Module 4: Job Paths 3

Question 1

What are the main roles and job tasks of an academic?

Answer 1

• Preparing and writing programs of study: designing, validating, delivering programs
  
  • Working with the department
• Teaching: lectures, tutorials and workshops.
  
  • Marking/grading assignments
  • Mentoring
• Research: Generating ideas, testing hypotheses etc.
  
  • Applying for grant schemes
    
    • Australian Research Council = ‘pure’ research
    • National health and medical research council = clinical research
  • Influencing policy debates
  • Publishing and editing papers

Question 2

Give examples of special interest areas in psychology

Answer 2

• The APS lists 48 areas of special interest
• Conservation/Environmental psychology: emphasis on people-environmental relationship
  
  • Effect of zoos on emotion, response to conservation messages
• Comparative psychology: study of non-human species
• Cross-cultural psychology: relationships between cultural context and behaviour
• Positive psychology: approach seeking to understand what makes life good and meaningful
• Military psychology

Question 3

What is Basow’s (2000) five factor model of teaching qualities?

Answer 3

• Scholarship/Knowledge; breadth of knowledge, course content, intellectual challenge
• Organisation/Clarity; Clear expectations, preparation for lectures, presentation, lecturing skills
• Instructor-group interaction; open-minded, encouraging, fairness, feedback, humble, interactive teaching style
• Instructor-individual student interaction; Respectful, approachable, rapport and interest in student learning
• Dynamism/Enthusiam; Innovative teaching style, made learning enjoyable, passionate, assertive, humourous

Question 4

What role did Basow find gender plays in ratings of best teachers?

Answer 4

• Demographic:
  
  • Male Students: More likely to rate male teachers as best
  • Female Students: Ratings reflected proportion of female teachers
• Qualities
  
  • Top two factos were dynamism (more male) and instructor-individual interaction (more female, particular by male students)
  • Male teachers describes using Scholarship/knowledge and in course content
  • Male students more likely to praise openmindeded in women

Question 5

What roles did Basow find gender plays in ratings of worst teachers?

Answer 5

• Demographic: no student gender by teacher gender interaction. Twice as many male teachers nominated as worst
• Characteristics:
  
  • Very low in both expressive-nuturant and active-instrumental traits
  • Male students rated worst women higher on nurturing traits than male
  • male students more likely to describe female as closeminded and male as arrogant
  • Female students rated teaching skills highest, then boring/unethusiastic

Question 6

What three non-traditional career paths are outlined by Davila et al?

Answer 6

• Academics are leaving academia for other research areas
• Research in a Medical Center:
  
  • Preparation: Science-practitioner training, mentors, break down skills, be aware of each step
  • Tips: Choose mentors well, keep doors open, watch everyone, network, be flexible, notice when you are smiling, negotioate up front
• Research in a NonProfit:
  
  • Preparation: science practioner, research experience, clinical training
  • Tips: Understand applied research, balance general and specialised knowledge
• Research in a Tech Start-Up:
  
  • ​Preparation: think big and little, approaching problems, openness to ideas, overcoming challenges
  • Tips: see possibilities, dont be afraid, establish relationships

Question 7

What are some examples of how psychologists can reflect social responsibility?

Answer 7

• Social responsibility = sense of responsibility beyond individual clients

1. Working within industry
2. Honorary or pro-bono work
3. Sitting on advisory panels and committees
4. Supervising trainee psychologists
5. Reseach that aims to be used by others
6. Continuous professional development

Question 8

What are some alternative occupations in mental health and the community?

Answer 8

• Mental Health
  
  • Mental Health Worker: Provide specialist services to those suffering from mild to moderate disorders.
  • School Counsellor: Short and long term counselling for students
  • Occupational Therapist: Assist patients and carers with psychological, physical and social problems
• Community
  
  • Social Worker: work with families and individuals in crisis or isolation
  • Youth Worker: Work with teenages across many difficulties
  • Police Officer: Work with witnesses, investigate, community outreach

Question 9

What are some alternative occupations in education and the private sector?

Answer 9

• Education
  
  • Special Needs Educator: Work in schoold with students with physical, cognitive or psychological problems
  • School Teacher:
  • Research Assistant: Aiding in research for academics, collect data, recruit etc
• Private sector
  
  • HR officer:
  • Recruitment consultant
  • Events Manager

Question 10

What were the results of Maujean’s study on equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP)?

Answer 10

• 12 teenagers had a structured 12 week intervention based on natural horsemanship benefits from
  
  • Motivation and engagement
  • Transferable social skills
  • Psychological growth
  • A sense of mastery
• Results:
  
  • Increased positive mood
  • Increased reporting of own skills and abilities (incl social skills)
  • Increased self worth/confidence
  • Incresed engagement with school
• Mechanisms of change
  
  • Participant-horse connection
  • Rural environment
  • Structured format
  • Program staff

Question 11

What does Kostanski outline as key features of the three pathways of postgraduate psychology qualitifications?

Answer 11

• Masters by Coursework (MPsyc)
  
  • 2 year fulltime, coursework, placement and thesis components
  • Supervised placements are unpaid but cost money for the university
  • Not HECs funded, but HELP assisted
• Professional Doctorate (DPsyc)
  
  • Extension of MPsyc - extended research project, placement, coursework
  • HELP only no HECS
  • No real difference in working life
• Doctor of Philosophy
  
  • Independent long term research project (now limited to 3 years)
  • Scholarships available, or grants so it doesnt cost anything but no living expenses

Question 12

What postgraduate research courses are offered by Monash university?

Answer 12

• Research Degrees
  
  • PhD; PhD in Clinical Psychology or PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology
• Required skills:
  
  • 15 places filled with 200 applicants
  • Aim for 4th year mark, publications and relevant volunteer work experiences
• Specialist areas at Monash:
  
  • Addiction
  • Attention and Memory
  • Clinical Translation
  • Sleep

Question 13

What masters courses are offered through the department of education at monash university?

Answer 13

• All masters courses require proof of provisional registration as a psychologist
• Master of professional psychology; Accredited 5th year for 5+1 pathway
• Master of educational and developmental psychology: 2 year accredited course
• Master of psychology (counselling); 2 year accredited course

Question 14

What are the CPD requirements for psychologists?

Answer 14

• General Registration; requires 30h p.a. of CPD points, 10 of whch are peer consultation.
  
  • Peer consultation = supervision and consultation in a group or individual format incl focus on own practice
  • Recommended 10hrs are “active CPD”; involves active oral, written activities
• More than half CPD points must be relevant to endorsement area if you have one.
• Types of CPD:
  
  • Workshops, seminars, lectures
  • Writing, assessing or analysing journals
  • Producing/analysis of scientific resources

Question 15

What are the advantages of peer support in professional contexts?

Answer 15

• Peer support is a form of psychosocial care
  
  • Peer= your equal, with common experience and expertise
• Peer support groups: educte, socialise, counsel, share resources, solve problems
• Peer-review feedback
  
  • Editorial feedback (structure, format, grammar)
  • Technical Feedback (terminology, methodology)

Question 16

What 6 principles does Bray outline are important to the future of psychology practices?

Answer 16

1. Expand focus of traditional practice: expand from mental health to business, industry and policy
2. Provide Integrated Health Care: Increase collaborate with medical professionals (closer to Aus model)
3. Integrate Technology into practice: providing services via the internte and other telehealth areas
4. Apply Basic and Applied scientific evidence: development of clinical treatment guides and ensure therapeutic relationship is maintained
5. Demonstrate accountability: America should follow Aus in using outcome assessments at routine intervals to justify rebates
6. Meet needs of diverse society: Need to be able to understand and work with cultural differences

Question 17

What 10 growth areas are identified by Bray for psychology?

Answer 17

1. Translational/comparative research
2. Behaviour and climate change research
3. Behavioural aspects of genetic research
4. Applications of human engineering
5. Psych as a STEM discipline
6. Behavioural economics
7. Cognitive neuroscience
8. Computational modeling
9. Data Mining
10. Non-linear methods

Question 18

What are some of the benefits of self-compassion?

Answer 18

• Self criticism; activates fight/flight circuits, makes it harder to focus, leads to rumination, avoidance behaviours
  
  • “Shoot yourself with a 2nd arrow”
• Three elements of self-compassion
  
  • Self-kindness; caring and understanding
  • Common humanity; all humans are imperfect
  • Mindfullness; Be aware but not drawn in by shame and guilt
• Self-compassion v Self-esteem:
  
  • self-esteem is a flawed model since we can’t all be the best

Question 19

What does Glomb et al identify as the key work-related benefits of mindfulness?

Answer 19

• Improved Social Relationships: mindfulness increases empathy and response flexibility by enhancing sensitivity without reactivity
• Increased Resiliency: Through the processes of affective regulation and persistence, mindfulness reduces avoidance behaviours
• Improved Task Performance: maintaining wide attentional breadth
  
  • Reduced cognitive failures and attunement to internal processes
  • Mechanism slightly different depending on emotional load of job