Thinking about going into Personality Psychology...Need advice please!

[blueadams]

Hello, I am somewhat new to the world of Psychology, but I am thinking about pursuing a PhD in Personality Psychology, and I had a couple of questions that I wanted to ask. If anyone has any advice at all, it would be greatly appreciated!

First of all, a little bit about myself. I am a recent graduate of a small (but highly regarded) liberal arts school in the midwest. I majored in History because I thought that I wanted to be a high school teacher/coach, but I have since changed my mind. I am graduating with about a 3.3 gpa, but I recieved A's (and relatively easily) in all six of the psychology courses I took - general psych, developmental/adolescent psych, social psych, cultural psych, statistics for psych majors, and my senior thesis in positive psych. For what it's worth, I scored a 28 on the ACT in high school (I've heard it's somewhat indicative of a gre score?). I want to get into a top notch Personality Psychology PhD program, so I am thinking about getting a masters degree of some sort in Psychology to boost my gpa. Based on how well I've done in those courses as an undergraduate, I think that I could do quite well.

#1) First question - Is a PhD in Personality Psychology what I am looking for!? I assume that it is, but I do not know enough about the field to be certain. My main area of interest is in learning all about, and improving, personality testing...with the end-goal of better matching individuals to their ideal careers. This interest has arisen out of Positive Psychology's attempts to identify individual's signature strengths and build their lives around them in order to experience the state of 'flow' as often as possible. I basically want to be a guidance counselor-extrordinaire! I am not one-hundred percent sure how I want to apply this knowledge, but I have some good ideas...

...I could obviously teach/research at a college or university to earn a steady income. I could design personality tests for high school and college students. I could help at risk youths identify realistic career goals. I could work as an actual guidance counselor at a college or university, a private high school, or as a free lance psychologist. There are a ton of things I could do. This is what I want to do though. I want to help people figure out what they are going to do with their lives. I want to help them make decisions that are going to make them happy.

#2) Second question - What kind of masters programs should I be looking at!? Should I be looking at general psych masters programs? Should I be looking at specialized personality psych programs? I haven't been able to find any ratings of the best masters programs in psychology. Should I assume that programs with highly ranked PhD programs have good masters programs? Does anyone know which masters programs have a high rate of getting their graduates into PhD programs!?

Thank you very much in advance for any help!!

Sincerely,

Blue

[cheesethunder]

umm are you asking about an MA or phd? cuz a phd woudl be harder to get into without a major in psyc phd programs out of undergrad are normally pretty competetive. and reserach experience would be very helpful. and in my opionion taking a few classes in a 'highly ranked psyc program' in undergrad isn't....that big of a deal you should contact soem schools/profs at those schools to see specific reqruiements, some are more strict on requiremetns such as a certain number of credits in psyc and some are lenient in terms of udnergrad majors depends on the school/program. and i can also say highschool things don't matter when applying to grad school.......i have a near a+ psyc gpa and did poor on the gre, so youd probably have to take the gre to see how well you score on that. i know virginia is more into gres and more flexible on gpas/undergrad majors.

[blueadams]

umm are you asking about an MA or phd? cuz a phd woudl be harder to get into without a major in psyc phd programs out of undergrad are normally pretty competetive. and reserach experience would be very helpful. and in my opionion taking a few classes in a 'highly ranked psyc program' in undergrad isn't....that big of a deal you should contact soem schools/profs at those schools to see specific reqruiements, some are more strict on requiremetns such as a certain number of credits in psyc and some are lenient in terms of udnergrad majors depends on the school/program. and i can also say highschool things don't matter when applying to grad school.......i have a near a+ psyc gpa and did poor on the gre, so youd probably have to take the gre to see how well you score on that. i know virginia is more into gres and more flexible on gpas/undergrad majors.

Thank you for your response,

I should have been more clear in my post. The ultimate goal is a PhD. But because I have a low undergrad gpa, and a non-psych major, I am looking into masters programs in psych to get started!

I am going to start getting into contact with professors of interest asap. I was just hoping to get a better feel for what I was getting myself into here.

Thanks again!

Blue

[cheesethunder]

an MA is a good idea then!!

when were you thinking? i know alot of deadliens were beginning of december but my schools psyc deadline isn't til march........

[blueadams]

an MA is a good idea then!!

when were you thinking? i know alot of deadliens were beginning of december but my schools psyc deadline isn't til march........

Oh, not for a while. I am going to take some time off to travel. Maybe teach english abroad and save up a little. I still have to figure out which kind of masters program would be best.

[socialcomm]

With your interests, you might also want to look at industrial-organizational psychology programs. Career counseling often falls into i/o psych.

[profound_g]

With your interests, you might also want to look at industrial-organizational psychology programs. Career counseling often falls into i/o psych.

Exactly. (Very) simply put I/O is applied social.

Edited December 28, 2009 by profound_g

[blueadams]

With your interests, you might also want to look at industrial-organizational psychology programs. Career counseling often falls into i/o psych.

really...that is very, very interesting. so if i wanted to learn all about personality testing...and i wanted to improve personality testing...with the goal of getting young people into their ideal careers...industrial/organizational psychology would be the way to go!?

i really hadn't even thought about that. if you could elaborate on that a bit it would be greatly appreciated!

[swisnieski]

Thank you for your response,

I should have been more clear in my post. The ultimate goal is a PhD. But because I have a low undergrad gpa, and a non-psych major, I am looking into masters programs in psych to get started!

I am going to start getting into contact with professors of interest asap. I was just hoping to get a better feel for what I was getting myself into here.

Thanks again!

Blue

I think starting with a masters is the right idea.

It does sound like what you're interested in is personality psychology, although really, most programs don't recognize a distinction between personality and social psychology. If you're interested particularly in testing, you may pursue a doctorate at a school with a strong program in psychometrics and statistical psychology, although this focuses more on the mathematics of how scales are developed then on the actual, practical application of those developments.

Industrial/organizational psych is basically psychology applied in the workplace. An I/O program isn't necessarily the best fit for you because you don't seem to want to limit yourself to workplace testing. Still, it's one avenue to explore. I recommend you look up more information about I/O programs in schools of interest because I imagine it varies widely from school to school, like any psych program.

[blueadams]

I think starting with a masters is the right idea.

It does sound like what you're interested in is personality psychology, although really, most programs don't recognize a distinction between personality and social psychology. If you're interested particularly in testing, you may pursue a doctorate at a school with a strong program in psychometrics and statistical psychology, although this focuses more on the mathematics of how scales are developed then on the actual, practical application of those developments.

Industrial/organizational psych is basically psychology applied in the workplace. An I/O program isn't necessarily the best fit for you because you don't seem to want to limit yourself to workplace testing. Still, it's one avenue to explore. I recommend you look up more information about I/O programs in schools of interest because I imagine it varies widely from school to school, like any psych program.

you're absolutely right about I/O psych. i am much more interested in testing high school/college students and career changers...as opposed to people that have already been hired by a company. if a degree in industrial/organizational psychology would limit me to that kind of job, it's not for me.

i mean, basically, all i want to do is learn everything there is to know about the latest and most accurate personality testing methods available. then i want to improve them, in whatever way i can. then i want to apply them to young people having trouble picking a profession to go into. i want to help them chose lifestyles that will make them happier.

i just looked into psychometrics...that sounds like its right up my alley. are those that specialize in psychometrics usually within the social/personality department? statistical psychology i am less interested in (not a big math guy)...but i'll learn whatever i have to learn to become an expert of the personality testing. i mean, i don't want to dedicate my life to making these tests better. i want to learn enough about them to apply them. so...maybe it's not for me??

thanks for all the info there!

[swisnieski]

you're absolutely right about I/O psych. i am much more interested in testing high school/college students and career changers...as opposed to people that have already been hired by a company. if a degree in industrial/organizational psychology would limit me to that kind of job, it's not for me.

i mean, basically, all i want to do is learn everything there is to know about the latest and most accurate personality testing methods available. then i want to improve them, in whatever way i can. then i want to apply them to young people having trouble picking a profession to go into. i want to help them chose lifestyles that will make them happier.

i just looked into psychometrics...that sounds like its right up my alley. are those that specialize in psychometrics usually within the social/personality department? statistical psychology i am less interested in (not a big math guy)...but i'll learn whatever i have to learn to become an expert of the personality testing. i mean, i don't want to dedicate my life to making these tests better. i want to learn enough about them to apply them. so...maybe it's not for me??

thanks for all the info there!

Psychometrics is what you want. Unfortunately it is a heavily statistics-based field; the development and validation of psychometric tests is pretty much all statistics (item-response theory, factor analysis, etc.). Pretty much any field will give you a background in psychometrics so focusing on personality psychology, if you're specifically interested in measuring personality traits, is probably the best way for you to go. As far as I know there are no separately subfields for psychometrics; they're essential to pretty much all forms of psychology.

[blueadams]

Psychometrics is what you want. Unfortunately it is a heavily statistics-based field; the development and validation of psychometric tests is pretty much all statistics (item-response theory, factor analysis, etc.). Pretty much any field will give you a background in psychometrics so focusing on personality psychology, if you're specifically interested in measuring personality traits, is probably the best way for you to go. As far as I know there are no separately subfields for psychometrics; they're essential to pretty much all forms of psychology.

Hmm...that's too bad about the statistics. Does it matter that I am more interested in applying the most accurate personality tests (like, actually giving the test to high school/college students) than I am in actually developing the tests themselves!? Would I still need to focus so exclusively on the statistics aspect?

Also, because I am most interested in working with younger people...high school/college students...would it be a good idea to specialize in developmental psychology, with an emphasis on psychometrics. Would I still be able to get enough background in personality testing doing something like that?

Again, the info is greatly appreciated!

[peterrr]

To me, it sounds like you are aiming to be a guidance / career counselor for high school and college students. I think the best option for you is a Master's Degree in School or Educational Psychology. Or, you may even want to try Counseling Psychology.

Just a quick note on personality testing and career placement. I am an I/O Psychology graduate student, and I know for a fact that personality tests are poor predictors of job performance. While personality is certainly a factor in matching people to the right jobs, successful career placement really entails finding a good fit between a job and a person's specific knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Hope this helps!

[blueadams]

To me, it sounds like you are aiming to be a guidance / career counselor for high school and college students. I think the best option for you is a Master's Degree in School or Educational Psychology. Or, you may even want to try Counseling Psychology.

Just a quick note on personality testing and career placement. I am an I/O Psychology graduate student, and I know for a fact that personality tests are poor predictors of job performance. While personality is certainly a factor in matching people to the right jobs, successful career placement really entails finding a good fit between a job and a person's specific knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Hope this helps!

I guess that I am hoping to be a sort of guidance/career counselor, but on a larger scale...by identifying what is the best personality test in existence, doing what I can to improve it, and most importantly, making it more accessible to the general public. I am just trying to learn enough about these personality tests to make them more accessible to the general public...because 90% of the people in this country who are out there thinking about what they want to do for a living at this very moment haven't even so much as taken a personality test (by my estimation, lol).

Maybe it's a matter of improving career preparation in our high schools and colleges!? So, maybe school/educational psychology would be the way to go!? I hadn't really thought of counseling psychology along these lines, but maybe that would be a good idea as well!? If you can, could you please elaborate a bit more on why you think these would be good options for me?

I agree with what you are saying there about personality testing as it exists now. Those working in the field of positive psychology have been trying to develop personality tests that measure a person's "signature strengths" (aka, specific knowledge, skills, and abilities - like you said). By identifying a person's signature strengths, you can determine with some accuracy which kinds of tasks are best suited to their personal skill-set (organization, person to person contact, leadership, etc.). The state of "Flow" (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - a quick google search should fill you in here if you are not familiar with positive psychology, it's well worth a few minutes of your time) is said to occur when a person's skill-set is perfectly suited to the task at hand (not bored, not overwhelmed). People that experience the state of flow are generally happier than those that do not.

I basically want to help people identify their signature strengths, on a large scale. This will inform them of what kinds of tasks they might be best suited for. From there, with a lot of help, an extensive list of career fields requiring such tasks might be able to be compiled. Hopefully I am making sense! lol.

Edited December 30, 2009 by blueadams

[peterrr]

I guess that I am hoping to be a sort of guidance/career counselor, but on a larger scale...by identifying what is the best personality test in existence, doing what I can to improve it, and most importantly, making it more accessible to the general public. I am just trying to learn enough about these personality tests to make them more accessible to the general public...because 90% of the people in this country who are out there thinking about what they want to do for a living at this very moment haven't even so much as taken a personality test (by my estimation, lol).

Maybe it's a matter of improving career preparation in our high schools and colleges!? So, maybe school/educational psychology would be the way to go!? I hadn't really thought of counseling psychology along these lines, but maybe that would be a good idea as well!? If you can, could you please elaborate a bit more on why you think these would be good options for me?

I agree with what you are saying there about personality testing as it exists now. Those working in the field of positive psychology have been trying to develop personality tests that measure a person's "signature strengths" (aka, specific knowledge, skills, and abilities - like you said). By identifying a person's signature strengths, you can determine with some accuracy which kinds of tasks are best suited to their personal skill-set (organization, person to person contact, leadership, etc.). The state of "Flow" (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - a quick google search should fill you in here if you are not familiar with positive psychology, it's well worth a few minutes of your time) is said to occur when a person's skill-set is perfectly suited to the task at hand (not bored, not overwhelmed). People that experience the state of flow are generally happier than those that do not.

I basically want to help people identify their signature strengths, on a large scale. This will inform them of what kinds of tasks they might be best suited for. From there, with a lot of help, an extensive list of career fields requiring such tasks might be able to be compiled. Hopefully I am making sense! lol.

Educational Psychology is suited for those intending to pursue a career in school settings, although their work encompasses more than just career counseling. On the micro-level, they help students improve performance, and on the macro-level, they work with schools to address issues that will improve learning. If you search for Berkeley's Educational Psychology program, you may find some valuable information.

Thanks for the tip on positive psychology; it looks very interesting. I think if career preparation is really your goal, then it would help you if you research more on current trends in career placement (i.e. how are we currently identifying student KSAs, and how can we improve it to match them to the right careers). I'd say you're likely to find that it will be a combination of intelligence (g) and personality. so, you may want to look at a program in educational psychology with strong preparation in psychometrics.

[blueadams]

Educational Psychology is suited for those intending to pursue a career in school settings, although their work encompasses more than just career counseling. On the micro-level, they help students improve performance, and on the macro-level, they work with schools to address issues that will improve learning. If you search for Berkeley's Educational Psychology program, you may find some valuable information.

Thanks for the tip on positive psychology; it looks very interesting. I think if career preparation is really your goal, then it would help you if you research more on current trends in career placement (i.e. how are we currently identifying student KSAs, and how can we improve it to match them to the right careers). I'd say you're likely to find that it will be a combination of intelligence (g) and personality. so, you may want to look at a program in educational psychology with strong preparation in psychometrics.

I suppose that if I had to chose only one arena to focus on, it would be our public school system, so maybe something in educational psychology is right for me. If I could find a program there with a good psychometrics reputation, that would be even better. I had sort of been under the impression that if I wanted to specialize in personality testing, then I would NEED to specialize in PERSONALITY psychology. That seems to be my biggest misunderstanding at this point...right?

...I have looked at Berkeley's program before and was very impressed (though not quite as impressive as the UofM's).

...I probably should be doing more research on current trends in career placement (I haven't done much research there, aside from Jung, Myers-Briggs, Positive Psych). I'll search through Jstor today.

Again, thank you very much for the knowledge!

[blindblonde]

Hi there! I read over your description, and it seems like you are a little bit all over the place in your interests. However, I do agree that the MA track is a good idea, and I do have a recommendation for you. Going into a general master's program is a good idea for sorting out your interests and figuring out exactly what you want to do. It also helps if you did not major in psych (even if you have taken several psych classes) or have other weaknesses in your application that you can iron out before going for the Ph.D.

I earned my M.A. from Wake Forest University, which is a) a top-notch Master's program and has several good personality professors that may interest you. I had excellent raining there, and had a competitive application when I applied to Ph.D. programs in social-personality last year. If you would like more info, just send me a message and I'll be happy to answer them.

Good luck!

[blueadams]

Hi there! I read over your description, and it seems like you are a little bit all over the place in your interests. However, I do agree that the MA track is a good idea, and I do have a recommendation for you. Going into a general master's program is a good idea for sorting out your interests and figuring out exactly what you want to do. It also helps if you did not major in psych (even if you have taken several psych classes) or have other weaknesses in your application that you can iron out before going for the Ph.D.

I earned my M.A. from Wake Forest University, which is a) a top-notch Master's program and has several good personality professors that may interest you. I had excellent raining there, and had a competitive application when I applied to Ph.D. programs in social-personality last year. If you would like more info, just send me a message and I'll be happy to answer them.

Good luck!

The basic masters might indeed be the best idea. I feel like my interests are actually pretty specific. But like you said, they cross into a number of different areas. I'll look into WFU's program. Is there a listing out there of the highest rated masters programs in psychology!?

[blindblonde]

The basic masters might indeed be the best idea. I feel like my interests are actually pretty specific. But like you said, they cross into a number of different areas. I'll look into WFU's program. Is there a listing out there of the highest rated masters programs in psychology!?

I'm not a 100% sure where the school gets its ranking from, but it is a statistic thrown out there every now and then. I can at least tell you that everyone in my class who applied to PhD programs got into one last year (and good ones at that, such as Cornell, University of Chicago, and U of Oregon's social program). They offer rigorous coursework with a strong emphasis on developing research skills, which is a reputation well-known among professors in psychology. Generally, Wake Forest, William and Mary, and Villanova are the tossed around as the top three general masters programs in varying order. I just suggested Wake because I went there and because I know there are good personality researchers there.

[blueadams]

I'm not a 100% sure where the school gets its ranking from, but it is a statistic thrown out there every now and then. I can at least tell you that everyone in my class who applied to PhD programs got into one last year (and good ones at that, such as Cornell, University of Chicago, and U of Oregon's social program). They offer rigorous coursework with a strong emphasis on developing research skills, which is a reputation well-known among professors in psychology. Generally, Wake Forest, William and Mary, and Villanova are the tossed around as the top three general masters programs in varying order. I just suggested Wake because I went there and because I know there are good personality researchers there.

wow, i had no idea it was those three. i really didn't even know where to start looking. thank you so much for the start!! (means more than you think!)