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Behavioral

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  1. Like
    Behavioral got a reaction from eastafricanhopeful in Current Grad Students- Post your story here!   
    Yeah--I did my undergrad honors thesis for my math/econ degree on empirical game theory modeling.

    I was also roommates with the owner/admin of http://gametheory101.com/, Billy Spaniel, and we're actually going to be writing a more comprehensive extension to his Game Theory 101 e-book to incorporate some behavioral game theory/economics later this summer!
  2. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from eternallyephemeral in Consumer or Marketing Psychology Graduate Programs? Advice Needed!!   
    Seems like you made your way from reddit!

    I know you hold some reservations about marketing/business in general, but you have to realize that they share a surprising amount of overlap with psychology research. To be blunt, marketing is essentially separated into two main disciplines: quantitative marketing (economic modeling) and behavioral marketing (consumer psychology, JDM, etc.). Many marketing professors still publish very regularly in top psychology journals (JPSP, Psych Bulletin, etc.) and arguably two of the most influential marketing professors of our time were both classically trained in psychology before going on to marketing (Dan Ariely and John Lynch). Also, many successful applicants to behavioral marketing Ph.D. programs only hold a psychology degree and many don't have any econ/business coursework (I had 0 marketing/business courses under my belt, though I was a joint math/econ major). Your not being experienced in either shouldn't pose much of a problem for business Ph.D. admission if your numbers and research experience are up to par.

    Aside from that, marketing programs have much more lucrative career prospects (2011 placement/starting salary report: http://docsig.org/WWW2011Final.pdf); industry consulting opportunities are much easier to obtain with a business doctorate; there's no post-doc before professorship; median time to completion for a Ph.D. is only 5 years; business-Ph.D. attrition rate is something like 20%; graduate financial package is quite generous ($32k/year fellowship at Kellogg, and higher at places like Stanford GSB); and there's the ability to be faculty in either or both marketing and psychology departments.

    I don't mean to sound like some advertisement, but you should at least consider marketing programs.



    As someone who was a double major in psychology and joint math/econ (and even got into a couple of econ Ph.D. programs this year), I couldn't disagree more. There are a handful of professors finally including bounded rationality/incomplete information to the microecon/game theory literature, but it still seems that the overwhelming majority of the discipline is still contentious of any psychology/JDM encroachment. I jumped ship to marketing because I still take a good amount of coursework with the econ students at NU and can direct my research which is more inclined to our psychology/marketing departments. Economics is great training for someone looking to model decision making dynamics, but the discipline lacks qualitative depth for my liking right now.



    Booth actually seems to have mainly quantitative marketing faculty that due heavily focus on game theory/formal modeling. You're definitely spot on about Kellogg and Fuqua--both have a good number of faculty that have dual-positions in the marketing and psychology departments.
  3. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from TenaciousBushLeaper in Non-academic jobs for a PhD in Cognitive Psychology?   
    I don't think that's what he's arguing.

    It's like saying the auto industry is failing, you go into a mechanic apprenticeship, and hope to get a job as an electrician because you don't want to be a mechanic. The training you're given in an experimental psychology PhD program isn't so easily translated into industry (this deals more specifically with what your research is on, though).

    This rigidity in career path is what pulled me towards business schools instead of psychology or even decision sciences. The professors at my school make a good chunk of change consulting for corporations and consulting agencies while still enjoying (or surviving) the life of academics. Furthermore, they also reap higher salaries than professors in psychology -- which is one of the reasons why you see a lot of psychology PhDs seeking business faculty positions, but not vice-versa.
  4. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from nugget in Anyone else in kind of a slump?   
    I read the Chicago Tribune this morning. I hate the Chicago Tribune, but I read it to avoid having to get started on writing a methods section for a paper I'm collaborating on.

    Worst 45 minutes spent in a long time.
  5. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from biotechie in Research Conference- Legit or Money Making Scam?   
    Not to sound like a dick, but where do you think the money comes from to finance the costs of setting up these conferences?
  6. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from CageFree in I HATE grad school already   
    You really think all that coursework is a stupid formality? You think you're better than everyone else who've done things before you and helped revolutionize your discipline? Even if a seminal paper has little to do with your precise research interest doesn't mean it doesn't hold monumental value over the way you go about conducting research. There's a REASON why these papers become benchmarks in fields and why people today still read and cite them heavily. Having such a narrow view is what causes gaps between related disciplines, and that segmentation only weakens a science.

    And I know this is a forum that's supposed to be, more or less, encouraging and all, but why are you even in the program then? If you're going to be this negative and cynical of academia, then get out. No one's forcing you to stay in. If you have to think twice about whether or not this path leads you to what'll make you happiest in the long run, then get out. There are easier ways to make a lot more money than getting a Ph.D.; if you're unhappy with what research leads you to, then there's no point in staying in a doctorate.
  7. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from Quant_Liz_Lemon in I HATE grad school already   
    You really think all that coursework is a stupid formality? You think you're better than everyone else who've done things before you and helped revolutionize your discipline? Even if a seminal paper has little to do with your precise research interest doesn't mean it doesn't hold monumental value over the way you go about conducting research. There's a REASON why these papers become benchmarks in fields and why people today still read and cite them heavily. Having such a narrow view is what causes gaps between related disciplines, and that segmentation only weakens a science.

    And I know this is a forum that's supposed to be, more or less, encouraging and all, but why are you even in the program then? If you're going to be this negative and cynical of academia, then get out. No one's forcing you to stay in. If you have to think twice about whether or not this path leads you to what'll make you happiest in the long run, then get out. There are easier ways to make a lot more money than getting a Ph.D.; if you're unhappy with what research leads you to, then there's no point in staying in a doctorate.
  8. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from Bearcat1 in I HATE grad school already   
    You really think all that coursework is a stupid formality? You think you're better than everyone else who've done things before you and helped revolutionize your discipline? Even if a seminal paper has little to do with your precise research interest doesn't mean it doesn't hold monumental value over the way you go about conducting research. There's a REASON why these papers become benchmarks in fields and why people today still read and cite them heavily. Having such a narrow view is what causes gaps between related disciplines, and that segmentation only weakens a science.

    And I know this is a forum that's supposed to be, more or less, encouraging and all, but why are you even in the program then? If you're going to be this negative and cynical of academia, then get out. No one's forcing you to stay in. If you have to think twice about whether or not this path leads you to what'll make you happiest in the long run, then get out. There are easier ways to make a lot more money than getting a Ph.D.; if you're unhappy with what research leads you to, then there's no point in staying in a doctorate.
  9. Downvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from tauren in Non-academic jobs for a PhD in Cognitive Psychology?   
    I don't think that's what he's arguing.

    It's like saying the auto industry is failing, you go into a mechanic apprenticeship, and hope to get a job as an electrician because you don't want to be a mechanic. The training you're given in an experimental psychology PhD program isn't so easily translated into industry (this deals more specifically with what your research is on, though).

    This rigidity in career path is what pulled me towards business schools instead of psychology or even decision sciences. The professors at my school make a good chunk of change consulting for corporations and consulting agencies while still enjoying (or surviving) the life of academics. Furthermore, they also reap higher salaries than professors in psychology -- which is one of the reasons why you see a lot of psychology PhDs seeking business faculty positions, but not vice-versa.
  10. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from DrDaddy in RESEARCH   
    No.
  11. Upvote
    Behavioral reacted to hopelesslypostmodern in Public Speaking   
    I know you're trying to be funny, but this statement is super condescending. Having suffered from severe anxiety myself (which I needed medication for at one point, and still need on some occasions), I understand why msafiri feels the need to defend her/his situation. There is still a tremendous stigma attached to mental illness, and, at least in my own experience, anxiety issues seem to carry more stigma than other mental illnesses. Everyone suffers from at least some anxiety, right? This is part of the reason why it took me years to get help. I was still on my parents' insurance and needed their approval to see a doctor and/or psychologist for help. I tried to talk to my mom about my anxiety and ask for help, but she brushed aside my concerns. Clearly, since I had a nice group of friends and was successful at school (i.e. since I was both more socially and academically successful than she was at my age), I must not have a problem. Despite my misgivings, I tried to believe her. It was only when my anxiety skyrocketed out of control and could no longer function as the high performing individual I used to be that my parents were convinced of my problem. I had to explain to them (through email - a phone call would have been too difficult) how I felt physically ill 24/7, how I couldn't eat or sleep, and how I had panic attacks every time I tried to do school work.

    I finally got the help I needed and have my anxiety mostly under control. I guess the point of this story is that anxiety can be a serious issue to deal with, and we should not dismiss the experiences of others. Anxiety can work in some idiosyncratic ways. You can be fine in one situation, but crippled with fear in a seemingly similar one. Maybe the OP needs medication; maybe not. Maybe talking to a therapist about ways to control his/her anxiety would help. I don't know. Every individual's situation is different.
  12. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to Gaijin Punch in Public Speaking   
    I think you need to relax.

    You seem STRESSED.
  13. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to Gaijin Punch in Public Speaking   
    Lame. Not everything needs to be solved with medication, especially something as simple as public speaking.

    As others have said, just keep practicing. Also, if you know someone in the audience, keep your focus on them and pretend you are speaking to only them. I used to be terrified as a kid of public speaking, it was really bad. I wouldn't say I am the greatest even now, but my job includes speaking in front of groups of clients pretty often and it had definitely improved my public speaking abilities.
  14. Upvote
    Behavioral reacted to msafiri in Public Speaking   
    I wish you wouldn't call my advice lame. As someone that suffers from severe anxiety when it comes to public speaking and finds that practicing, even 3-5 times, does NOT help at all, medication has been a godsend. The medication I take is one that you take 30-60 minutes before a situation that might make you anixious and that lowers your blood pressure to help keep you calm. It has enabled me to give conference papers and teach courses without worrying about sweating through my shirt, panicking and running out of the room (which is something I did years ago, and which led to the discovery that I suffer from severe anxiety), or other kinds of freak outs. While practicing is a great idea, it does NOT work for everyone. Plus, since it was the only thing suggested on this thread, I figured it might be worthwhile to suggest something else for those who find that practice is either impractical or doesn't help much.

    I realize that a lot of advice in this thread is geared towards conference presentations. But, at some point, it is likely that many of us will be in the classroom. It is difficult to find the time and audience to practice every lecture beforehand, moreso if you teach three times a week for 50 minutes. I'm not sure anyone really has time to prepare the lecture and then spend 3-4 additional hours practicing it before giving it. While it is possible that you may get more comfortable in front of the class over time, it's also possible that on the one day you don't get a chance to practice, you'll have a panic or anxiety attack, which can be crippling.

    Please don't universally denigate medication or suggest that everyone's problems can be solved without it. Anxiety is a medical condition that can be treated and, if you suffer from it and have tried other solutions to no avail, you can and should talk to a medical professional about the possibility of medication and/or therapy and/or a combination of the two.

    I didn't denigrate your advice, Gaijin Punch, so I do not understand why you feel the need to denigrate mine. There's nothing wrong with practicing but it is not a panacea for everyone, and shouldn't be presented as such.
  15. Upvote
    Behavioral reacted to msafiri in Public Speaking   
    I don't really think you understand my point, Gaijin Punch, so let me try to be even more explicit than I was above. This is obviously a very personal issue for me. I am incredibly outspoken in social situations and can fill in for someone else in their class just fine. But, when it's my class or my conference presentation or my piano recital, I freeze up. So, I am speaking as someone that, at least as far as what's presented, is in a situation very similar to what the OP described. So much so that hardly any of my close friends realize that I have anxiety issues when it comes to conference presentations and running my own class.

    My broader point is this: you and I are not in a position to decide whether or not the OP needs anti-anxiety medication. That is a decision that should be made by the OP and a healthcare professional. I just wanted to put it out there as an option because it's something that should be considered, just like practicing more, listening to calming music, doing yoga, staring at a point on the back wall, etc. should be considered. I'm not sure why you're anti-medicine, Gaijin Punch, but you shouldn't bring your prejudices to a conversation like this since you could potentially be denying the OP the help that's s/he needs.

    Derfasciti, I do think that you should consider ALL of your options: practicing, calming strategies, and medication. It may be that a combination of these works best for you. I hope you're able to find a solution that works for you. I know from experience how difficult that can be to do.



    I think you've made a false analogy here. I want to be a professor because I like sharing what I know with students, seeing the lightbulb go off in their heads, and just generally teaching them to think critically about the world around them. I'm pretty good at doing that in a seminar setting. But, when it's a room with 200 people, I have a harder time. What you're saying is that means I shouldn't become a professor. I'm glad my program isn't filled with people like you that just think the rest of us don't belong and should find another career.
  16. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to Gaijin Punch in Public Speaking   
    Sorry if you have severe anxiety issues towards public speaking, but the original poster has noted that they have stood in for professors in the past and he/she is quite outspoken in many social settings and discussions. Your post seemed directed towards the original poster and offered advice of taking anti-anxiety medication, something that I doubt they need when you read their issue (maybe they do, who am I to say, but from the original post it sure doesn't seem like it).

    Do some people need to take this type of medication? Possibly, I'm not going to disagree with you there because I don't have enough knowledge to try and argue the facts.

    And from my personal standpoint (not directed at you), I don't understand how someone who has an extreme fear of public speaking could become a professor. That's like me saying I want to be a pilot but I'm scared of flying???
  17. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from Two Espressos in What people said when you told them you were accepted...   
    Friend: "Congrats! Northwestern? That's the one in Boston, right?"

    Mom: "Haven't you spent enough time in school?" (in Spanish)

    Professor (in SoCal): "Hahaha. You're going to the Midwest."
  18. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to dnt4gett in Does B really equal PhD?   
    grades effects more.
    because it shows your extra efforts and your learning nature.
    and having grade at least 3+ is good and you can still say i m doing well but in our society of work we have to be more dependent on our workings too like our assignments, projects, thesis because it will directly effect.
  19. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from Spore in Slate Article   
    I don't know about you, but I'm definitely avoiding the workaday world. I had my taste of management consulting and hated it--bring on the academia!
  20. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to GRAPEFRUITS in After experiencing some really awful behavior, I can no longer be a member of this forum   
    HEY GUYS!!

    Some people went and downvoted some of my posts that were previously upvoted.

    I'M BEING STALKED. HALP.
  21. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to GRAPEFRUITS in After experiencing some really awful behavior, I can no longer be a member of this forum   
    Yo I got downvoted like three times on this thread.

    I'm leaving, you mean, mean, poopyheads!
  22. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to GRAPEFRUITS in After experiencing some really awful behavior, I can no longer be a member of this forum   
    TROOLZ R SRS PROBLEMS RLY

    I can't wait until there are real world -/+ 1 buttons. Life will be so much more dramatic and awesome.
  23. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to GRAPEFRUITS in Sad State of Affairs   
    because they are full of judgement and condenscention.

    This is the worst possible place to try and look for support or community. The 'advice' floating around on here is usually absolutely horrific. Really, I question the intelligence of those that stick around and pity the people coming here with nowhere else to turn for answers to their questions. 99% of what is posted on here are unresearched opinions, conjecture and speculation. Bad.




    That's funny, because I'm pretty sure I was only substantially (if you could even call it that) involved in one thread, which was dramatic and pathetic from the start, so, not only is your sample size woefully small, your hypothesis and conclusions are both totally crap too.
  24. Downvote
    Behavioral reacted to GRAPEFRUITS in Sad State of Affairs   
    Why do some people continue to post on this forum, for what in some cases seems to be years, after the grad admission process? Do they not access to other graduate students / advisors to talk to in real life about their graduate school issues? It just seems a bit pathetic to me.
  25. Upvote
    Behavioral got a reaction from invisibleink in happy and jealous the same time   
    Like you alluded to earlier, the expectations for admissions are completely different for the two fields.

    Psychology (both Experimental and Clinical) has been getting more and more saturated by prospective graduate applicants, and its created this upward pressure of research experience needed to gain admission somewhere. I got accepted into a top Psych-related PhD (CMU SDS/Psychology) with only a year out of school (and working as a consultant, not a research assistant/lab manager), but that was definitely not the norm among the people I met at the interview. The norm to get into a decent program is now 2-3+ years of post-bacc full-time research experience and/or a Masters with a fair amount of research competence reflected by your letters. As an undergrad, I presented a relatively large amount of different papers/posters and had a couple of R&Rs in three pretty different fields (social psychology, game theory, and behavioral medicine/epidemiology), and my letters were glowing because of it, which served as a strong enough signal to avoid having to get extra research experience. I have colleagues now, though, in my school's Psychology department who came in in their late 20s because they had to build up their CVs just to get looked at by top schools--when I ask professors who got their PhDs a decade ago, they are still in shock over the sharp increase in expectations during the relatively short time-span.

    Point is, you chose to get into Psychology. Your fiancé chose to go into Education. Both are completely different fields and the profiles needed to appeal to top schools are completely different for both. If you got into Psychology because it's a passion of your's, you wouldn't be happy doing Education, even if at a better school. You're getting training for your career and your future--not anyone else's. There's always going to be disparities around you, so it's best to just focus on yourself and be happy with what's in front of you and not what falls into the lap of anyone else. Ultimately, you're in charge of your future, and even though academia isn't as much of a meritocracy as many of us hoped for, there is still ample opportunity to 'move up' between stages in your career, so work on doing that rather than ruminating over counterfactuals that can no longer be changed.
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