). INVITED EDITORIAL: Guidance for researchers when using inclusive demographic questions for surveys: Improved and updated questions. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 27 (4), 232–255. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN27.4.232
Hughes, J. L., Cannon, B., Camden A. A., Treadwell, K. R. H., Thomas, J. G., & Perdue, B. M. (2023). Conquering APA Style for the seventh edition: Advice from APA Style experts. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 28 (1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN28.1.2
Hughes, J. L., Treadwell, K. R. H., & Mendoza, A. T. O. (2024). Using Psi Chi eBooks and Eye on Psi Chi articles as readings when teaching career exploration and professional development in psychology courses. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 29 (1), 2–7. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN29.1.2
Kreiner, D. S., & Zlokovich, M. S. (2020). Stay engaged in Psi Chi: Opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students, and beyond. Eye on Psi Chi, 24 (3), 36–39. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye24.3.36
Lopez, S. G., Rouse, S. V., & Treadwell, K. (2023). Editorial: The use of Mechanical Turk data in psychological research. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 28 (2), 91–95. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN28.2.91 Morgan, B. L. (2018). INVITED EDITORIAL: The GRE Psychology Subject Test: Advising implications of a faded criterion for graduate admissions. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 23 (1) 4–6. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN23.1.4
Psi Chi, The International Honors Society in Psychology. (n.d.a). Journal submissions. Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.psichi.org/page/JN_Submissions
Psi Chi, The International Honors Society in Psychology. (n.d.b). Become a member. Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.psichi.org/page/become_member
Psi Chi, The International Honors Society in Psychology. (n.d.c). Become a reviewer Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.psichi.org/page/JN_BecomeAReviewer
Psi Chi, The International Honors Society in Psychology. (n.d.d). Learn about Open Science Badges. Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.psichi.org/page/journal_Badges
Psi Chi, The International Honors Society in Psychology. (n.d.e). Past volumes. Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.psichi.org/page/journal_past
Psi Chi, The International Honors Society in Psychology. (n.d.f). Publications search . Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.psichi.org/page/Publications_Search von Fedak, V., & Langlais, M. R. (2024). TikTok too long? Examining time on TikTok,
psychological distress, and the moderation of TikTok motivations among college students. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 29 (2), 129–139. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.JN29.2.129
Kimberli Treadwell, PhD (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-65954193), is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut. She serves as an associate editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research and serves on the Editorial Board and provides ad-hoc reviews for other peer-reviewed journals in the field. Her research focuses on cognitive learning approaches to anxiety and its treatment. Dr. Treadwell is an active mentor for undergraduate and graduate research, as well as the recipient of multiple faculty fellowship grants and awards for developing and implementing curriculum for the psychological sciences major. She is a licensed psychologist specializing in clinical child anxiety. Contact: Kimberli.treadwell@uconn.edu
Albee Mendoza, PhD, ACUE (https:// orcid.org/0009-0003-9366-1157), is an assistant professor at Delaware State University, an HBCU in Dover, DE. Dr. Mendoza currently serves as an associate editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research and has previously been the Eastern Regional representative for the Psi Chi Diversity Advisory Committee. Passionate about the scholarship of teaching and learning as well as community-based experiential learning, Dr. Mendoza earned a teaching effectiveness certification from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), is an active member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s Early Career Travel Grants Committee, and is the codirector of the Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology (MATOP) Conference. Due to her inclusive practices in teaching, scholarship, and service, Dr. Mendoza was recognized with an Emerging Scholar Award from the magazine, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Contact: amendoza@desu.edu
Tammy Lowery Zacchilli, PhD, MSID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-08273804), is a professor of psychology at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, FL. She has served as the faculty advisor for the Saint Leo Chapter since 2010. In 2015, Dr. Zacchilli was awarded the Faculty Advisor Award for the Southeastern Region of Psi Chi. Her primary research interests include romantic conflict, social media use, teaching of psychology, and cyber bullying. Dr. Zacchilli’s Romantic Partner Conflict Scale has been used by researchers all over the world. She has presented at national and regional conferences with over 100 students, many of whom are Psi Chi members. Dr. Zacchilli is currently the Psi Chi Southeastern Regional Vice President. Since 2017, she has served as an associate editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research. She also serves as the Chair of the Psi Chi Awards Committee and a reviewer for grants. Contact: tammy.zacchilli@saintleo.edu
Correspondence should be addressed to Kimberli Treadwell, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT 06269, phone: 203.236.9849, fax: 203.236.9946, email: kimberli.treadwell@uconn.edu
The Science of Humility:
Interview With Daryl R. Van Tongeren, PhD
Bradley Cannon Psi Chi Headquarters
Know Ourselves
Do you celebrate humility? Or do you avoid it entirely? Your answer may depend on many things, such as the specific situation, past experiences, or whether you perceive humility as modesty and selflessness or as a lack of confidence and weakness.
An increasing number of researchers are seeking answers to questions like these about the fascinating topic of humility. For this interview, Dr. Daryl R. Van Tongeren joins us to share his considerable knowledge. In addition to expertise in meaning in life and religion, Dr. Van Tongeren has spent many years researching humility and whether it leads to a good life. A psychology professor at Hope College, in 2022 he published the book Humble: Free Yourself From the Traps of a Narcissistic World, and he has been featured in The Atlantic, New York Times, Scientific American, and many other popular media outlets.
Dr. Van Tongeren defines humility as “the ability to know ourselves, check ourselves, and go beyond ourselves.” Specifically, he explains, humility occurs through our accurate awareness of our strengths and weakness (i.e., know ourselves), our ability to control our selfish motivations (i.e., check ourselves), and our ability to prioritize others’ needs as equal to our own needs (i.e., go beyond ourselves). Read on for Dr. Van Tongeren’s insights into why humbleness varies from one person to another, how to cultivate humility, and more.
Thank you for joining us!
To get started, what are the key benefits of humility for oneself and others?
There are a number of benefits. Probably the biggest benefit we see are relational benefits. I like to think about humility as a signal of what it would be like to be in a relationship with a person. And so, what we see is that humble people are rated as higher in relationship satisfaction and relationship commitments. We are more likely to be satisfied and committed in relationships with humble individuals. We are more likely to be attracted to and want to date humble romantic partners. We are more likely to forgive a humble partner relative to an arrogant partner.
A second set of benefits we really see are in work and leadership. A large amount of research has focused on how humble leaders make better leaders than arrogant or narcissistic leaders. Humble leaders tend to have more productive, more creative, healthier, and happier employees. There’s also evidence that humility spreads if a leader is humble, so there’s a social contagion of humility. Being a humble leader can also lead to greater donations. We tend to trust humble leaders.
Finally, there is also some evidence that humility is good for our health and well-being. My colleagues and I conducted studies where we looked at people who were undergoing stress, such as a transition to parenthood or interactions with a romantic partner about an area of persistent conflict. We found that mental health improves when both partners are humble, and we even saw beneficial physiological responses in terms of reduced blood pressure when people are engaged in an interaction where they are having an ongoing source of conflict with a romantic partner. But again, only when both partners are humble. So this provides a little nuance that some of the physiological or mental health benefits of humility might be the best when both partners are humble.
How might you go about measuring humility in a research study?
There are several different ways to measure humility. One is that we could use selfreport measures to ask someone to rate
their own humility, such as the Relational Humility Scale, Intellectual Humility Scale, or Cultural Humility Scale.
If people are concerned that self-report about humility might not be reliable, because you can see some type of irony there, another way that we’ve measured humility is through other report or partner report This is where one’s friend, romantic partner, coworker, boss, or work colleague would report on the target’s humility.
The third way we can measure humility is behaviorally. We can look at behaviors that we anticipate would be reflective of a humble disposition or state humility and use both self-report, other report, and behavior, to triangulate how humble someone might be in a particular situation.
You mentioned that part of the definition of humility is our ability to “check ourselves.” Are we any good at this? Are people able to tell how humble they are?
When research first started in this area, scholars were really concerned about self-reports of humility and what a high score in humility really means. Does it mean that someone’s actually humble? Or would only a narcissistic person get the high score? We were also a bit concerned about where a humble person would place themselves. Research mostly calmed those concerns. Now, we are not overly concerned that people are unable to tell how humble they are, because we feel like self-report is a fairly good—though not perfect—estimate of where people are in terms of humility.
What are some reasons why a person might struggle with being humble?
If we’re thinking about our ability to know ourselves, humans have a host of cognitive biases that keep us from accurately perceiving the world as it is and ourselves as we are. Instead, we perceive the world as we want it to be and ourselves as we wish we were.
The self-serving bias, the above-average effect, and confirmation bias all skew our ability to interpret information about the world and ourselves. The way that the human brain is designed and the strength of these biases make it really difficult for
us to have an accurate sense of ourselves. A lot of us also tend to have these very strong, selfish motivations to perceive ourselves more positively than we actually are, to spin feedback in a way that’s more beneficial and positive to the self that accepts credit and shirks blame.
In particular, it may be unusually difficult act humbly in western cultures where individualism and narcissism are rampant,
and we are rewarded culturally for being more self-aggrandizing, self-centered, and quite frankly, narcissistic. Because we don’t, as a culture, strongly enough emphasize and value humility, it may be more difficult to practice this important character strength.
Are some things easier to be humble about than others?
And why is that?
I think so, and I think part of it has to do with centrality to the self. It is easier to be humble about things that are less central to our sense of self. For example, I’m fine admitting that I’m a terrible basketball player, because being a good basketball player is not a central part of how I view
who I am. It is not a core part of my identity. But, when I’m receiving feedback from my romantic partner, I might get more defensive about that, because being a good, moral partner is an essential part of how I view myself. The more central something is, the more defensive we tend to get and the less likely we are to admit that we were wrong.
The other part is one’s sense of psychological security. I think it is difficult to practice humility when we feel under threat or insecure by status, something in our environment, or something else that occurred throughout the day. If something feels particularly threatening to us, or if we are made to feel insecure, we are probably less likely to take feedback that is challenging for us to hear or admit when we were wrong.
Go Beyond Ourselves
In these instances, we are in a psychological arms race to regain a sense of strong self-esteem, reposition ourselves, and view ourselves more positively relative to others.
How can individuals practice and strengthen their humility in their daily lives?
Right now, my colleagues and I have a grant funded by the John Templeton Foundation looking at what are pragmatic ways that people can work to become more intellectually humble. I think there’s a few practical things that people can do to cultivate humility. The first is that they can seek feedback by asking others, “How humble am I?” Ask a range of people who know you well in a range of contexts, such as people who know you at work, in personal settings, and in professional settings. A range of experiences and contexts can give you a more accurate constellation of people’s view of your humility.
The second thing is to reduce defensiveness when you get feedback. Sometimes we don’t like what we hear. I never like hearing that I’m not being humble. In fact, sometimes I adamantly defend how humble I am, which ironically is just being defensive and proving that person’s point that I’m not being humble. I think a third thing we can do is to strongly cultivate a sense of empathy both perspective-taking and emotional attunement to the well-being and emotional state of other people. Empathy really is a core, if not the core, driver of humility. If we can see someone else’s perspective and feel what they’re feeling, we are more likely to reduce our own defensiveness and prioritize their perspective and their well-being as equal to our own.
Finally, the last thing is to commit to practicing humility for the long haul. Every day, especially in the United States, we wake up on a moving sidewalk toward narcissism. We have to actively work against our self-serving motivations to try to be more humble. Committing to the hard work of humility takes time and practice.
Is there a line between humility and low self-esteem? How do we differentiate between those two? Absolutely. I like to think about humility as being the golden mean between arrogance and self-deprecation. Most people are familiar with the ditch of arrogance
and thinking too highly of themselves. But some people think that humility is believing that you’re nothing, that you have nothing to offer, and that you’re a terrible person. I would say that is not humility either. That is more akin to self-degradation and low self-esteem.
Really, in my mind, humility is about being the right size in a given situation —not too big, but also not too small. It involves an accurate view of oneself, including strengths and weaknesses. We wouldn’t want to only focus on our weaknesses and deficits. True humility is seeing one’s self at the right size in a given context or situation.
If I’m going in for an important medical procedure, and the medical professional comes to me and says, “This is what I think you need to get done,” I want to hear a sense of confidence. I want her to lean into the expertise that she’s earned as a medical professional. I don’t want her saying, “I think I should do this, and everything that I’ve read and learned says I should do this, but what do you think?”
That’s not what I want, and that’s not being humble. That’s really just undermining my sense of confidence in the procedure. Instead, I want someone to confidently and accurately understand what they know and what they don’t know.
Is expressing humility ever disadvantageous?
I do think there are times in which humility may be disadvantageous. Now this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cultivate humility, but there are some downsides. What we need to do is cultivate the wisdom of knowing which virtue to employ in a particular situation.
Part of the downsides could be because of cultural conceptualizations of humility and how humility has been used in the past. There are times in the past in which humility has been used as a tool of oppression to keep people in line. The places where we see humility as being disadvantageous usually occur among people who have historically been marginalized, oppressed, or outside of positions of power.
For example, I had a very bright senior undergraduate student who did her honors thesis on how humility was perceived based on gender differences. She found that
women were perceived as far less humble for claiming the same type of good work relative to men. She did this experimental design to show that women pay a steeper price when they’re perceived as being arrogant. So, for some situations, maybe humility isn’t the most needed virtue for women and other marginalized groups. Maybe courage is needed more instead.
A second setting where we see downsides of having humility is when it comes to big existential questions, such as core beliefs that people have about the meaning of life, or what happens after death. The stakes are high around these strong, ideologically motivated worldviews, and we see that people who express intellectual humility around these areas tend to have lower well-being. They tend to be a little more anxious. They are not as comfortable because they are willing to admit that they could be wrong about a really big thing that matters a lot in life. This suggests why certain ideologically firm and secure worldviews have such appeal.
Could you name a few famous people who demonstrate humility?
Humility exemplars that I tend to think about are Galileo and Copernicus. They advocated heliocentric viewpoints. They said, “Look, the earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around. Everyone’s gotten this wrong, so we’re moving what everyone thinks based on empirical data.” These men were willing to shift their beliefs based on sufficiently strong data, even though everyone else thought something else.
Another example, and I know this might seem strange, but we can see a kind of organizational humility in the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration. Some of us who are older learned to drive with our hands on the steering wheel at ten and two on the clock. But that was before airbags became standard across all cars. If I’m driving with my hands at ten and two when the airbag goes off, I’m gonna hit myself in the face with my hands. So they said, “Now that we have airbags, the safer way is not at ten and two. It is actually nine and three so that your hands are blown to the side when the airbag deploys.” It seems like a small thing, but saying, “We thought we knew what was best, but we got
new data and changed what we believe,” involves a fair amount of humility.
Could you discuss any cultural differences in humility?
A lot of past research has been conducted on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies, so we are now trying to conduct more research on how humility looks different across cultures. My colleagues and I have done some cross-cultural research, but we are still trying to compile those results. I would say to stay tuned. Given the rise of the pressing need for self-esteem and individualism in western cultures, one might argue that we will see humility being more difficult to practice in western cultures. But let’s wait to see what the data say.
Do you have any tips for students who might be interested in studying humility or other emotions?
Yeah, there’s a really strong and growing interest in humility. A lot of scholars are doing exciting work in this area. I would encourage students who are interested in studying humility to find a scholar who’s doing work in this area, read some of the exciting work that’s being done, and also bring a lot of their own creativity. We need methodological creativity. We need more experiments. We need more longitudinal data. We need more behavioral assessments and studies that look at actual humble behavior and not just how humble people think they are through self-report. I think we need a lot of methodological innovation in this area, and students can bring a lot of that new creativity and perspective that we might be missing.
Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Hope College and the director of the Frost Center for Social Science Research. He has published more than 200 scholarly articles and chapters, and four books, on meaning in life, religion, and virtues, including, Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion and Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World. He has won several international awards for his research, which has been supported by numerous external grants and been covered by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times and Hidden Brain He is a Fellow of MPA.
Understanding and Combatting on Campuses
An Interview With Courtney Ahrens, PhD
Elisabeth Barrett Psi Chi Headquarters
Sexual violence remains a critical issue that affects more than 50% of women and about 30% of men, and is often shrouded in silence and stigma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). Dating violence by a romantic partner impacts 41% of women and 26% of men (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). Understanding the dynamics of disclosure—why some survivors choose to share their experiences while others remain silent—is essential for fostering a supportive environment. Many survivors struggle with fears of not being believed or facing judgment, which can deter them from seeking help. As academic communities work towards creating safer spaces, it is vital to address misconceptions and promote effective communication strategies that prioritize empathy and understanding. This article addresses the complexities of disclosure, the differences between help-seeking and sharing experiences, and the importance of comprehensive prevention programs in reshaping the culture around violence.
Courtney Ahrens, PhD
Courtney Ahrens, PhD, first became involved in the sexual and relationship violence support community while attending Smith College in Massachusetts. As an undergraduate psychology major, she initially thought she wanted to become a clinical psychologist. Understanding that clinical psychologist PhD applicants need experience to be competitive when applying to programs, she began training and working at a local rape crisis center, describing this experience to be “completely life changing.” Ahrens volunteered for two years as a hotline and medical advocate, where she learned how much of an epidemic sexual and relationship violence are, as well as its impact. She would answer hotline calls in the middle of the night and go to the hospital and sit with survivors, comforting them and explaining the process and what was going on.
During this time, Ahrens noticed a couple of interesting things:
1. Once she went through that training, people started confiding in her. Friends, family members, and people that she had been close to started disclosing to her their experiences with sexual or relationship violence.
2. She became more passionate about violence prevention and social change than clinical psychology.
Ahrens found it surprising how those close to her had been keeping silent about their experiences. This trust and new understanding began to spark her interest in the idea of disclosure, not necessarily wondering why people stay silent (understanding a significant portion of silence stems from blame and shame), but why individuals who experience sexual and/ or relationship violence choose to disclose, who they choose to disclose to, and when they choose to disclose.
Beginning to understand and learn about the nuances and complexities of sexual assault disclosure, Ahrens began to realize that therapy was not the direction she wanted to continue but that she’d rather go into education, prevention, and social change. During these years in her undergraduate experience, she also started working on a research project with her advisor who had done his dissertation at Stanford with Dr. Walter Mischel working on his classic delay of gratification marshmallow study. Once Ahrens graduated, she went to Stanford for the summer to help follow up with the original participants from this study. This experience sparked her interest in research, eventually leading to her decision to pursue a PhD in Community Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she was able to bring together her experience at the crisis center with her interest in research to conduct applied, community-based research on disclosure, help-seeking, advocacy work, and social change.
Trust and Disclosure
When asked how to show someone that you can be a trusted friend or family member, and how to respond when someone does disclose their experience to you, Ahrens highlighted this as a common question. She said people want to know, for example, what to say to their best friend and how they can help support them. However, they are often afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. Ahrens answer is this: “There really isn’t a right or wrong thing to say exactly. It’s more about how you say it. You need to communicate that you care, that goes a long, long way.” In terms of particular sentiments, it is critical to avoid expressing anything
that communicates shame or disbelief, which are common reasons why victims and survivors choose not to disclose their experiences (e.g., “Are you sure that’s what happened?” “What did you do wrong?”). Instead, Ahrens recommends reminding whoever is confiding in you that it is not their fault. You can’t say that enough! She says to really stress that you care and to understand it’s about putting the survivor’s needs first by giving them the agency to decide what should happen next. Referring to survivors, Ahrens says, “They are the experts in their own life and understanding themselves and what they are ready for in the situation. Your role, as a friend, is to guide them through their own decision-making process as opposed to trying to tell them what they should do.”
Ahrens highlights how sexual or relationship violence (whether the violence is in the form of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, etc.) is about taking control away from survivors, saying “it is an event that happened to them and they had no control over it. Trying to tell a survivor what to do, or forcing certain behaviors on them, is just another way of taking their control and autonomy away, compounding that sense of helplessness.” She emphasizes that what they really need is someone to be patient, communicate concern, put their needs first, and let them be the ones to decide what those needs are. It is important to be the person who listens and is really willing to sit with a survivor and let them express their feelings with patience.
Help-Seeking vs. Disclosure
Help-seeking behaviors often get equated to disclosure, even though they are not always the same. Ahrens describes help-seeking to be more of a conscious decision to seek help where the individual knows that they want a specific kind of help, and they’re reaching out in order to get it. It can look like someone saying:
• “I need to talk about it.”
• “I want someone to listen.”
• “I need help in some way.”
• “I need therapy.”
• “I need medical help.”
• “I need to talk to the police for them to investigate it.”
• “I want social justice out of this.”
Disclosure, on the other hand, can encompass help-seeking, though it isn’t always quite so conscious and can happen without premeditation. Ahrens shares an example of this is sitting with a friend who starts to talk about their own experience, and then you begin sharing your experience as well. In that moment, you had not set out to tell your friend what happened to you, but it came up naturally in that conversation. Another example of disclosure could happen in a classroom while the professor is lecturing. The topic is relevant to this individual’s experience, and somebody says something that shows they didn’t quite understand the topic. In that moment, the individual decides they want to use their own experience to help educate their peer. They didn’t go to that class planning to share, but it felt organically relevant to do so.
Although the purpose of help-seeking behaviors is to get help, the purpose of disclosure is not always necessarily getting help. It can be needing to talk, needing to let somebody know what happened, or wanting to share to help build your relationship and trust with someone. Ahrens recalls leading interviews with many survivors who chose to disclose for
many reasons, like choosing to disclose to their mother because they needed her help to take care of their kid while they went to the hospital. Ahrens highlights that most survivors end up disclosing to at least one person and, on average, at least three. Survivors are more likely to tell close friends, followed by family, otherwise known at informal help. Informal help occurs within one’s social circle (e.g., friends, family, partners, close acquaintances) whereas formal help consists of people whose job it is to help and report (e.g., police, hospitals, professors, counsellors).
However, some survivors choose not to disclose to anyone for many reasons and fears. Ahrens expresses that these fears can be rooted in concern for nuanced relationship dynamics. “For example,” she says, “let’s say I tell the police, and then what happens? They start to investigate, if you’re lucky, and then everybody knows. If the perpetrator was my partner, what does that mean to the family? If this was within my friendship group, how will other people in that group react? Are they going to have to take sides? Who’s going to blame me?” Ahrens stresses how these dynamics can also cause survivors to
question whether or not it will do any good to disclose or to seek help from formal or informal systems.
Fears can also be traced to the potentiality of negative reactions, which are silencing to survivors, and force a secondary victimization (not being believed, or being blamed for your assault). Secondary victimization from an institution, specifically, is also referred to as institutional betrayal, which is when a survivor believed in the system and the system instead either blames the survivor or refuses to help. Ahrens says this can often feel like a second assault, like the survivor and their trust has been betrayed again, but this time by the system.
Sexual Violence Misconceptions
One misconception, Ahrens addresses, is about the prevalence of false reporting. She highlights how a lot of people are concerned about false reporting, despite multiple studies having shown that false reporting is actually quite uncommon. In fact, the level of false reports for sexual assault is lower than the level of false reports for other types of crimes. For example, Ahrens draws the comparison that, statistically, people are far more likely to say their car was stolen than they are to say they were sexually assaulted (however, nobody opts not to believe somebody’s car got stolen). In fact, Ahrens goes on to say that false reporting does not even necessarily mean an investigation concluded that the reported account of relationship or sexual violence is untrue; saying that “police use this term called ‘unfounded’ and it means that they don’t think there’s enough evidence to move forward in an investigation. It doesn’t mean that they’ve proven the reported account didn’t happen, but that they don’t have enough evidence to keep investigating.” Essentially, unfounded cases get funneled into “false claim” statistics, which are already incredibly low and yet can outweigh people’s willingness to believe women, when truly there is not any evidence proving women are lying about their experiences. Ahrens turns it around, saying that even if 3% of claims are false, that still means 97% are not. As a society, rather than trying to weed out those 3% (and doubting survivors accounts), it’s
better to put efforts in believing the 97% for whom this really has been a traumatic experience and whom nobody believes. They are experiencing even more trauma from the fact that everybody’s questioning whether it was true.
Academic Prevention Programs
Although many colleges and universities incorporate sexual and relationship violence prevention programs, like Green Dot, or provide a lecture or exercise on consent for first-year students, these initiatives, alone, are not satisfactory to changing a culture of violence, blame, and shame.
Ahrens touches on how, despite mandatory online training through Title IX offices, these trainings do little to change attitudes on campus, saying, “it might be enough to give people a couple of definitions and provide awareness for a couple of resources, but that doesn’t do much for cultural, attitude, or behavioral change. Unfortunately, a lot of universities just look at this as checking the box. However, research is clear that if you want to get to attitude and behavioral changes, programs need to be longer, occur over time, and be interactive.” Ahrens emphasizes that one cannot lecture online for an hour and expect that to change a culture. Many approaches are promising, such as bystander and social norms approaches such as the Green Dot, Bringing in the Bystander, and Mentors in Violence Prevention programs. Although research has shown that bystander programs can be effective, Ahrens believes they could be much more effective if they were longer and more interactive. She is a huge proponent of offering multiple workshops over time on different topics and doing anything possible to get people to attend, which is transparent in the work she does at Not Alone at the Beach.
Not Alone at the Beach
At California State University, Long Beach, Ahrens works on a team called Not Alone at the Beach, a collaborative with faculty, staff, and students. She defines it as a “comprehensive model of violence prevention where we offer a one-hour consent education workshop; an eighthour healthy relationships workshop, which combines information on healthy
romantic and sexual relationships, and respecting other people’s wants and desires; and a twelve-hour sexual assault resistance program called Flip the Script, an evidence-based program that empowers women to use their mind, voice, and body to resist sexual assault.” Flip the Script has been highly effective in multiple randomized control trials, showing 63% reductions in experiencing an attempted rape compared to women who did not complete the program. Ahrens comments that this helps empower women to understand they have the right to protect themselves without having to worry about being nice or hurting other people’s feelings. If someone invades their space, tries to manipulate them, or physically forces them to do things, it is okay to fight back and use their voice, body, intelligence, and creativity to get out of that situation.
Not Alone at the Beach focuses on:
• sexual assault,
• dating violence,
• stalking,
• sexual harassment prevention,
• LGBTQ dating violence experiences,
• trauma 101 and traumatic growth, and
• empowerment self-defense.
To make the model as holistic as possible, Not Alone at the Beach also touches on setting your own and accepting other people’s boundaries, and the difference between flirting and sexual harassment. It also utilizes a national bystander intervention program called Mentors in Violence Prevention created by Jackson Katz. This program combines social norms and bystander interventions, identifying leaders (e.g., leaders in fraternities, athletics, student government, or student organizations) and bringing them in to talk about how can they change the culture of the groups that they are part of. These interventions have the potential to change culture, both in terms of acceptance of violence and use of violence themselves, and also with bystander inventions. By touching on different areas, both content wise and demographically, Ahrens emphasizes that it helps reinforce the goal of changing culture.
Final Thoughts
Addressing sexual and relationship violence on campuses requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes education,
prevention, and community support. Insights from experts like Dr. Courtney Ahrens highlight the importance of fostering a culture of trust and open communication, where survivors feel safe to disclose their experiences without fear of judgment or disbelief. Effective programs must go beyond superficial training; they should engage students in meaningful dialogue and empower them to become active bystanders in creating safer environments. By prioritizing survivor needs and dismantling the stigma surrounding violence, campuses can cultivate a supportive community that not only encourages disclosure but also actively works to prevent future incidents. Ultimately, creating a culture of respect and understanding is essential in combating the pervasive issue of sexual and relationship violence, ensuring that all students feel safe, heard, and valued.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Sexual violence prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/about/index.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Intimate partner violence prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/ about/index.html
Dr. Courtney Ahrens is a professor in the Psychology Department at California State University at Long Beach in the United States. Her research focuses on sexual assault and intimate partner violence with a specific emphasis on help-seeking and disclosure. She regularly collaborates with colleagues in the US and abroad on research projects and applied efforts to prevent and address sexual assault. Through her work with Not Alone at the Beach, she is actively involved in running trainings for faculty on responding to student disclosures, running healthy relationships prevention programs for students, and cofacilitating an empowerment self-defense classes for women.
Chapter Activities Submission Guidelines
With more than 1,180 chapters, Psi Chi members can make a significant impact in their communities. Reviewing Chapter Activities in Eye on Psi Chi is a great way to find inspirational ideas for your chapter and keep in touch with your chapter after you graduate.
Activities are listed in the following categories:
• COMMUNITY SERVICE CONVENTION/CONFERENCE
• FUND-RAISING
• INDUCTION CEREMONY
• MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT
• RECRUITMENT
SOCIAL EVENT
Share your chapter’s accomplishments with others in the next issue of Eye on Psi Chi! Chapter officers and advisors are encouraged to visit https://www. psichi.org/page/eye_activity
Submission deadlines*
Fall: June 30
Winter: September 30
Spring: December 15
Summer: February 28
Reports received (postmarked) after the deadline will appear in the next
EAST
Fordham University–Lincoln Center (NY) MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: On April 22, Professor Dinesh Sharma hosted a webinar to celebrate Indian psychoanalyst, Sudhir Kakar, who died that week at age 85. On April 25, the chapter hosted the official New York City watch party for the 17th “Psychology Day at the United Nations,” a global webinar attended by 800 viewers in 80 nations (www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6qZ_Hjo-lk). On April 27, the chapter hosted a forum
on “Genocide Prevention and Human Rights.” On May 4, chapter members spoke at the nearby 52nd Hunter College Psychology Convention. On May 5, the chapter hosted a memorial service for beloved Professor Artemis Pipinelli (1945–2024).
INDUCTION CEREMONY: On June 7, the annual Fordham Alumni Reunion included a Psi Chi induction ceremony, inducting three new lifetime members: Nicole Entin, Albert Palombo, and Jamilla Perez-Hosein. They viewed two videos on Psi Chi’s mission both in the United States and globally. They also heard greetings from two award
winning and very different guests: Diana Antonyan and C. Edward Robins. Antonyan is a 16-year-old student at High School Number 119 in Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. Diana flew to New York this week with her parents, to accept the 29th annual Krieger Award at the United Nations on June 6, for the best student essay on the topic of “Genocide and Its Prevention.” Robins is a psychoanalyst who earned his first of two doctorates in 1975, and described his historic work since the 1980s to establish training in psychoanalysis in the People’s Republic of China.
issue of Eye on Psi Chi
(Top) Emporia State University (KS) Psi Chi Chapter Fall 2024 members.
(Above) Alejandra Palmer (historian) presenting information about suicide prevention and educating the Emporia State University (KS) Chapter members.
(Right) Emporia State University (KS) Chapter members engaging with each other and checking out resources at the end of the meeting.
MIDWEST
DePaul University (IL)
RECRUITMENT: At the end of the first week of fall quarter, the chapter came together at the university-wide student involvement fair to spread the word about the organization’s exciting plans for this year. Set up in the school’s quad, the chapter’s officers staffed the information table, met with many new students interested in psychology, and discussed the amazing resources, events, programs, and opportunities that Psi Chi and the chapter provide
for students. The event was wellorchestrated, well-attended, and generated a lot of student interest and excitement. Since the event, several students have applied to be a member.
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: The chapter sponsored a Research Lab Matchmaking event, where eleven research labs on DePaul’s campus discussed the topic, scope, and available positions in their labs. Research ranged from social, community, cognitive, interpersonal, and environmental psychology. Positions varied in time commitment and whether students
could earn course credit. Students joining these labs would learn skills in data collection, data analysis, and academic writing, receive graduate student and faculty mentorship, and be able to present and publish the work. Presenters stayed after the event to meet with students and further discuss the projects and positions in their labs.
Emporia State University (KS)
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: The chapter educated its members on Suicide Prevention Month on the September 20 general meeting. Alejandra Palmer (historian) shared on-campus and national
resources available for those who struggle with their mental health. Members discussed strategies for supporting peers on campus and encouraged each other to be advocates. Suicide prevention stickers, bookmarks, infographics and pamphlets were provided for attendees at the end of the meeting.
SOUTHEAST
Agnes Scott College (GA)
SOCIAL EVENT: Agnes Scott’s Chapter met for a game night. Each member wrote a question, crumpled up their
(Far left) On June 7, the Fordham University–
(Left) On May 4, Fordham University–Lincoln Center (NY) researchers
and Matthew Dos Santos presented their findings at the nearby Psi Chi regional research conference at Hunter College.
(Above left) Current Lynn University (FL) members of Psi Chi after the Induction Ceremony. (From left to right: Dr. Riedel, Vishwa Shukla, Sarah Smith, Dr. Cooper, Cristianna Marinakys, Sawyer Henrich, Jenna Rotelli, and Garrett Burdette. On the bottom row: Sofia Curiel, Brandy Whitford, Pelo Zinyana, and Olivia Fontaine.
(Above right) Lynn University (FL) Pizza and Chill Meet and Greet attendees (back row, from left to right): Jenna Rotelli, Alex Hay, Sawyer Henrich, and Sarah Smith; (front row, from left to right) Jordan Furstenberg, Cecelia Hadges, Brandy Whitford, Vishwa Shukla, Olivia Fontaine, Claire Livaditis, and Tali Gheiler.
Lincoln Center (NY) Chapter inducted new members.
Jamilla Perez-Hosein
paper, and threw it into the center of the circle. Then members had to select a question and answer it in front of the group. Afterward members enjoyed snacks.
Lynn University (FL)
INDUCTION CEREMONY: Last year’s psychology students were inducted on April 24 to become official members of Psi Chi. Family and friends were invited to celebrate the new inductees and current members of Psi Chi. Gaby Barber (past president) and Amy Evans (past vice president) presented speeches about the past year, including their
farewell and goals that were achieved during the year. Brandy Whitford (current president) and Pelo Zinyana (current vice president) spoke on the podium while new members were being inducted. The new officers were inducted by the Dr. Cooper (faculty advisor).
SOCIAL EVENT: On Friday, September 27, the chapter held a Pizza and Chill Meet and Greet. Officers and members were able to come together and enjoy sharing company while learning more about each other. The officers also got to talk about some exciting events going on in Psi Chi for the current year.
SOCIAL EVENT: On Friday, September 6, the chapter held their first Leadership Retreat. During this time, chapter officers met to come up with events and goals for the 2024–25 year. Some events the chapter looks to implement into this school year are a Psychology Involvement Fair, a psychological/horror movie night, and a Mental Health Q&A Webinar. The chapter is also holding a Q&A Professional Psychology Panel.
University of Mary Washington (VA) MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: The chapter began the fall 2024 semester by sponsoring the annual Graduate School
Forum. This event was prepared by Dr. Marcus Leppanen (faculty advisor). This year, Dr. Miriam Liss, Dr. Laura Wilson, Dr. William David Stahlman, and Dr. Marcus Leppanen volunteered their time as panelists to answer questions students had about graduate school. They shared their knowledge on the different pathways a student could take when targeting a certain career, the differences between postgraduate degrees, and their own personal experiences when applying for graduate school. Pizza and waters were provided for attendees.
RECRUITMENT: Recruitment for new Psi Chi members who qualify for
(Right) Pictured are the 12 University of West Florida students and 3 faculty members who attended the conference.
(Below left) Pictured are University of West Florida Psi Chi’s four incoming officers.
(Below right) University of West Florida's Dead Sirius poses with their trophy.
induction went underway! Eighteen students were identified who met the requirements for membership. Officers developed a schedule for “tapping” these eligible students while they were in psychology classes. Mugs were filled with candy and envelopes were sealed with a welcome letter by the officers to give to these students. The students were visited in classrooms, congratulated on their academic success, and informed of their eligibility to join Psi Chi. The acceptance rate had been found to be higher than recent years, with 16 students accepting membership into UMW’s Psi Chi Chapter!
University of West Florida INDUCTION CEREMONY: The chapter held its annual formal induction ceremony on April 29, 2024, and welcomed 29 new members. The ceremony included a speaker from the university’s psychology department, Dr. Lisa Blalock, who discussed her path to pursuing psychology and the lessons she has learned from her discipline of cognitive psychology.
CONVENTION/CONFERENCE: The chapter attended the 70th annual Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) convention in Orlando. The chapter transported 12 students to
the convention, where eight chapter members presented posters for their research over the course of three days. Members spent each of these days watching presentations and attending workshops in varying fields of research, spanning from neuroscience to social psychology to industrial-organizational psychology. The chapter was proud to be able to support its multiple faculty members as they provided numerous addresses, panels, and information sessions throughout the convention.
CONVENTION/CONFERENCE: At SEPA 2024, the chapter competed in a Harry Potter/Psychology Quiz bowl against
other Psi Chi chapters. Five students, four team members, and one alternate from each college participated and Dr. Stephen Chew, student success expert, moderated the event. This event served to end the convention on a fun, competitive note, and saw widespread approval from both faculty and students. The chapter edged out a win for the psychology section, while the Harry Potter section required a two-question tie breaker before a win for Winthrop University’s Statistically Significant. UWF’s Dead Sirius will defend its title at SEPA 2025.
(Left) Gabi Castillo-Martinez and Meredith Vagner promoting the Baylor University (IN) Psi Chi Chapter at Late Night.
(Middle left)) Agnes Scott College's (GA) Chapter social event.
(Middle right) Several new members were inducted into the Yerevan State University (Armenia) Chapter of Psi Chi in 2024.
(Below left) Dr. Ani Kalayjian at a Psi Chi forum on trauma at Yerevan State University (Armenia) with Drs. Vahram Petrosyan and Hrant Avanesyan.
Yerevan State University (Armenia)
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: In May of 2024, Columbia University Professor, Ani Kalayjian, visited Yerevan State University (YSU) for a 10 day mission to help the recent wave of displaced refugees from the Artaskh war zone. Dr. Kalayjian is an expert on trauma, and a Global Psi Chi ambassador who helped install the YSU Psi Chi chapter in August of 2020.
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: On May 6, Kalayjian met with members of the YSU Chapter and offered a community forum on posttraumatic healing with Drs. Hrant Avanesyan (Chair of the Psychology
Department at YSU) and Vahram Petrosyan (Director of the Institute of Armenian Studies at YSU). A report of Kalayjian’s Psi Chi visit appears online: www.ysu.am/sci/764/articles/55930
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: In Armenia, Kalayjian’s team worked with students to collect data on the humanitarian crisis in the Artsakh region of Armenia and create a 15-minute video report to show in the USA (www.youtube.com/watch?v=AllvXJ7Tqh8)
SOUTHWEST
Baylor University (IN)
RECRUITMENT: The chapter participated
in an all-campus recruiting event for organizations, Late Night. Late Night is an event where students have the opportunity to meet student leaders from 400+ student organizations and learn about the many opportunities for campus involvement.
WEST
California Lutheran University
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: The chapter held a neuroscience guest speaker and Q&A event on April 18, 2024, with over 40 students in attendance. Dr. Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi spoke
about her career in neurosurgery and offered guidance about how to pursue a research-focused career.
INDUCTION CEREMONY: On April 23, 2024, the chapter inducted 27 members. Psychology faculty, family members, and friends attended the event to celebrate the new inductees. The induction ceremony included a speech made by Dean Tim Hengst, as well as a presentation of the history of Psi Chi and the chapter achievements from the past year.
MEETING/SPEAKER EVENT: The chapter held its annual Grad Night where students were able to learn about
(Right) California Lutheran University GradNight 2024.
(Below right) Induction Ceremony at California Lutheran University
(Below left) California Lutheran University guest speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi.
graduate schools and the application process. Topics that were discussed included the different degree options available and the recommended steps to prepare for graduate school. The guest speaker was Dr. Luis Morales Knight, Assistant Professor in the PsyD Program at Cal Lutheran’s Graduate School of Psychology, who shared about what a unique and wanted applicant. Brain Loughridge, a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD Program at Cal Lutheran, presented the unique perspective of a current graduate student and the process it takes to get to Grad school.
University of Victoria (Canada)
SOCIAL EVENT: The chapter hosted their annual Meet and Eat social event where psychology students got an opportunity to meet their peers. This event focused on developing bonds within the undergraduate population in psychology through the promise of pizza. Students were also prompted to connect with the faculty at the University of Victoria through the Meet the Department event held shortly after the social event.
RECRUITMENT: The UVic Chapter partnered with the Psychological Undergraduate Society (PUGS) at
the club fair hosted at the University of Victoria to recruit undergraduate students into becoming involved within psychology. Through this event, the chapter was able to get over 50 students to sign up for their weekly newsletter while also promoting future events such as the Meet and Eat social event for undergraduate students in psychology.
(Left) A group shot taken of students attending the Meet and Eat social event hosted by the University of Victoria (Canada) Chapter.
(Below right) Members of the UVic Psi Chi chapter hosting their Meet and Eat social event near the Sngequ House at the University of Victoria (Canada).
(Below left) Psi Chi and PUGS members at the Club Fair held by the University of Victoria (Canada) working to spark interest towards psychology.
