Academia
7 Things I Learned While Doing Undergraduate Research in Psychology
The Unexpected Lessons Beyond Research Methodology and Statistics
I studied psychology as an undergraduate. During my first year, I learned that some of my peers were “doing research” with professors.
I didn’t know what this was, so I decided to email some of my professors to see if I could volunteer as a research assistant.
One eventually agreed, which was the beginning of my journey in research.
Most importantly, working as an undergraduate research assistant taught me about the research process. I learned how to design studies, implement ethical principles, create measures, work with human participants, analyze data, present results at conferences, and prepare manuscripts for academic journals.
Besides these more technical skills, there were some unexpected lessons that I learned from doing research as an undergraduate.
It Will Be Different Than Your Coursework
In my experience, a lot of what I learned in my methods and statistics courses was implicitly used while conducting research with professors.
These concepts were often integrated into the study methodology in an unspoken way.
For instance, one of my duties as a research assistant was to help administer diagnostic tests for Autism Spectrum Disorder. One of these tests incorporated the concept of ceiling/floor effects without explicitly referencing them: the items that were administered depended on responses to previous items. If participants responded in a certain way, they were given easier or more difficult items.
The takeaway is that although research/statistics classes do introduce you to research, the best way to learn is to dive in and work on a project.
Have You Considered Funding?
I didn’t, at least not at first. I assumed that all undergraduate research was unpaid.
But funding is there if you look closely enough.
Or, you may be able to get course credit for conducting research.
Try to get paid for undergraduate research. It’s possible. It’s preferable. It will help you stay focused.
Lab Size
I went from a small social psychology lab where I was working one-on-one with a professor to a huge clinical neuropsychology lab with dozens of clinicians, post-docs, staff members, and students.
When I decided to start doing research as an undergraduate, I didn’t put much thought into the cultural differences of working in a small, medium, or large lab. If you bounce between labs of different sizes, be prepared to be surprised at how things are done differently.
Whenever you join a new lab there will be a logistical learning curve to master.
The Topic Doesn’t (Really) Matter
I think that as long as you remain within your field, you will get something meaningful out of working on a project that you aren’t super interested in.
In other words, you don’t have to immediately love the research topic.
I learned a lot from conducting research in areas that didn’t immediately catch my eye, and I think you will too. As long as you’re working within your field, you will gain transferrable skills and knowledge. Plus, you’ll gain an appreciation for other areas within your field.
Research For Non-Researchers
Even if you don’t plan on pursuing a research career, working on academic research projects is immensely useful for building job-relevant and critical-thinking skills.
Conducting research will teach you about professional writing, data management and analysis, public speaking, meeting deadlines, administration, community outreach, and much more.
As a bonus, it will make your classes easier because you’ll be able to draw from your experiences to better understand what you’re learning in class.
Capstone: Sooner Than Later
I waited until my final semester to take a capstone course, which was an advanced research methods course in which we worked on independent projects, reviewed methods/statistics, and integrated what we learned throughout the psychology major.
If possible, I’d recommend taking a capstone course as soon as possible. It will provide a structured environment to learn about the nuances of research, which will be key for future projects.
It Takes Time
Research takes time. If you’re considering working as an undergraduate research assistant, be ready to have patience at every point of the research process.
Collecting data takes time. Conducting (or learning how to conduct) data analysis takes time. Journal peer review takes time. It will all come together eventually. And when it does it will feel incredible.
In Sum
If you decide to work as an undergraduate research assistant, you’ll learn much more than how to “do research”. Good luck and have fun!
