gradPSYCH - November 2011 - (Page 7)
Does romance quash women’s interest in science?
When women focus on romantic goals, they become less interested in the maledominated fields of science, technology, engineering and math, according to a study in the September issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Educators have long noted the imbalance in the numbers of undergraduate men and women who take STEM courses. With this research, study author Lora E. Park, PhD, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo, set out to untangle some of the personal and cultural pressures that may be responsible for the disparity. In a series of studies, Park and her colleagues showed male and female undergraduates images related to romantic goals, including pictures of a beach sunset and candles, or intelligence goals — a pair of eyeglasses and a library, for example. The students then completed questionnaires about their interest in STEM fields versus other academic fields, such as art and literature. Park found that women who had looked at the romantic cues reported fewer positive attitudes toward and less interest in STEM fields than those shown the intellectual cues, while men’s attitudes were unaffected. A second series of studies using overheard conversations showed similar findings: Women who eavesdropped on a conversation about a romantic date were less likely to report interest in STEM than women who had listened in on a conversation about a meeting with a friend or taking a test. Men’s attitudes toward STEM were unchanged regardless of which conversations they heard. Park posits that women may distance themselves from STEM when they wish to be romantically desirable because pursuing traditionally masculine domains like science and math conflicts with their desire to be perceived as feminine and therefore attractive. In light of these findings, female graduate students in psychology and other STEM fields should be aware of what cultural pressures may cause them to do the same. —S. KUMAR
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After viewing romantic images like this one, women reported less interest in science careers.
Goodbye to the ad hoc postdoc
Thanks to a new pilot program organized by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), many practice-oriented students will receive offers for postdoctoral positions on the same day: March 14. In the past, students could receive postdoc offers anytime from December to May. The result: Applicants sometimes settled for a fellowship that happened to respond quickly, says Eugene D’Angelo, PhD, APPIC chair. A year of specialized training following graduation, postdoc fellowships give new doctorates an opportunity to provide direct clinical care to clients under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. All but eight states require a postdoc for licensure, according to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. “Our aspiration is to bring together all postdoctoral training programs into one pool for the sake of order, in an effort to reduce some of the strain for the candidates,” D’Angelo says. The pilot program includes 130 APPIC postdoc programs. Non-APPIC programs are also encouraged to hold their offers until March 14, says Lisa Kearney, PhD, secretary of APPIC’s board of directors. As before, students will search for postdoc opportunities and apply on their own, she says. What’s different is that, on March 14, programs will start working down their lists and offering positions to their top choices. Upon getting an offer, an applicant can accept, decline or freeze the offer for four hours — with a limit of one offer held at a time. If students receive offers from non-APPIC programs before March 14, they can immediately seek a counteroffer from their top choice, D’Angelo says. —C. MUNSEY
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of gradPSYCH - November 2011
GradPSYCH - November 2011
Contents
Most practice-oriented psychology students Google their clients
Does romance quash women’s interest in science?
Goodbye to the ad hoc postdoc
Graduate students take on Capitol Hill
Media Picks
Odd Jobs
Research Roundup
Grad school traps
Chair’s Corner
Postgrad growth area: Designing workplace wellness programs
Study smart
Fighting food addiction
Matters to a Degree
Using social media in your research
Midlife grad students
Are you really ready for private practice?
Bulletin Board
Jobs, internships, postdocs and other opportunities
The Back Page
gradPSYCH - November 2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/gradpsych_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/gradpsych_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/gradpsych_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/gradpsych_201109
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com