About Meet The Team

Editor-in-ChiefChardeé Galán

Executive LayoutWesley Jackson

Associate LayoutPolly Chen

Kristina GarfinkelAmy Yu

Faculty AdvisorProfessor Dacher Keltner

Featured

WritersCorey Brown

Alex CarstensenThais H. Cho

Bryan DickersonHanalise Huff

Wesley JacksonJM Kwak

Sabrina LeuMina Yadegar

Other ContributersGwen BassettBella Rivaldi

Cover ArtWesley Jackson (front)

Patricia Lin (back)

Contactberkpsychjournal@gmail.com

Get Psyched! is an Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) sponsored publication. The ideas and opinions contained in this publication solely reflect those of the authors and not the University of California.

Table of ContentsEditor’s Note

Is Psychology Right for Me?

Psychology Abroad

Spice up Your Academic Life in Three Easy Steps 1. Join Undergraduate Clubs i. Psi Chi ii. The Association of Psychology Undergraduates 2. Participate in the Scholarly Community 3. Get Involved in Research

Spotlight on a GSI: Erin Moran

Spotlight on a Class: Psychology of Sleep

Up Close & Personal: Advice From Your Professors

What are Your Plans After Graduation?

Acknowledgements

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Welcome to the first edition of Get Psyched! This peer-to-peer review newsletter is the product of the endless dedication of an amazing group of intensely motivated young psychologists, theorists, and writers at Cal. We are committed to empowering fellow undergraduate students to

engage in the community culture that makes UC Berkeley shine amongst other universities. As undergraduate students ourselves, we realize that competing with approximately 850 undergraduate psychology majors for the attention of some of the most distinguished, yet busiest professors in the world, means that finding mentorship and getting answers to our most pressing questions is not always easy. It is from this frustration that we have come to value the importance of becoming mentors and coaches to one another. Get Psyched! reflects the natural instinct and tendency of UC Berkeley students to rely on each other. It seeks to further this collaborative spirit and promote involvement in research-related events and scholarly opportunities; thereby counteracting the competitive environment that so easily ensues when students feel that they must vie for limited resources and opportunities for mentorship. Although most of the articles in this guide are specifically targeted to students majoring in psychology, some of the articles are more widely applicable to students in all departments. Drawing on personal experiences as well words of advice from professors and graduate students, our student journalists provide snapshots on particular classes and GSIs, write about how to get involved in undergraduate research and conferences, and provide tips for psychology majors interested in going abroad.

We hope that you will find this guide to be useful as you continue to navigate your undergraduate career. We

encourage you to challenge yourself to participate in this enjoyable and collaborative learning experience.

Chardeé GalánEditor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note

Freshmen year brings many new experiences, which can be overwhelming and intimidating for many. In between going to parties, embracing a new sense of personal freedom, participating in way too many organizations, learning the important bus routes, and trying to make it to your 8 o’clock classes, there’s always that one hour break when you start thinking, “How do I want to spend the rest of my four years at Berkeley?”

While there are certainly those who enter into Berkeley already having declared a major, a large majority are undeclared and have no clue what profession they would like to pursue. Having to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life right of high school can seem very daunting. Finding a major that suits your own particular interests and passions is a process that requires a large deal of patience, introspection, and exploration of various classes.

As a psychology major myself, I highly recommend checking out some psychology courses. Not only are they fun and engaging, but many of them are also cross-listed with other majors and frequently fulfill a breadth requirement.

Here is a simple breakdown of the first three steps to take as a freshman:

The First Step: Figure out your major.

Take one of the Letters & Science Discovery courses, talk to department adviors, and/or audit classes that you are interested in. Check the class’ description, time, and location at schedule.berkeley.edu and sit-in for one or more lectures to see if you would be interested in taking them later (both for upper and lower division).

1 Is Psychology Right for Me?

Is Psychology Right for Me?

By Thais H. Cho & Chardée Galán

Psychology Prerequisite/lower Division requirements All prerequisite courses that apply to the major must be taken on a letter grade basis.

• Psychology 1 (AP Psychology with a score of 4 or 5 will satisfy this prerequisite.)

• 1 Evolution course from: • Molecular & Cell Biology 41 or 41X • Anthropology 1 • Integrative Biology 35AC

• 2 Biological Science courses:• Molecular & Cell Biology 31, 32, 50, 61, 63, 64 • Biology 1A, 1B, 11 • Integrative Biology 31

(AP Biology with a score of 4 or 5 will satisfy one Bio-logical Science prerequisite.)

• 2 Social Science courses from two different depart-ments:

• Anthropology 3 or 3AC • Sociology 3 or 3AC • Linguistics 5 • Political Science 1, 2, or 4

(AP U.S. Government with a score of 4 or 5 will satisfy one Social Science prerequisite.)

• 1 Quantitative course from:• Statistics 2, 20, or 21 • Math 54 or 55

(AP Statistics with a score of 4 or 5 will satisfy this prerequisite.)

(UCB Psychology Department, 2011)

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The Second Step: Determine the prerequisites for your major and begin to create an academic timeline for yourself by completing the program planning worksheet, which can be obtained from the Letters & Science Undergraduate Advising website: http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/fp/fp.html.

I’ve provided a list of the psychology prerequisites for students who are interested in pursuing a major in this field. Check assist.org for transferable pre-requisites that can be taken at a community college during the summer.

If you’re struggling with a course or if you’re particularly interested in the subject, go to office hours. If you have a time conflict and are unable to attend a professor’s office hours, e-mail the instructor to see if he or she is willing to set up a separate meeting time. As busy as they are, most professors and G.S.Is are often willing to accommodate different students’ schedules and more than happy to help and answer questions.

The Third Step: Continue to seek support.

All departments on campus have advisors who are (usually) willing to help. If you’ve already declared a major in psychology or are intending to declare, it’s definitely helpful to become acquainted with the Student Services Office (3305 Tolman Hall). The advisors here will be able to address questions regarding career oppportunities in psychology, schedule planning, and class waiting lists. Although drop-in advising are from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m, students are encouraged to schedule advising appointments in advance by calling (510) 643-8114 or sending an email to psychsso@berkeley.edu.

Photo Credits:1 http://www.google.com/imgres?q=major+in+college&um=1&

hl=en&rlz=1R2SKPT_enUS411&tbm=isch&tbnid=ESby7FvoNfmM2M:&imgrefurl=http://www.schoolofhowto.com/choose-major-college/&docid=sDo0CKd5BbYn_M&w=425&h=282&ei=n1hjTsCgOJTciALBv-CYCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=415&vpy=136&dur=63&hovh=183&hovw=276&tx=102&ty=138&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=180&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&biw=1076&bih=439

2 http://www.asdavidson.com/School/UC-Berkeley-shots-on-campus/Tolman-south-face/14642661_X3dkq-L.jpg

2Volume 1 | Fall 2011

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http://www.offthemark.com/Images/psych/psych01.gif

Psychology Abroad

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3 Psychology Abroad

Drowning in a torrential rain, too miserable even to shift about in a kind of impatient, primitive bus-dance, yet again you are struck by the thought, “Why does the bus always leave just as I arrive to the station and why does one seem to come only twice an hour? What Great Deceiver so cruelly crafted the weather of Berkeley such that one day it will be a lovely, sultry sunny day and the next a cold and miserable great flood?” Too paralyzed by the fear of drowning to tilt back your head and peer through the fusillade of rain to look at the sky, you meekly roll your eyes up and peek over your eyebrows, into the thick grey sky and wonder: There must be more to this world than Berkeley. There must be somewhere else to go. If only I weren’t majoring in psychology and could afford to abandon Cal...

It’s true, many of us put the prospect of studying abroad back on the shelf after thinking that by leaving Berkeley, we miss out on the great opportunities presented by the world’s best research university. Even if this isn’t your primary concern and you are just unsure where to go or what to do, it’s crucial to recognize the importance of studying abroad. Research is not an isolated, local “event”; but rather a living, international collaborative process. Thus, by studying abroad, you can better understand the entire set of scientific methodologies and cultural contexts that frame our psychological knowledge.

Where then are the world’s top universities for psychology majors? If strength of psychological research weighs heavily in your decision of which country to visit, then which universities should you consider?

I perused the US News list of the world’s best universities for Social Science1 (as close to psychology

as the search would permit) and from those compiled my own top list based then on the information provided by each university’s psychology department (available at each university’s website). In parentheses is the rank given to each university by US News (based on “peer assessment surveys”).

University of Oxford (3)Perhaps the most gloriously constructed university

in the world, Oxford University has straddled the pinnacle of excellence for nearly a thousand years. Towering like a fortress with cathedralic spires plunging into the heavens, it at once defends and sanctifies a millennium-old tradition of heading the vanguard of knowledge. Oxford University has a diverse community of students. Over a third of the student body is international students from 145 countries and national territories. Also, because the university consists of 38 self-governing colleges and students have personal tutors, the benefits of a small university are not diluted by Oxford’s grand prestige.

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise hailed Oxford’s psychological research as “outstanding,” rating over a third of their work as being of highest quality and “world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.” In total, 80% of their research was rated at least “internationally excellent”. The Quality of Assurance Agency awarded the Psychology Department 24/24 points for the quality of their teaching and how well the students learned the material. There are many psychological research groups including social psychology, language and cognitive development and control, the Oxford Babylab, childrens’ communication impairments and stress research.

By Wesley Jackson

Want to get away but don' t know where to go?

University of Cambridge (4)The second-oldest English university, Cambridge

has budded such scientific revolutionaries as Newton, Darwin and Watson & Crick, to name a few! Cambridge University truly is the architect of the institution of knowledge and looks the part as well with its towering, cathedral-like glory and beautiful verdant lawns. It preserves its historic legacy with seven world-renowned museums and various international art collections. These collections document a half billion years of Earth’s history from modern art to classical archeology, and even include the Scott Polar Research Institute! In 2001, the Higher Education Funding Council gave the Cambridge Psychology Department the highest score in their research assessment. The department leads a wide scope of research, including

sensory perception, attention, memory, language, cognitive development, computational models of psychological processes and animal cognition. Three University of Cambridge faculty members have won Nobel Prizes associated with psychology, one in Literature for psychological narrative and two in Medicine for work on neuronal function.

University of British Columbia (13)If your pursuit of knowledge is an intimate retreat

into the heart and soul of the natural world, then Canada’s largest university campus is your haven!

UBC is nestled upon Vancouver’s gorgeous Point Grey Peninsula, flourishing with conifers and peeping out upon the snow-capped North Shore mountains. The 736-hectare Pacific Spirit Regional Park offers many

coastal hiking trails, but you won’t be too far from city life, either, as Vancouver is just 30 minutes away! You won’t have to leave campus for your culture fix, however, as the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts hosts a variety of shows ranging across, jazz, folk, opera and more!

UBC has a variety of psychology, cognition and neuroscience research labs, including behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognitive science and social personality. The department’s faculty members have won dozens of awards for their research, and they publish hundreds of scientific journal articles each year.

University of Melbourne (19)Melbourne is the second oldest university in

Australia and one of the top universities in the world. If the fortresses of Oxford and Cambridge are a little too imposing for your down-to-earth sensibilities, then this is a good middle-ground with Victorian architecture sprinkled about the suburbs of the city of Melbourne. The University’s 32 Cultural Collections exhibit the history of many academic disciplines such as history, physics and even dentistry! A full schedule of free public lectures helps keep knowledge accessible, with topics ranging from “Mammalian Immunity: What the platypus and possum can teach us” to “Mental health needs of asylum seekers.”

University of Melbourne’s Psychology Department is one of its largest and leads research in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, and in quantitative,

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“don’t forget you are studying abroad to experience a new country and culture, not to just study the same old material.”

Volume 1 | Fall 2011

University of British Columbia, Canada3

developmental and social psychology. It has recently been awarded several grants for research on the effect of drugs and neurotransmitters on perception and behavior.

If you want to know what previous psychology majors have done in your situation, UCSD’s Opportunities Abroad Program composed a list of universities psychology majors travelled to2, which I have organized by country:

Australia University of AdelaideUniversity of MelbourneUniversity of SydneyUniversity of Queensland (Brisbane)

China Chinese University of Hong KongFrance University of GrenobleIreland National University of Cork

National University of GalwayNetherlands Maastricht University (Utrecht)Singapore National University of SingaporeSweden Lund UniversityUnited Kingdom University of London

University of SussexUniversity of York

The easiest way to study abroad is through UC Berkeley’s EAP (Education Abroad Program), which allows you to search for courses in psychology across many countries and also quickly access information about housing, research and internships, language requirements and more. You can also contact Andrea Gutierrez, the undergraduate adviser for psychology majors.

One would be wise to note that EAP only supports travel to some of the universities in the main list above. You can, of course, find other study abroad programs at these universities at http://studyabroad.

berkeley.edu/Programs/noneap.htm or find programs for the university of your choice at http://academic.studyabroad.com/text.html.

Most websites for study abroad programs allow you to find schools offering majors in psychology, but don’t actually let you know how good their Psychology programs are. However, one program which offers major-oriented programs is KEI (Knowledge Exchange Institute). It offers “psychology, sociology & behavior-oriented” programs (including internship opportunities and community service) in the UK (London South Bank University), Kenya (United States International University), Tanzania (University of Dar es Salaam) and Thailand (Mahidol University International College).

Once you have finally selected where you intend to go, an extensive list of study abroad loans for social & behavioral sciences may be found at: http://www.studyabroadfunding.org/Psychology/. Basically, based on quality of psychological research, the United Kingdom and Canada are your best bets. But when you consider where to study abroad, what matters most is if you will love living there. After all, you’ll be there for at least one semester! So find the university that grabs you. Then check the quality of their research program. After all, don’t forget you are studying abroad in order to experience a new country and culture, not to just study the same old material.

References:1 World’s Best Universities (2010). U.S. News. Retrieved from:

http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities/articles/2010/09/21/worlds-best-universities-social-sciences-

2 Study Abroad in Psychology. UC San Diego. Retrieved from: http://pao.ucsd.edu/pao/pdffiles/newpsychologymap.pdf

Photo Credits:1 http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg8h56iam11qb-

2ty3o1_500.jpg2 http://www.pagefarm.net/wiki/images/f/ff/Cambridge.jpg3 http://vancouverinformation.ca/wordpress/wp-content/up-

loads/2011/01/ubc_aerial02.jpg4 http://www.colleges.unimelb.edu.au/assets/images/trinity-01.

jpg

Psychology Abroad5

University of Melbourne, Australia4

Berkeley’s Psi Chi Chap-ter Events

Psi Chi lifetime membership is not only an addition to your resume; it’s one of the best ways to get involved with the psychol-ogy community here at Cal! Our own Psi Chi chapter organizes numer- ous academic, social and community service events each semester—events which are usually as enlightening and useful as they are fun. Past academic events include: a graduate student panel, personal state-ment workshop, peer networking workshop and free sample classes and practice tests for the GRE, MCAT and LSAT. Many of these academic workshops and panels are sponsored by Kaplan and hosted in col-

laboration with the Association of Psychology Under-graduates (APU). Last year, Psi Chi members also at-tended the Western Psychological Association (WPA) Convention in Portland, Oregon and watched stimu-lating presentations and lectures, networked with pro-fessors and students, and personally met Professor Philip Zimbardo.

Psi Chi also hosts fun socials, such as movie nights, campus scavenger hunts and an annual com-memorative dessert banquet in appreciation of fac-ulty and graduating seniors. One of Psi Chi’s most memorable events is the biannual induction ceremony hosted by faculty advisor Professor Stephen Hinshaw. Complete with delicious hors d’œuvres and chocolate

Spice UpYour Academic Life in Three easy Steps

1. Join Undergraduate ClubsPsi Chi

Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psy-chology, with over 1,000 chapters worldwide, open to both undergraduate and graduate membership. Psi Chi is a non-profit organization and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Psychological Science (APS). Famous members include: B.F. Skinner, Philip Zimbardo, and Dr. Phil. As Psi Chi is well known by the psychology community, membership can boost job and graduate school applications.

Psi Chi provides career and academic enhance-ment programs that help students gain perspective into their future and provides a professional network-ing outlet. To keep members up to date on national Psi Chi news and informative academic information,

Psi Chi distributes a magazine, Eye on Psi Chi. In ad-dition, Psi Chi also publishes a quarterly undergradu-ate research journal (Psi Chi Journal of Undergradu-ate Research), in which all members can submit their manuscripts for publication. Undergraduate and graduate research is also encouraged through Psi Chi research awards and grants, as well as opportunities for members to present their research at regional and national conventions. Members who present a paper or poster at a psychology convention or conference can receive a Certificate of Recognition, which can be noted in one’s resume.

By Mina Yadegar

“Psi Chi provides career and academic enhancement programs that help students gain perspective into their future and provides a professional networking outlet”

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fondue, induction serves as an official welcome for our new members, each of whom receive a Psi Chi certificate, pin and membership card. This semester, Psi Chi plans to continue its tradition of fun and career-enhancing events by co-hosting the Annual Berkeley Undergraduate Psychology Conference with APU, Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley, and the Psychology Department.

Benefits of Psi ChiPsi Chi presents many opportunities, such as

national grants and leadership roles, which are fun, helpful and demonstrate your active involvement in the psychological community. Therefore, active mem-bership, especially officer positions, can enhance a resume and letters of recommendation. Psi Chi chap-ter and national events can introduce you to graduate programs, help you meet influential psychologists and build a community that can shape your career. Psi Chi also rewards committed members with “grad gear,” which can be worn in their graduation ceremony.

Psi Chi accepts new members in the beginning of every semester. If you are interested in joining Psi Chi, please refer to the membership requirements. Appli-cations are available outside of 3330 Tolman or can be downloaded online at http://www.psichi.org/pdf/memappl.pdf. Applicants must submit this form along with their unofficial transcript(s) to be considered for membership. Once accepted, prospective members must pay a nominal membership fee, which contrib-utes to the grants and awards, events and grad gear. Although Psi Chi national membership is lifetime, to continue Berkeley’s Psi Chi Chapter membership and be eligible for grad gear, members must pay an ad-ditional $10 every semester thereafter and earn a cer-

Point systemFor grad gear:• Fall graduating members must earn at least 6 points in

the fall semester• Spring graduating members must earn at least 10 points

in the academic year Point values For events:• 1 Point for Meetings and Social Events• 2 Points for Induction• 1-3 Points for Community Service

(1 point every 2 hours, with a max of 3 points)

Requirements for UC Berkeley Psi Chi Membership:undergraduate students:• Must be at least a second-semester Sophomore.•Musthavedeclaredeitheramajororminorinpsychol ogy, or be enrolled in a program that is psychological in nature and equivalent to psychology.•Musthavecompletedtheequivalentof9unitsofpsy chology courses.• Completion of three semesters or 5 quarters of college

courses (transfer courses included)• Completionof9unitsor14quarterhoursofpsychol-

ogy courses (not including Psychology 1)• Minimum cumulative and psychologymajorGPA of

3.5(ona4.0scale)graduate students:• MinimumcumulativeGPAof3.5(ona4.0scale)

tain number of points (see the point system).For more information about Psi Chi, check out the

national website at www.psichi.org. If you have any questions about membership or events e-mail psichi@berkeley.edu or stop by during Psi Chi office hours in 3330 Tolman. Members can also pick up hard copies of Eye on Psi Chi from 3330 Tolman.

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ProfessorHinshawwithsomePsiChimembersandtheircertificates.

7 Spice Up Your Academic Life

Berkeley is a massive institution. At first, the end-less possibilities for classes and careers can seem overwhelming. It can also take a while to connect with your peers and forge new friendships. Fortunate-ly, Berkeley has dozens of student groups to make the transition a little easier. I am Bryan, former Co-President of the Association of Psychology Under-graduates (APU). If you are feeling a bit lost, or if you have any interest in psychology, I invite you to come to some of our events and make some new friends while learning about the field. Your time at Berkeley is a wonderful opportunity to both explore and expand your interests and the APU is here to make you feel at home. Let me tell you a little bit more about the APU.

Who are We?The APU is a student organization open to all un-

dergraduates. You don’t need to be a declared psy-chology major to join, or even be seriously consider-ing it. Our members are involved in a wide range of psychological disciplines and are open to share their experiences and to answer any questions. Here at the APU, we include students from all stages in the Berkeley experience; from seniors who have already completed their grad school applications to fresh-men just beginning to consider their options. We are friendly, informed, and ready to lend a hand. Our ac-tivities can be divided into two primary categories, academic events and social activities.

Academic EventsThe APU is here to help you succeed in your

classes and career. Through our academic events, we offer information and additional clarity into the many possible opportunities provided by a psychol-ogy degree. Perhaps our most popular event is our professor dinner. Twice a semester we invite one of the psychology instructors to have dinner with us here on campus. Our members personally get to know the guest of honor and ask questions, all in an informal and welcoming environment. Recent guests have included: Professor Keltner, whose research covers emotion and social interaction; Professor Kring, who focuses on the psychopathology of schizophrenia; Professor Walker, who researches sleep; and Profes-sor Lombrozo, who studies the cognitive psychology of explanations, reason and understanding.

We also offer a variety of panels and info sessions concerning graduate schools and other career op-tions. We cover information on the GRE and provide strategies to network with the business and academic

more about the major. Our mentors and mentees are particularly social and provide you with even more opportunities to hang out and get to know your peers. E-mail us or drop by our office for more information.

Social ActivitiesAs much as we are here to help you succeed aca-

demically, we are also here to have fun and make new friends! With this in mind, each semester we also host a number of social events. These can be a great way to break the ice and to become a part of a friendly local community. Whether we are eating ice cream, throwing a Frisbee on Memorial Glade, or laughing it up on game night, you will find us living large and letting go of some of our student stress. We also pro-vide charity activities such as the Berkeley Project, where we play with developmentally challenged kids at Build House. Most of our social events are open to non-members, so feel free to bring your friends!

Membership and Contact InformationMembership dues are fairly light here - $12 a se-

mester or $20 a year. Some of our events and op-portunities, such as admission to professor dinners and discounted tickets to various charities and per-formances, are available only for paid members. Feel free to drop by an event or two before you decide to join. Anyone is welcome to be added to our mail-ing list, which provides information about our events and also other psychology related opportunities in the area. If you would like to join our mailing list or have any questions, e-mail us at calxapu@gmail.com. You can also stop by our office (3330 Tolman Hall) dur-ing the semester and talk to any of our officers dur-ing their office hours (which will be posted outside the door during the first week of class). You can find us online at http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~apu/, which also includes a link to our Facebook group. I wish you luck in making the most of your time here at Berkeley and hope to see many of you soon.

The Association of Psychology Undergraduates

communities. The APU also provides individual guidance to members through our highly suc-cessful mentorship program. We pair un-derclassmen with an ex-perienced psychology major, giving you yet another chance to make a new friend and learn

By Bryan Dickerson

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8Volume 1 | Fall 2011

Have you ever wondered where your professors and grad students go when they’re not in Tolman? Or why your P.I. seems to be on vacation every time you try to reach her? Are you, too, intrigued by the idea of fun, educational opportunities, real-world academic experience, and exotic vacations all rolled into one? We thought so, and that is where the research confer-ence comes in.

Why Conferences? Well, they’re not just fancy and informative, they’re

fun! Plus, they aren’t just for professors and grad stu-dents; attending academic conferences can be a great way to prepare for graduate school or profes-sional careers, practice networking, and learn more about your area of interest within the psychological sciences. Presenting your own research or findings from a study you’ve collaborated on gives you an op-portunity to get to know other researchers who share your interests, build presentation skills, and integrate yourself into the academic community.

There are plenty of great opportunities to attend and participate in research conferences. The possi-bilities range from broad, regional meetings like that of the Western Psychological Association, to highly spe-cialized conferences concentrating on specific areas of psychology, such as the International Society of Po-litical Psychology’s annual meeting.

If you’re involved in research, consider asking your adviser or P.I. (your lab’s principal investigator) about conferences relevant to your area of study—a supportive professor, G.S.I., or mentor can get you a long way in finding out about exciting opportunities, working through the abstract submission process, and preparing for the conference presentation itself.

If you’re not ready to present a research project quite yet, conference attendance can still be fun and provide you with a good idea of interesting research topics, ongoing work, and developing theories in psy-chology. Acquainting yourself early with ideas in the field and conference procedures in general is the per-fect preparation for later participation in academic re-search.

Another great way to get involved in research early in your academic career is by attending undergradu-ate research conferences. Designed specifically for

undergraduate students, these settings are ideal to get your first taste of research presentations and network-ing with other members of your generation of psycho-logical scholars. Stanford, UCLA, and San Jose State University all hold annual undergraduate conferences in psychology, usually in April or May, which are open to students looking to present everything from Psych 101 projects to honors theses. Information about the

conference dates, presentation formats, application procedure, and relevant deadlines can be found on the respective conferences’ webpages, available through the psychology department website at each school.

For those of you who’d like to experience all of the fun and excitement of undergraduate conferences from the comfort of your own home, keep an eye out for UC Berkeley’s Annual Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC), which is usually held in May. Co-hosted by the Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley, Psi Chi, Association of Psy-chology Undergraduates, and the Psychology Depart-ment, the conference will be a day of exciting talks and poster presentations by undergraduate research-ers from all over the country.

Attendance and registration are open to everyone and all undergrads interested in presenting their re-search are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information, visit PURC’s website (purc-berkeley.org) or contact the conference directors at berkeleypsych-conference@gmail.com.

But before acting on your newly-inspired, confer-ence-fueled enthusiasm and running off to the first re-search conference you can find, consider the following helpful hints designed to help you thoroughly prepare and enrich your conference-going experience.

How to Make the Most of You r Conference Experience: 1.Writing the abstract: Preparing and submitting the best possible abstract is a necessity for the most im-portant part of the research conference—getting in the door.

• Present the big picture: Give concise descrip-tions of the motivation for the project and your

By Alexandra Carstensen

Conferences are “not just fancy and informative, they’re fun!”

2. Participate in the Scholarly CommunitySpice Up Your Academic Life

methods, but focus your abstract on the study’s findings and your interpretation of them. Empha-size how this research contributes to the current state of knowledge in the field.

• Don’t make promises you can’t keep: If the data collection and/or analysis for your project is in-complete, only include results and conclusions based on the fully processed data. In some cas-es, it might be reasonable to state that research is ongoing, but applications representing finished research are always stronger.

2. Poster sessions: For the best of both worlds, be sure to make the most of attending and presenting by us-ing poster sessions to find out about others’ work and engage them in your own.

• Less is more: Your poster should display excit-ing highlights from your background, methods, findings, and conclusions, but not a full write-up of your project. Getting a good understanding of your project from the poster should be quick and easy (requiring less than 10 minutes). As the pre-senter, you need to be prepared to provide further information, not your poster (although it doesn’t hurt to bring a few copies of your article to hand out). Engage interested attendees in exciting, in-sightful discussion.

• Survival of the prettiest: In large poster sessions, one of the best ways to draw attention and interest is presentation. Search Google or check out the gallery at phdposters.com for poster templates and unique layout ideas. Explain your project in figures and pictures whenever possible and add color, texture, and interactive features to liven up your presentation (just don’t go overboard).

3. PaPer sessions: Articulating your ideas in large-scale conversations with those who are especially interested is a great way to inform others, promote insight, and inspire further research and collaboration.

• What’s the big idea?: The most important part of a paper talk is creating a coherent flow to best express the overall importance and ultimate pur-pose of your study. Powerpoint slides should fit neatly and proceed logically as part of your narra-tive—construct each slide to concisely represent major stepping points along the theoretical and methodological path to your conclusions.

• Keep it simple: Present your project at a level that’s easily interpretable to your audience. Although you’re very knowledgeable about the ideas rel-evant to your research, consider your audience’s familiarity with the information—even if they’re conversant with the background and methods of the project, it’s usually best if you structure the presentation of your theoretical argument and study design, and work through them in steps.

4. netWorking: Get the most out of the only part you’ll get to take away from the conference—new connec-tions with friends, experienced researchers, and po-tential collaborators.

• Branch out: Take advantage of your opportunity to mingle with other successful psychologists at all levels by asking questions about others’ research and finding out more about potential labs of in-terest for you as an undergraduate research as-sistant or a prospective graduate student. Learn about great scholarships, fellowships, and re-search opportunities as well as grad school prep-aration and admissions from other undergrads and grad students with first-hand experience.

• Getting to know you: Conferences are a stylish way to skip ahead of the office hours lines for your favorite professors and a make a big impression as well as a rare opportunity to speak face to face with exciting professors from other universities. Remember to dress to impress (business casual) and keep a couple copies of your resume or cur-riculum vitae on hand.

Most importantly, plan beforehand which sessions to attend and reading into the recent work of research-ers who interest you; come with questions, strike up a conversation, and then take the opportunity to interest them in your research ideas for a change! You may get an enthusiastic honors adviser or even a graduate

Berkeley’s Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference hosts undergradu-ate research from across the country.

10Volume 1 | Fall 2011

UC Berkeley has one of the most renowned psy-chology programs in the world and is unsurpassed in the quality of its faculty. Throughout the year, Berkeley produces research which expands our knowledge of the field and offers new insights into the nature of the mind, the brain, and the self. Undergraduates here are fortunate; we have a unique opportunity to par-ticipate in cutting-edge research prior to entering a graduate program. With this in mind, I encourage anyone who is interested in psychology to carefully consider the following programs.

Who Needs Research Experience?Research experience is vital if you wish to be-

come a competitive candidate for a psychology Ph.D. program. It is also an invaluable opportunity to learn from and network with some of the top researchers in the world and can provide a strong launching pad for your academic career. The experience of be-ing directly involved with the research process is a rare educational opportunity for anyone interested in psychology or academia. Research experience also lends strength to your resume, as well as to a variety of other applications: such as medical school, clinical programs, and corporate positions. It is also a power-ful chance to network with professors and graduate students on a more intimate and sophisticated level than the classroom or office hours and provides an excellent basis for them to get to know you personally and professionally. This will be a huge help when it comes to procuring the letters of recommendations you will need to enter many programs. Moreover, many professors prefer to write letters for students who worked in their lab, and some even have a policy to only write letters for their research assistants.

You shouldn’t pursue research experience just for resume building, however. The research you pursue should inspire you! It is easy to become frustrated in work that you aren’t interested in and you won’t be able to put in your full effort. Thus, browse various labs and professors online and make a list of what research you would love to be involved in. Don’t let anxiety take priority over your goals and interests!

The Three-Fold Path to Research at Berkeley There are three main ways for an undergraduate

to engage in research here at Berkeley. Each offers its own advantages and unique appeal, depending on how much supervision and creative input you prefer.

By Bryan Dickerson

The first two options (URAP and RAing) involve work-ing on an existing project conducted by a professor or graduate student, and should be the first step for anyone interested in the research process. After you get your feet wet, you will also have the opportunity to generate your own original and exciting experiment through the honors thesis program.

The Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP)

URAP is designed to provide a deeper opportu-nity for undergrads to directly engage in state-of-the-art research by working closely with a professor or graduate student. Once accepted into the program, you will meet regularly with your faculty mentor, re-ceiving direct guidance and feedback from a world-renowned researcher. Each semester, a new list of available projects is provided online (with more add-ed throughout the first few weeks of class).

This program requires that you submit applica-tions to up to three potential advisors in the beginning of the semester. Although you do not apply to a spe-cific project, you should still indicate your preference. Your application will include a statement of purpose, a list of classes taken, and an unofficial transcript. If you are accepted to the interview stage, you need to schedule a meeting with your potential advisor, in which you (hopefully) wow them with your experience, insight, and passion for their area of interest. (Tip: it may also be helpful to read on the relevant literature, especially when it’s the researcher’s previous work).

If accepted, you then fill out an electronic learn-ing contract, after which you will be officially enrolled in the program. Students in URAP are often part of a larger lab and will usually attend regular lab meetings with their advisor throughout the semester. At the end of the program, you must submit a brief paper on your experience. You can receive up to four units of course

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3. Get Involved in ResearchSpice Up Your Academic Life

credit per semester (one unit (pass/nopass) for every three hours of work per week). Unfortunately, Fall se-mester application deadlines are closed but keep on the lookout for Spring projects before the start of next semester! For more information, visit http://research.berkeley.edu/urap.

Research Assisting (Psych 99/199)The other starting path to undergraduate research

at Berkeley is to become a research assistant for a specific project without applying through URAP. This means that you will not necessarily be meeting regu-larly with a professor and will probably be more inde-pendent in conducting your work. There are myriad possible projects you can undertake as a research assistant. RA duties can range from the administration of an entire experiment, to transcribing interviews, to coding and analyzing data. Regardless, participating in hands-on research is engaging and rewarding.

Unlike URAP, there is no official way to apply to become a research assistant. Instead, you need to find a faculty member or graduate student willing to add you to an existing project. Personally, I found this route preferable, as I was able to skip the URAP ap-plication process entirely and was accepted directly into an unlisted project.

Finding a sponsor can seem intimidating, but is a great way to practice the networking skills you will need to succeed in any future career. It is best not to approach a professor directly at this stage (although some people have made it work), since they are usu-ally managing many projects and can be extremely

busy. I recommend asking various graduate students about their work until you find someone compatible with your interests. The best way to approach gradu-ate students is during their office hours.

If you prefer not to approach a sponsor directly, nu-merous RA positions are listed online at the psycholo-gy major’s bSpace resources tab and are also posted in front of the Student Services Office (3305 Tolman Hall). An interview and resume are often required as part of the application process. Once accepted, you have the option to receive one unit (pass/no pass) for every three hours of work per week; although some projects are significantly more time consuming. If you would like to receive units for your work, your sponsor must sign a Psych 99/199 application, which can be found at http://psychology.berkeley.edu/undergrad/psych99-199App.pdf. Your sponsor will also provide a document with information addressing the goals, methods, a reading list, and your role in the experi-ment. You can then turn in this document along with the application to the Student Services Office.

Many students deeply enjoy their experience in this program and gain considerable insight into ex-perimental design and research methodology. This experience can provide a great basis for continuing research after graduation, and is invaluable in plan-ning and conducting an honors thesis.

The Honors ThesisThe honors program at Berkeley is an advanced

step in preparing for graduate school and is usually only pursued by seniors planning a career in psy-

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chological research. An honors thesis is most often a complete experiment designed and conducted by the student, with some supervision from a faculty spon-sor. However, in some cases, the data is provided by a professor or graduate student and the thesis simply involves analyzing the data and presenting the results of the experiment in a publishable format.

As the work will be largely unsupervised, this is not a program for people who need constant structure and deadlines to stay on track. On the other hand, as this environment is very similar to that of a graduate student, I cannot recommend the program enough for prospective Ph.D. students. Not only does an hon-ors thesis show a serious interest on an application, it provides such a vast learning experience, that it is difficult to completely describe the benefits. Here is a partial list just to give you an idea. You will: learn how to focus on a specific question, efficiently research re-lated work, create concrete operational definitions for variables, administer surveys, apply for grants, ana-lyze data, and prepare a paper for publication. Your thesis also provides a safe opportunity to make and learn from your mistakes. Although the errors I com-mitted were somewhat frustrating, I am incredibly glad to have made them now and not during my first project as a graduate student.

To participate in this program, you will need to find a faculty sponsor no later than the beginning of the fall semester of your senior year. To give yourself enough time, it is best to start looking for a faculty sponsor in the spring or summer prior to your senior year. Keep in mind that each professor can only sponsor a limited number of students at a time. Also, remember to be flexible and work within the specific interests of your faculty sponsor. If they seem uninterested in your ini-tial idea, ask them what kind of project would engage

them and be willing to change your idea. The thesis is a yearlong project. Upon completion,

students will receive a grade, as well a rating of hon-ors, no honors, or highest honors on their transcript. An optional 3 unit seminar is available for students conducting their thesis, and is intended to help them refine and communicate their ideas. For more informa-tion, visit the student services office.

Conducting research can be one of the most im-pacting and inspiring opportunities provided to an undergraduate. As a result of my experiences, I now feel more engaged with the academic process and my desire to become a graduate student has crystallized. I hope this guide helped clarify the research possibili-ties available to you and that you will consider taking advantage of this fantastic opportunity.

Photo Credits:1 http://www.psichi.org2 Carrie Fukada3 http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object/

482/20/n2200894373_39652.jpg4 http://research.berkeley.edu/urap/resources/images_exper

ence/inside/Dipankan/Dipankan1.jpg5 http://www.stephenscountyhospital.com/images/sleep_lab_

lg.jpg6 http://douglasvermeeren.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/neu

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If you’re reading this article, then you must know that here at UC Berkeley, those people who teach your discussion sections and labs aren’t called T.A.s, but G.S.I.s. Why am I pointing out this obvious fact? Be-cause sometimes we forget what the acronym G.S.I. stands for: Graduate Student Instructor, meaning that they are students, just like ourselves (only older and more experienced, obviously). A significant part of a graduate student’s life is conducting his or her own research, so we thought it’d be insightful to spotlight a G.S.I. of UC Berkeley and give you undergraduate psychology students an insider’s look at what kind of research is being done right here and now, by the very same people who lead class discussions and grade your tests and papers.

Erin Moran is a third year graduate student of clini-cal psychology (you may recognize her as one of the four G.S.I.s for Psych 130 with Professor Ann Kring). She completed her undergraduate studies at the Uni-versity of Texas, majoring in psychology and sociol-ogy. After graduating, she decided she wanted to put grad school on the back burner for at least a couple years and acquire some experience as a research as-sistant. She worked in a neuroscience lab at the Mas-sachusetts General Hospital in Boston, studying de-mentia and other memory related disorders, as well as branching out to studying the role of empathy and emotion in psychotherapy. Although most research assistant jobs last for only 2 years, Erin was having so much fun spending time away from school and gaining such valuable research experience that she stayed with this job for 4 years instead. Because of this, she now even has several research publications and conference presentations under her belt!

When asked about what led her to pursue a de-gree in psychology, Erin responded, “It’s totally cliché, but I’ve always been interested in people.” It may be cliché, but what better reason could a person have for wanting to study people than to be interested in them? Although she used to see herself doing clinical work as a child psychologist, once she became involved in

psychology research, that arose as her principal inter-est. However, she is still also interested in working di-rectly with clients/patients in a clinical setting, as well as teaching psychology. Therefore, it probably comes as no surprise that what she hopes to do upon finish-ing grad school is a combination of all three of these! “Ideally, I will be able to continue doing research that will ultimately help those with mental illness. Clinical work helps me expand my own research interests, so the two really go together well.” Besides her research experience, Erin also offers some thoughts about her experiences working with people with mental disor-ders such as depression and schizophrenia. Overall, it “has been very rewarding, but also very difficult. I don’t know if there’s any type of training or teaching that can really prepare you for sitting in a room with someone who is hurting so much.” However, despite how disheartening it can be, she says that “ultimately it’s an incredible privilege to be able to work with cli-

ents who put so much trust in you. It’s also just amaz-ing to be able to watch people make so many positive changes in their lives.”

Erin conducts research that seeks to ascertain whether a person’s anticipated feelings predict his or her actual feelings when the/an event occurs. In past research it has been observed that people with schizophrenia are capable of experiencing pleasur-able, positive feelings in the moment, but they find it difficult to foresee themselves feeling pleasure or posi-tive feelings in the future. This is the main reason she is interested in this “period of anticipation”, as she calls it. “If they can’t anticipate having fun, maybe they won’t follow through and give themselves the opportunity to have fun.” Because there is currently little to no con-crete understanding in the field of psychology about the relationship between anticipating feelings and in-the-moment feelings, Erin decided to do research on this topic. She has first examined the possible relation-ship in college students, and is now focusing her re-search on a more specific pool of subjects – those with schizophrenia and depression. To give you all a little taste of what’s to come, Erin has been kind enough to provide her abstract:

Anticipation of future events is often filled with emo-

tion, as for example we are filled with joy when thinking about an upcoming graduation. Unfortunately, people with schizophrenia appear to often miss out on these

“It’s an incredible privilege to be able to work with clients who

put so much trust in you.”

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By Sabrina Leu

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anticipatory emotions. To better understand the na-ture of this deficit in schizophrenia, the present study sought to investigate whether how we feel while antici-pating an upcoming event predicts how we will feel in-the-moment. Emotion plays a key role in our ability to make decisions about future events and subsequently follow through. It has been suggested that a person’s immediate response in the anticipatory period pre-dicts their in-the-moment hedonic response and future behavior (Gilbert & Wilson, 2007). The current study investigates the link between anticipatory emotion re-

sponse and in-the-moment emotion response measur-ing reported emotional experience and startle eyeb-link modulation during anticipatory and in-the-moment response to emotional pictures.

And there you have it! Be on the lookout for a pub-

lication of Erin’s research in the near future.

No one knows exactly why we sleep. However, researchers have discovered many beneficial, if not necessary, effects of sleep. Did you know that for every hour spent awake an individual accrues one half hour of sleep debt? Sleep debt accumulates over nights or even weeks and can only be eliminated by sleep. Accruing too much sleep debt can have dire consequences for your health, both physical and mental, and can impair cognitive functions like memory. Although learning is a primary objective for college students, we are still notorious for partying way into the wee hours of the morning, pulling all-nighters to finish papers, and cramming for exams. Most of us think that giving up sleep is a natural part of college. Many students fail to realize how

detrimental sleep deprivation really is. Luckily, the Berkeley’s Department of Psychology offers a class to educate students about sleep! Sleep, a phenomena universal to all animals, is a fundamental necessity of life second to only food and water. In fact, a famous study on sleep deprivation in rats found that rats die after as little as 11 days without sleep! Sleep is a fascinating new field in psychology which is pertinent to every person’s daily routine. The course Psych 133: Psychology of Sleep exposes students to a vast array of information about sleep, from neurophysiological topics like REM cycles to sleep disorders such as insomnia. Various aspects of physiological, psychological, and clinical research are presented in a comprehensible and applicable

By John Michael Kwak

Spotlight

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Psychology of Sleep

manner in this course.While sleep is an innately interesting topic, Psych

133 is really brought to life by the knowledgeable and enthusiastic professors who teach it. In recent years this class has been taught by one of two world-renowned sleep researchers, Professor Matthew Walker and Professor Allison Harvey. Both professors, as well as being at the forefront in the field of sleep research, have reputations as excellent lecturers (their accents make lectures that much more fascinating!). Professor Walker, who taught the class last Spring, says that his goal is to present students with scientific data so that they understand the negative influences of sleep deprivation and change the way they view and value sleep. Whereas Professor Walker’s course focuses on brain mechanisms, Professor Harvey, who introduced Psych 133 to Berkeley in 2005, emphasizes psychopathology and clinical psychology. The difference in emphasis reflects the focuses of these professors’ research interests.

For students who have taken Psych 133, or who are simply interested in sleep, there are various opportunities for continued learning outside of the classroom. Both the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab (Professor Walker) and the Sleep and Psychological Disorders Lab (Professor Harvey) accept undergraduate research assistants.

Research assistants will work directly with post-doc and graduate students on their projects or on independent projects, gaining valuable experience and pursuing the study of sleep even further. Professor Harvey and Professor Walker are also willing to supervise students who wish to write an honor’s thesis. Psychology of Sleep is one of the most popular classes here at Cal, because of both the interesting subject material and the awesome professors who teach it. If you get the chance, take this class! After all, aren’t you curious about what goes on during that third of your life you spend in bed?!

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“Matt Walker is an amazing lecturer. He explains things well, is always open to answering questions during lecture, and cracks hilarious jokes! Now I’ve actually officially adopted a “NO ALL-NIGHTER” policy for myself whenever I study for tests be-cause I know that it won’t do me any good. The name of the class may be Psychology of Sleep, but I rarely find myself falling asleep when I’m in it!” – Sabrina Leu

“This is one of my favorite classes at Cal! The con-tent is applicable to student life, and I actually en-joyed studying for the exams! Taking Psych 133 has encouraged me to sleep more, especially be-fore exams.” -Mina Yadegar

Student reviews of Psychology 133:

Photo Credits:1 http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9fNvtMyW7cE/TQ9fA2O7j3I/

AAAAAAAAA9U/6DGZi7bOgqQ/s1600/SleepingStudent.jpg2 http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/10/images/

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Dr. Matthew Walker

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Dr. Allison Harvey

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Up Close and Personal Advice From Your Professors

Berkeley’s psychology professors represent the cream of the crop not only in their field of research, but in the quality of their teaching as well. As experienced members of the field, they are open to meet and chat about research and class material as well as grad school and career possibilities. Here’s just some of the helpful tips four of our most esteemed faculty members have to offer.

Take a variety of classes.Prof. Kring: “Take as many different classes as you can and get a broad exposure to the field of psychology, because there is a lot that psychol-ogy has to offer. So you may not know what you like until you sample a little bit from it.”

Follow your interests and stop worrying!Prof. WalKer: “I would just try and search all of your interests and test out what you want to do. …Whatever you do as your major tends almost always not to do with what you go on to do in your profession. So be that as it may…engage in intellectual things that stimulate you and stop worrying about what you need to do as a career in your life…So if you don’t know where you’re going, just think about what interests you in the courses you’ve done so far and try to keep doing more of it and keep exploring it. And stop trying to get too analytical about a ten year or five year plan...life is just not that predicable.”

Ask yourself “What do you want to be doing eight hours a day?”Prof. Keltner: “Psychology is this amazing disci-pline, and it can land you in as a professor, cli-nician, school counselor, researcher for a think tank, journalist, or a teacher in a business school. So the first big question that psychology under-grads have to answer is a question that a profes-sor asked me 25 years ago, and it is: ‘What do you want to be doing eight hours a day?”…. And the next step is to ask yourself if you are heading towards the basic science or the clinical or public health route? Then once you made that choice, you have to ask yourself more specific questions. If you are heading for clinical…then you have to ask yourself, do you want to work with kids, cou-ples, families, sick people, people in Africa, or what have you.”

By Mina Yadegar

Up Close and Personal

Professor Stephen Hinshaw Clinical Child psychology, develop-mental psychopathology (Psychology Department Chair)

Professor Dacher Keltner Social psychology, emotions, happi-ness

Professor Ann Kring Clinical, emotion, and cognition in schizophrenia

Professor Matthew Walker Cognition, neuroscience, the role of sleep in human brain function

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Go to office hours.Prof. Kring: “Go to your professors’ office hours…to see what they say about specific fields of psy-chology. If you are taking clinical, go talk to a professor about clinical. For social, talk to Ser-ena Chen or Dacher Keltner. For personality, Oli-ver John. For neuroscience, Matt Walker.”

Get involved in research!Prof. Keltner: “Dive into research! Research is this amazing tool…and the older I get, the more I see how our tools, of data or scientific method, are so important; internet companies like Google need it, and also the government, new social me-dia, health care, etc. And we get the best kind of research training. So just dive into it.”

Read helpful resources.Prof. Kring: “Get the Insider’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. They come out with a new edition every other year. If you are interested in clinical, definitely get this book…If you are interested in social or neuroscience, APA has a list of programs.”

You don’t have to rush.Prof. Keltner: “The period during which you re-ally settle into family life and your career, [has been] lengthened. So it used to be 25, and now it’s 30 or 35. People marry later, they’re doing more graduate work and postgraduate work. So don’t worry…graduate when you are 22, 24, 28, whatever it is. And it’s good to have a year or two

For Prospective Grad Students:If you want to pursue a Ph.D. program

ProF. HinsHaw: “Ask yourself what kinds of additional experience, or additional coursework, would make the difference in terms of getting into the right program. If you are applying for a graduate doctoral program in research, even if you’ve been in labs here in the department or on campus, you want to get additional, more intensive, lab experience. You’ll be competing against people for grad schoolwhohaveco-authoredpresentationsandscientificconferences,andpapersforpublication.Andit’shardtodothatwhileyou’restillanundergrad,becauseyou’rejustgettingfeedbackinthelabs. So the broader and deeper of research experiences one can get the better.”ProF. Kring: “For Clinical [Ph.D. programs], which I know the most about, if you are interested in a placelikeUCBerkeleyorUCLAthatareheavilyresearchorientedschools,youdefinitelywanttogetresearch experience before you apply to those.”

If you want to pursue a Psy.D., M.F.T. or M.S.W.ProF. Kring:“Getinvolvedinsomevolunteerworkatastatehospitalorsuicidehotlineor…researchthat works with people with real problems.”ProF. HinsHaw: “It’s hard to get lots of clinical responsibility with a B.A. in psychology. But extra vol-unteer experiences, certain mental health centers may take interns on under supervision. The more experience and recommendations from people who know your clinical and people skills ability, the better chance you’ll have.”

For Intended Psychology Majors:ProF. HinsHaw: “First and foremost, know the prerequisite requirements thoroughly! Second, do as well as you can in the pre-req courses. Third, make use of student services, and peer advising, to answer your questions and help you make the right decisions. And remember that our department is a basic science department, so even though many of you may have clinical or applied interests, most of our courseshavetodowiththescientificpursuitofpsychologicalknowledge.Suchunderstandingcanandwill help you no matter what your career goals end up being.”

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when you are a post grad contemplating what the next step is or working in a lab. If you are to take some graduate courses, take a little bit of time to explore programs.”

Take advantage of your time at Cal!Prof. WalKer: “For the most part, for the rest of [your] life, you’re going to be in jobs, and some of them you’ll enjoy, and I hope you’ll enjoy all of them, [but] some of them you may not. But this four year time in your life is totally unique…you have access to some of the most amazing intel-

lectual experiences you will ever have in your life. Take full advantage of it, because if you don’t, you will look back and you may regret it. And regret is one of the big shames in life.”

Q: How did you find your passion?Prof. Kring: “I kind-of stumbled into it. So when I went to graduate school in clinical psychology, I was sure that I didn’t want to do any research or work with people with schizophrenia or se-vere mental illness. I thought that was too scary, they never get better, and how can I possibly do that. So I went to graduate school wanting to do neuropsychology to study brain behavior relationships. But when I got to graduate school there was nobody [researching] that so I had to scramble around and find some sort of research that I could get involved [in]…So I joined a group that was looking at people with schizophrenia, and thought well I’ll look at the brain neuropsy-chology of schizophrenia. So that’s how I started

“Stop following everyone else, because even if you win the rat race, at the end of the day you’re still a rat” - Professor Matthew Walker

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Up Close and Personal

Books and other publications can be a great resource.

reluctantly, kind-of went in thinking I really won’t like this, but it turned out that I loved it.

‘So that’s always a piece of advice I give to people when they’re in graduate school, or even before, sometimes you know, or you think you know, what you want to do and you haul off to school to do it. And then once you are there you are exposed to different kinds of experiences, and lo and behold you find that you are interest-ed in something else, which is fine. To be open, I guess, is the advice when you are going to think about graduate school, you may be sure you want to work with kids who have autism, but when you get there you may really find it fascinating to work with people who have panic disorders. And that’s just a function of being exposed to different things and being open to try something different.”

Prof. WalKer: “I had multiple false starts in life. In England, you can start off at medical school at age 18. So I was at medical school for 2 years and realized that I didn’t really like medicine, be-cause medicine is principally interested in finding answers to questions and I was more interested in questions than I was in answers. So I decided that science is much better than medicine for me. Then I started getting interested in people with

dementia and trying to diagnose people with de-mentia by measuring their brain wave patterns. I was doing that when they were awake, and I was failing miserably…and [then] I realized that I was just measuring the brain at the wrong time, and if I measured [it] when people were asleep, the changes in the brain wave patterns were much more obvious. So I got interested in sleep. And then I realized that nobody knew why we sleep. So I thought I’ll go figure that out within a couple of years, and come back to studying people with dementia. And that was 13 years ago, and I still haven’t figured out why we sleep.

So again it’s totally unpredictable. Life is nev-er formulaic, even though you want to think it is, trust me it’s not. Also remember that even when you’re 30 or 40, if you don’t like what you are doing, most students are able-minded. Which means that you’re a tiny percentage of the entire human population, and you have a higher educa-tion degree as a consequence, which means that

really you’re capable of just about everything, and you’re limited by just about nothing. So anytime you want to go and change [your career path] you can. Just because society tells you that by 40 you should have a mortgage and a family and stay in a job for the rest of your life, it is a fool-ish, artificial construct. So always keep looking around and asking yourself ‘is this the race that I want to run?’ And if not, go and run in a different direction. Stop following everyone else, because even if you win the rat race, at the end of the day you’re still a rat.”

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Photo Credits:1 http://blogs.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/

akring.jpg2 http://cml.music.utexas.edu/graphics/Headshot_Walker.jpg3 http://bhutanakingdomofhappiness.com/wp-content/

uploads/Dacher_Keltner_280x360x8.jpg 4 http://www.bookpassage.com/files/bookpassage/

hinshawSteve.jpg?12983109735 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1606234633/sr=8-1/

qid=1264844797/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1264844797&sr=8-1

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Cafe Wall Illusion

Fraser Spiral Illusion

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Graduation - that dark night of bittersweet mixed feelings - is on its way for many Berkeley seniors. The feeling of relief is also accompanied by the anxiety of losing the comfort of the familiar college community, as well as the pure trepidation of the real world we must soon plunge into. One thing many college seniors have in common is the addition to their list of pet peeves of the familiar question: “So… what do you plan on doing after college?” When first presented with this question, one may find themselves tongue-tied, stumbling over their words, quickly changing the

subject, possibly followed by an escape to the nearest bathroom for self collection. Nevertheless, thanks to the numerous family gatherings presented by the holiday seasons, many of us now have our response practiced and perfected to an intelligent and poised answer giving the questioner exactly what they asked for in 100 words or less. This, my friends, is the art of bullshit, practiced by those that don’t have the slightest idea of what they will be doing after graduation.

For Berkeley seniors in the Psychology Department, career paths seem particularly unclear. What does one do with a B.A. in psychology? Berkeley’s Career Center website displays a broad range of careers recent psychology graduates have pursued, such as: clinical psychology, counseling, advising, practicing medicine or law, and the list goes on.

There seems to be no general direction in the career path of psychology undergrads. So, where, in fact, do psychology undergrads end up? In search for answers to this puzzling question, I went to our very own undergraduate advisor, Andrea Gutierrez in the Psychology Student Services office. While Andrea confirmed that psychology graduates choose a broad range of careers, she also stated that “many psychology majors decide to gain a higher education either by pursuing a Masters in psychology, a Ph.D. or a Psy.D.” Starting with the largest spectrum of career

possibilities, a Ph.D. is intended for those interested in either research or teaching in a university setting. In comparison, the Psy.D., a professional doctorate in clinical psychology, focuses on clinical rather than research experience, and prepares students to be a practitioner.   A Masters in psychology may allow one to teach at a two-year college, and depending on state laws, master’s degree holders may be able to work in clinical or counseling situations.

Once you have chosen your potential career path, however, there are still a variety of options

for the graduated senior. While it is common for students to jump right into graduate programs, taking time off may benefit you in your preparations for graduate school. According to Andrea, a majority of psychology graduates who plan to apply to graduate school take a year or more off to study for the GRE, enhance their resume with hands-on experience, and complete the ap- plication process. In order to enhance a resume or application, a prospective graduate student can conduct research or work in a clinical environment, such as a hospital.

When I asked Andrea if she had any advice for psychology majors applying to graduate school, she replied simply, “Research, lots of research. I believe research is the most important thing to have on an undergraduate school resume. Get involved with a lab as early as possible and stick with it. Grad schools want to see persistence and a specific focus as well as experience in the area of psychology research.” Additionally, I interviewed several other psychology seniors at Berkeley regarding their plans after graduation. I continued to find a broad spectrum of career paths.

One Berkeley senior, Marina Landheer, has decided to take the graduate school route in hopes of becoming a clinical child psychologist. She plans on taking next year off to study for the GRE and apply to Psy.D.

What are Your Plans For

By Hanalise Huffs 1

aFter Graduation?

What Are Your Plans For After Graduation?

“Taking time off may benefit you in your preparations for graduate school.”

22

programs. Another Berkeley senior, Gabe Witkin, has very different ideas for the future. Gabe has simultane- ously been taking pre-med and psychology classes in order to pursue a career in naturalistic medicine.

I also talked to a recent Berkeley psychology undergrad, Rodolfo Cortes, who is now a psychology Ph.D. student at Stanford University. When I asked how his Ph,D. program compares to his undergraduate experience, Rodolfo replied, “Studying psychology as an undergraduate is very different from studying it as a grad student in a Ph.D program in psychology. You have to take the initiative to learn what you want to learn, as there are no textbooks and very little guidelines.” Rodolfo went on to say that the Ph.D in psychology is geared toward preparing students to become professors. Rodolfo did not take time off between his undergradu- ate and graduate experience. Rodolfo mentioned that the quick transition was very stressful; since he not only had to adjust to a new environment, but also to new expectations. Rodolfo emphasized that a Ph.D program is a huge commitment and it is very important to begin this journey when one is motivated and both “intellectually and personally” prepared.

There are many other career options for graduates from the psychology department outside of the realm of academia. Amy Graves, a recent Berkeley psychology graduate, is now working for a firm in San Francisco in the area of communications. A recent graduate from the UCSB’s psychology department, Melissa Toth, is working full time for an SAT tutoring company.

Additionally, Luke Punnakanta, a psychology graduate from UCLA, is taking a year off to apply to law school and work at a union headquarter’s office in Los Angeles.

It is quite clear that the sky is the limit for psychology majors. In pursuit of finding the most common career path of psychology graduates, I have actually found that there is no specific path taken by graduates. Berkeley psych graduates may choose to go to graduate school, whether it is in a psychology related field such as getting a Ph.D., Psy.D., or Masters, or a degree in a separate field such as law or medicine. They may alternatively pursue research, obtain a counseling license or elect to obtain a job in the corporate world. All that to say, an undergraduate education in psychology allows for endless possibilities upon graduation. With a variety of roads at your feet, wherever you decide to take your diploma is up to your choosing.

Photo Credits:1 http://www.scu.edu/sustainability/images/cap-graduation.jpg2 http://www.wpss.ca/services/images/graduates.jpg

2

Volume 1 | Fall 2011

Graduationisoftenatimeofjoyandcelebration.

23 Acknowledgments

Special ThankS To

Professor Dacher KeltnerProfessor Stephen HinshawProfessor Richard IvryProfessor Ann KringProfessor Matthew WalkerProfessor Allison HarveyProfessor Tania LombrozoProfessor Eleanor RoschProfessor Thomas GriffithsAndrea GutierrezZachary RosnerRodolfo CortesMarina LandheerGabe WitkinAmy GravesMelissa TothLuke PunnakantaErin Moran

If you liked Get Psyched!, don’t miss out on any more of the psychology-relat-ed fun we have in store! Find out more about Psychology at Berkeley by visiting our website at http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~ujpb/ or contact berkpsychjour-nal@gmail.com to apply to join our team!

UC Berkeley’s Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (BerkPURC) wasfounded in 2010 by a group of UC Berkeley undergraduate students and continues to be sponsored by the Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley and the U.C. Berkeley Psychology Department. BerkPURC’s mission is to provide a space in which undergraduate students who have completed scientific research in psychology and psychology-related fields can disseminate their findings to the scholarly community at large. This past year, BerkPURC 2011 hosted 130 undergraduate presenters and over 250 attendees from 70 schools, 35 states, and 3 countries; nearly doubling thenumber of presenters and attendees from the previous year. Students interested in helping to organize the third annual BerkPURC conference, which will be held in May 2012, should email Chardee A. Galan and Bella Rivaldi(berkpsychjournal@gmail.com) for more information regarding how toapply for a position on the Board of Directors. For the time being, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Acknowledgements

BerkPURCUC Berkeley’s Psychology

Undergraduate Research Conference

UJPBUndergraduate Journal of

Psychology at Berkeley

The front cover image captures the passion and en-thusiasm that drives psychological research forward, as well as the frustration that befalls those whose re-search-and careers-become obsolete in the process. Wesley Jackson

Brain Teasers

How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one, but the bulb will have to be ready to change.

What did the sign on Pavlov’s lab door say?

Please knock. DON’T ring the bell.

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yourPsych101survey• YouaresickofPatBrown’s• After Psych 130 you diagnose yourself with at least

threementaldisorders• Youseeanadvertisementwithastatisticandwonder

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http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljvs0yyt8O1qzq33yo1_500.png“It’s just a simple Rorschach ink-blot test, Mr. Bromwell, so just calm down and tell me what each one suggests to you.”