academic research skills psychology

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Research Skills

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Educational Experience

Research is the basis for practice in Clinical Psychology. Learning to select appropriately, judge critically and use relevant aspects of psychological research is an integral part of training and is one of the profession’s key strengths. The MSc Programme was developed to provide students with the necessary research and other generic skills to allow them to read research reports with critical understanding and to conduct research relevant to the field of Clinical Psychology. The objectives of the research training programme are:

• to familiarise students with the research base of the profession of Clinical Psychology
• to facilitate the development of skills of critical analysis of the research base
• to acquire competence in core aspects of research design and statistical analysis
• to enable students to independently develop, design and execute a research dissertation
• to teach students skills to communicate research findings for different audiences (e.g. presentations, writing papers, press releases).

Core research skills (modules RESM 6009, 6010, 6011 and 6012) are provided in joint teaching sessions with other postgraduate research students in the Psychology AU.

• 1 Data Analysis: training and facilities
• 2 Ethical Issues in Research
• 3 Research Governance
• 4 Disclosure and Barring Service check
• 5 Risk assessment

Data Analysis: training and facilities

Students have access to computing facilities provided by the Programme and by the Department (including site licences for SPSS, for use at home or on placement). Research Co-ordination Research teaching is provided by four members of the Programme team.  The Module Lead for PSY 6022 is responsible for coordinating and supporting  the research activity of students  leading to the submission of the dissertation.  All members of the research team are research active, and members of research groups based within the Department of Psychology .

Ethical Issues in Research

All research projects carried out in the Department of Psychology should meet the BPS requirements for ethical research. No project may be carried out without formal approval from the relevant ethics committee(s); these include the Psychology Ethics’ Committee, Research Governance and, if appropriate, the National Research Ethics Service (NRES). Ethical issues in research are introduced to students in the first year Applied Research Methods training and can be found in the Code of Ethics and Conduct published by the British Psychological Society. Prior to conducting their research dissertation, students are required to obtain approval from the Psychology Ethics Committee and University’s Research Governance Office. Applications are submitted through the on-line portal, Ethics Research Governance Online (ERGO) at: http://www.ergo2.soton.ac.uk/.  Where necessary, applications to NRES should be submitted through the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) (see https://www.myresearchproject.org.uk/ ).

Research Governance

Once an ethical application has been approved by the Department of Psychology, it will be automatically sent electronically to the Research Governance office (RGO). The aim of the RGO is to provide researchers with sponsorship and insurance for their research projects. The University of Southampton stipulates that any member of the university should not carry out research without having received confirmation from the RGO of their sponsorship and insurance.  Further details can be found at: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/corporateservices/rgo/index.html

Disclosure and Barring Service check

DBS check documentation should be attached to any ethics’ application that is for a study that will involve vulnerable populations.

Risk assessment

A completed Risk Assessment form should accompany all submissions to the Psychology Ethics Committee. This form should outline potential risks to researchers and participants. British Psychology Society (BPS) Ethical guidelines and support can be found at:  www.bps.org.uk

National Research Ethics Service (for NHS ethical approval)

If research involves participants or resources linked to the NHS then in addition to going through internal ethics and research governance procedures a further application to the NRES is needed. An NRES application is typically required if the proposed research participants fall into one of the following categories:

• They are patients or users of the NHS
• They are individuals who have some relationship to users of the NHS (such as carers of patients)
• They have access to past or current information about NHS patients (including “data, organs or other bodily material, fetal material and IVF”)
• They have recently died on NHS premises.

Or if the research involves:

• Using NHS facilities or premises
• Using NHS staff.

See  http://www.southampton.ac.uk/corporateservices/rgo/  for regular updates. The National Research Ethics Service also provides guidance on informed consent and research with adults unable to consent http://www.nres.nhs.uk/applications/

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Skills You Need for Psychology

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amanda Tust is a fact-checker, researcher, and writer with a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Prasit Photo/Moment/Getty Images

The skills needed for psychology include communication, problem-solving, research skills, observation, and math. It is also important to have interpersonal skills like empathy and trustworthiness.

When you begin studying psychology , you will need to work on improving your skills in these areas as well as learning your coursework.

This article explores some of the skills that are needed to study psychology and enter the field of psychology after graduation.

Communication

Psychology is all about people, so having strong communication skills is important. If you are interested in pursuing a future career in mental health, you will need to be able to interact with people experiencing a wide range of psychological, emotional, and social problems.

Psychologists should be able to talk to their clients in a clear, understandable way. They should be able to speak with compassion and tact and they should be active listeners. 

Even if you plan to become a research scientist, you will need to rely on your communication skills to convey information in both written and verbal form.

Communication skills like knowing how to cope with and resolve conflict and how to comfort someone experiencing a crisis can be particularly important when pursuing a career in psychology.

Research Skills

As a psychology student, you are going to be spending a tremendous amount of time doing research. This might involve performing literature reviews on different topics or collecting data for your own experiments.

Strong research skills are vital. Psychology students receive a great deal of training on topics such as research methods. Through your psychology courses, you will learn the basics of the scientific method, various research methods used in psychology, as well as how to conduct psychology experiments .

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is an important skill for psychologists. It is used when assessing symptoms and making a diagnosis, but it is also important for developing an effective treatment plan.

Research scientists also need problem-solving skills when asking research questions and conducting experiments.

Observation

Psychologists need to have good skills of observation. The ability to notice and interpret body language, patterns of behavior, word choice, and other subtle clues can be extremely important when working with clients.

Psychology students need to be able to interpret data , understand probabilities and correlations , and know how to perform a range of different statistical calculations.

Even if you have a limited background in mathematics, this doesn't mean that psychology is off-limits. During the undergraduate years, most students are required to take several math classes to fulfill both general education and program requirements. This is a great opportunity to brush up on your numeracy skills and discover how psychologists use statistics to perform research and understand data.

Interpersonal Skills

Psychologists work closely with people from all kinds of backgrounds. The ability to show empathy and to listen without judgment is extremely important when working with clients. As a psychologist, you need to be able to empathize with people with life experiences that are very different from yours, including people of other ethnicities, cultural and religious backgrounds, and gender identities.

The ability to show empathy is closely tied to trustworthiness. A client needs to feel that they can trust you with sensitive details about their personal and emotional life and that you will only use that information in the interests of their health and well-being.

Study Skills

Doing well in your psychology classes requires excellent study skills . Juggling a full course load of complex classes that require lots of reading and contain an abundance of information means that you will need to rely on stellar study habits. These skills can include such things as spacing out your study sessions and taking good class notes .

You might have already developed some great study habits in high school. However, the transition to college life sometimes makes it difficult to maintain those good habits. One way to remedy this problem is to enroll in a study skills class or look for tutoring assistance offered through your university or your school's psychology department.

Psychology can be a fun, challenging, and fascinating subject. Having the right skills can help you succeed. If you love the subject, don’t be afraid to dive in and start working on some of the skills it will take to succeed as a psychology major.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Psychological Research MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

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Join us online on the 19th June or 26th June to learn more about studying and researching at Edinburgh.

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Programme description

This programme provides an opportunity for intensive advanced training in psychological research while giving you flexibility to select courses in the areas of psychology and cognitive neuroscience of most interest to you.

In addition to advanced training in general academic skills and statistical modelling, you will be trained in a variety of specific methodologies, typically including:

• brain imaging
• neurodisruption
• eyetracking
• clinical case analysis
• psychometric modelling
• discourse analysis

Key research areas

Building on the research methods training, you will take topical courses in one or more of the core research areas of our department: social psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, individual differences, psychology of language, and human development.

Your MSc culminates in a research dissertation in a core research area: an original, publication-quality piece of research, undertaken in close collaboration with researchers in the relevant group.

Psychology is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

What will I learn?

You will take courses on the theoretical and methodological aspects of psychological science and conduct an original research dissertation in your area of interest.

You will receive thorough training in advanced academic skills and research methods within psychology, including a comprehensive coverage of statistical modelling and research design using the R statistical language.

Is this MSc for me?

This programme teaches you core research methods and specialist techniques, and you can flexibly choose optional courses to customise your learning in areas you are most passionate about.

It provides excellent preparation for further psychological research, whether you choose to pursue this in a professional setting or as part of a PhD programme. So whether you want to continue in academic research or move into professional training in psychology, this programme is for you.

Reputation, relevance and employability

The University of Edinburgh has a long tradition of research expertise in psychological research. Our large Psychology department is home to academics leading research in the field.

You will benefit from the breadth and strength of the interdisciplinary academic community at Edinburgh, having the opportunity to select option courses and attend research seminars across different disciplines.

Our students’ research projects are often published in academic or professional journals.

Our programme has an excellent reputation amongst employers and educators. Many of our graduates have gone onto PhD training and academic careers, or advanced professional training in psychology.

We maintain close contacts with professional organisations such as the British Psychological Society (BPS).

• Find out more about our community

The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is home to a large, supportive and active student community, hosting events and activities you can join in with throughout the year. As a postgraduate student, you will have access to a range of research resources and projects, state of the art facilities, research, seminars and reading groups.

Programme structure

This programme comprises two semesters of taught core and optional courses followed by a dissertation.

The taught courses and their assessments take place between September and December (Semester 1) and January and April (Semester 2). Planning for the dissertation will take place before April, and it is carried out between April and August.

Core courses

The core courses cover advanced research skills (how to plan for, conduct, publish and communicate research), statistics and qualitative research methods, and provide a grounding in computer programming using the R language.

Semester 1 core courses

• Psychological Research Skills - General advanced research methodology
• Univariate Statistics and Methodology using R - Introduction to R and statistical models

Semester 2 core courses

• Multivariate Statistics and Methodology using R – Advanced statistical modelling
• Qualitative Methodologies in Psychological Research Methods

Optional courses

The optional course can be selected to tailor the programme to your interests. These are normally selected from the core research areas of Psychology, but may also be selected from associated areas such as linguistics or informatics. Examples of optional courses are:

• Brain Imaging in Cognitive Neuroscience
• Clinical Neuropsychology
• Psychology of Language
• Neuroscience of Language
• Applied Psychometrics
• Any other course open to MSc students subject to approval from the programme director

Dissertation

The dissertation involves conducting an empirical research project in close collaboration with an expert supervisor, sometimes also working with fellow MSc students.

You will produce a written report, similar to an academic journal article. Indeed, some dissertations are published as journal articles.

You should liaise with potential supervisors and determine your choice of topic in the months before April. It is useful to start thinking about dissertation topics and supervisors early if possible. The empirical work and writing takes place between April and August and it is due in August.

The dissertation can be based on data collected by the student or existing datasets (e.g., from large cohort studies, biobanks or other projects).

How will I learn?

Most courses are taught through lectures, and some include seminars/tutorials and practical sessions. The number of contact hours and the teaching format will depend to some extent on the option courses chosen.

After classes finish in April, you will spend all your time working independently on coursework, exam revision and on your dissertation. When you carry out your supervised dissertation research, you will receive guidance from your supervisor through one-to-one meetings, comments on written work and email communication.

Learning outcomes

This programme provides you with a range of knowledge and skills to prepare you for a variety of career paths. On successful completion of this programme, you will have gained:

• an understanding of advanced topics, methodologies and issues in the areas of psychological science that are of most interest to you
• an understanding of the basic and advanced principles of research design and application
• competency in applying a range of methods and research tools, including statistical models and programming
• skills in research management, including managing data and conducting and disseminating research in ways consistent with both professional practice and the normal principles of research ethics
• transferable skills in written and verbal communication, group and teamwork, computing, programming and numeracy, time and project management
• the ability to work as an independent researcher and as part of a team

Career opportunities

The programme is primarily designed for students who aspire to pursue a research-oriented career in psychological science. However, students interested in careers outside research will obtain a broad range of highly desirable transferable skills applicable to a wide range of modern jobs, such as:

• research design
• data science
• data management and processing
• critical evaluation and synthesis of scientific literature
• statistical modelling and interpretation
• synthesis and communication of complex ideas
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We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

Important application information

Your application and personal statement allow us to make sure that you and your chosen MSc are good matches for each other, and that you will have a productive and successful year at Edinburgh.

We strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. You should avoid applying to more than one degree. Applicants who can demonstrate their understanding and commitment to a specific programme are preferred. If you plan to apply to more than one programme, you should discuss your choices with us before you submit your application.

Personal statements

When applying you should include a personal statement detailing your academic abilities and your reasons for applying for the programme

The personal statement helps us decide whether you are right for the MSc programme you have selected, but just as importantly, it helps us decide whether the MSc programme is right for you.

Your personal statement should include:

• What makes this particular MSc programme interesting for you?
• What are the most important things you want to gain from the MSc programme?
• The key courses you have taken and that are relevant for this specific programme.
• Your experience with collecting empirical data (e.g., preparing and carrying out experiments, surveys or interviews).
• Your experience with statistical analysis and programming or qualitative research methods.
• Your experience with writing empirical research reports (including any that have been published).
• Any other information which you feel will help us ensure that you are a good match to your intended MSc programme.

A good personal statement can make a big difference to the admissions process as it may be the only opportunity to explain why you are an ideal candidate for the programme.

You will be asked to add contact details for your referees. We will email them with information on how to upload their reference directly to your online application. Alternatively, they can email their comments to:

• [email protected]

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

• How to apply

Psychology at Edinburgh

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in psychology or a related discipline.

We may also consider candidates with a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a non-psychology subject if they can demonstrate evidence of their aptitude for research or research methods.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding.

There are a number of highly competitive scholarships and funding options available to MSc students.

Deadlines for funding applications vary for each funding source - please make sure to check the specific deadlines for the funding opportunities you wish to apply for and make sure that you submit your application in good time.

• Drever Trust Scholarship

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• PPLS Postgraduate Office
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5002
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Director, Prof Martin Corley
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 6682
• Contact: [email protected]
• Dugald Stewart Building
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• Central Campus
• School: Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Awards: MSc (12 mth FT, 24 mth PT)

Application deadlines

This MSc programme operates a gathered field approach to applications. This means that all complete applications which meet our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline at which point the Admissions Panel will meet to consider all applications received at this time.

Gathered field deadlines for this programme are as follows:

Applications submitted after the deadline date will unfortunately not be considered.

Please read through the ‘Important application information’ section on this page before applying.

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Skills of a Psychology Major

This article retrieved from the APA web site and was originally published in the 1997 Monitor

The distinctive skills of a psychology graduate Securing a good job requires knowing what skills you have to offer.

By Nicky Hayes, PhD

T he following excerpt from the European Psychologist provides a list of the skills psychology students develop through their training—a list they can use to better market themselves.

Psychology students' general orientation towards psychology usually reflects the orientation of the staff in their department, and of psychology as practiced in their country. But despite differences in the kind of information students receive, there is a great deal that psychology graduates have in common. The study of psychology, in itself, produces a particular type of awareness and some core knowledge that is shared by most, if not all, psychologists. In the list that follows, I have attempted to identify some of that shared awareness, by naming 13 different types of skill or knowledge that a psychology student is likely to acquire by graduation . One of the important factors that makes psychology special is not the psychological skills themselves, which are often relevant to other disciplines as well, nor the specific items of knowledge. It is the sheer number of skills and range of knowledge that makes psychology special. Psychology is distinctive in that it equips its graduates with an extremely rich and diverse portfolio—providing a variety of forms of expertise, which are found in few other disciplines and which can equip psychology graduates to undertake many different types of work.

• Literacy Psychology graduates are highly literate and, moreover, have been trained to write in more than one literacy format. Through their coursework, they become accustomed to writing essays, which allow them to explore issues in detail; but they are also familiarized with the techniques of concise writing within a pre-set format (a skill much valued in commercial and business worlds) as they write up practical research reports.
• Numeracy Psychology graduates are also highly numerate. They are trained to interpret data summaries and to understand probability statements, and they become familiar with a wide range of statistical procedures and processes. When faced with numerical information, they are more likely to respond by seeking to discover what the numbers imply than by avoiding them altogether. By contrast, it is relatively uncommon for degree courses in other disciplines to produce graduates who are simultaneously literate and numerate, yet the psychology graduate is expected to be both.
• Computer literacy Psychology graduates are also generally computer literate. They are familiar with using computers, and can select and learn relevant packages for the tasks they are required to carry out. While relatively few psychology graduates are familiar with computer programming, computer use is required in the modern world, and it is a rare psychology graduate who has not had some training in this area, at the very least in word-processing and statistical analysis.
• Information-finding skills It is sometimes more useful to know where information can be found than to have memorized that information directly, particularly in areas that are developing and changing over time. Undertaking a psychology degree involves a considerable amount of information-finding skill. Psychology students are trained to search through library book collections, journals, CD-ROM databases and a range of other ways of obtaining information. Knowing how to look for information on a particular topic or general area isn't a skill needed for every job, but it is always one worth having.
• Research skills Psychology students are explicitly trained in research methods, and this training spans a range of different techniques. Typically, these include experimental and observational methods, survey and sampling techniques, and more recently, qualitative analysis. Together, these amount to considerable expertise in gathering systematic information about human experience or behavior-expertise that is useful in any number of different fields.
• Measurement skills Measurement skills go hand-in-hand with research skills, and psychology graduates are thoroughly trained in these as well. Through a typical research-methods course, a psychology student learns how to operationalize the measurement of complex process, the principles of psychometric measurement, questionnaire design and how to develop other measurement tools. These skills are familiar to psychology graduates, and are distinctly useful in many walks of life, but they are not easy skills to acquire without explicit training.
• Environmental awareness Knowing how someone's environment can influence their behavior helps us to understand people at work, at home, in education and at leisure. Psychology graduates are familiar with this type of knowledge in many guises, from traditional stimulus-response perspectives to the direct study of the environment, including such phenomena as nonverbal signaling, habit formation and social appropriateness. Many nonpsychologists do not particularly notice environmental factors, yet few psychology graduates are unaware of their importance.
• Interpersonal awareness Psychology students also learn about the mechanisms of social communication and the potential sources of interpersonal conflict. This is not the same as being socially skilled oneself, of course, although it can contribute to it. But such awareness can make a considerable difference to someone dealing with everyday interpersonal problems. Being aware, too, of the sources of conflict or misunderstanding can sometimes result in the ability to perceive ways through difficulties that would not be readily apparent without such knowledge.
• Problem-solving skills From their very first laboratory class, psychology graduates are systematically trained in problem-solving skills. The ability to tackle a range of different types of problems is probably the most distinctive characteristic of the psychology graduate. Psychology graduates learn how to apply different strategies and approaches to understanding problems, and how to identify the practical steps to implement a solution. They can operate on a macro-level, applying different perspectives or levels of analysis to the problem, or at a more basic level in terms of choosing appropriate methods and techniques. It is a valuable skill, and one that psychologists should be more aware of.
• Critical evaluation Psychology students are also explicitly trained in critical evaluation, an emphasis that appears to be particularly strong in Europe. This set of cognitive skills can be viewed as direct training in skepticism: Students are expected to appraise whether evidence for a phenomenon is really what it appears to be; to evaluate, critically, the quality of an argument; to identify the shortcomings and pitfalls of a particular line of action; and to anticipate problems or difficulties. These skills are often devalued by psychology graduates, who sometimes complain that everything that they have learned seems to be negative, yet that same skepticism can be extremely useful to them in their later working life.
• Perspectives On the surface, the ability to examine issues from multiple points of view or to explore phenomena using different schools of thought appears to be a relatively esoteric one. However, it is a skill that can be surprisingly useful in many different contexts. The ability to identify different ideologies or paradigms can clarify social issues and give us a better awareness of the implications of particular arguments or positions. Psychology graduates are directly trained in this skill, but they often do not realize how valuable it can be.
• Higher-order analysis Psychology graduates are skilled at spotting recurrent patterns in human activity, or noticing similarities between situations that seem on the surface to be quite different. This type of higher-order analysis involves being able to extract general principles rather than becoming bogged down with the details of the immediate situation. The psychology student's experience of sifting through vast quantities of experimental evidence and interpreting it in terms of schools of thought and other general principles provides useful training in this skill.
• Pragmatism It does not take much exposure to psychological methodology for psychology students to realize they are never going to achieve the perfect experiment, and that they will simply have to do the best they can with what is practical. Their experiences in this respect tend to give the psychology graduate a pragmatic approach to work and problem-solving: a valuable skill, and one that is not particularly common.

It will be apparent, I think, that this portfolio of skills is one that can be valuable for many types of work apart from the profession of psychology itself. But this is not the whole story. As John Radford argues, psychology provides its students with an extensive education, training them in thinking and reasoning skills, and encouraging the student to explore a broad range of ideas and assumptions. In the old-fashioned sense, studying psychology can be seen as a liberal education, as well as a modern training. It is far more than simply a skill-based training for professional work—it is an education in its own right. Unfortunately, psychologists themselves often fail to recognize what skills they actually have, or find it very difficult to articulate what these are. As sports psychologists have long recognized, expertise is not a primarily conscious process: It involves deeply learned, automated routines, which come into play at the appropriate times without conscious decision-making on the part of the person concerned. Psychological knowledge has a tendency to become very deeply internalized and once this has happened, it is hard for an individual psychologist to recognize that knowledge, and to realize when they are applying it.

Undertaking a psychology degree can generate distinctive approaches to social and interpersonal issues, yet many psychology graduates leave their courses believing they are no more perceptive or knowledgeable than other people. They do not feel knowledgeable, partly because their knowledge is automatized rather than conscious, and partly because one of the things they have learned is not to accept 'knowledge' without question. On the other hand, a psychology graduate venturing into the outside world is often surprised at how other people appear to overlook the obvious. The style of thinking that one acquires while studying for a psychology degree may feel intuitively obvious, but it actually involves a long and arduous process of discarding prior assumptions. And those automatized skills are a vital contribution to the psychologist's problem-solving abilities. Becoming aware of what we have learned through a psychology degree is made even more difficult by the way that many of the cognitive skills that we acquire from the study of psychology are negative rather than positive, such as the skill of not immediately jumping to conclusions, and of reserving judgment about alternative possibilities. Psychology students quickly learn that a single event can be usefully conceptualized in several alternative ways, and that there may be multiple psychological origins for a given problem. This is a valuable cognitive skill, but it is one that is relatively uncommon in lay cognition. A psychology degree, then, is actually rather special. Psychology integrates areas of knowledge that span the arts and the sciences, and in the process it provides students with a liberal education, as well as a particularly wide range of practical and professional skills. The automatized skills that psychology provides are often difficult to articulate, but they are nonetheless significant. It would be not a bad thing, in my view, if some serious psychological research were to be devoted to the identification and measurement of these distinctive but elusive skills.

Nicky Hayes, PhD, is Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom, and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She specializes in the teaching and learning of psychology. Her current research is on student revision practices and social representations in organizations.

This article was excerpted from the June 1996 issue of the European Psychologist (Vol. 1, No. 2, p. 130_34), published by Hogrefe & Huber Publishers. To subscribe to the European Psychologist, contact APA's Subscription Department, (202) 336-5500.

Case Study Research Method in Psychology

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

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Case studies are in-depth investigations of a person, group, event, or community. Typically, data is gathered from various sources using several methods (e.g., observations & interviews).

The case study research method originated in clinical medicine (the case history, i.e., the patient’s personal history). In psychology, case studies are often confined to the study of a particular individual.

The information is mainly biographical and relates to events in the individual’s past (i.e., retrospective), as well as to significant events that are currently occurring in his or her everyday life.

The case study is not a research method, but researchers select methods of data collection and analysis that will generate material suitable for case studies.

Freud (1909a, 1909b) conducted very detailed investigations into the private lives of his patients in an attempt to both understand and help them overcome their illnesses.

This makes it clear that the case study is a method that should only be used by a psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist, i.e., someone with a professional qualification.

There is an ethical issue of competence. Only someone qualified to diagnose and treat a person can conduct a formal case study relating to atypical (i.e., abnormal) behavior or atypical development.

 Famous Case Studies

• Anna O – One of the most famous case studies, documenting psychoanalyst Josef Breuer’s treatment of “Anna O” (real name Bertha Pappenheim) for hysteria in the late 1800s using early psychoanalytic theory.
• Little Hans – A child psychoanalysis case study published by Sigmund Freud in 1909 analyzing his five-year-old patient Herbert Graf’s house phobia as related to the Oedipus complex.
• Bruce/Brenda – Gender identity case of the boy (Bruce) whose botched circumcision led psychologist John Money to advise gender reassignment and raise him as a girl (Brenda) in the 1960s.
• Genie Wiley – Linguistics/psychological development case of the victim of extreme isolation abuse who was studied in 1970s California for effects of early language deprivation on acquiring speech later in life.
• Phineas Gage – One of the most famous neuropsychology case studies analyzes personality changes in railroad worker Phineas Gage after an 1848 brain injury involving a tamping iron piercing his skull.

Clinical Case Studies

• Studying the effectiveness of psychotherapy approaches with an individual patient
• Assessing and treating mental illnesses like depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD
• Neuropsychological cases investigating brain injuries or disorders

Child Psychology Case Studies

• Studying psychological development from birth through adolescence
• Cases of learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD
• Effects of trauma, abuse, deprivation on development

Types of Case Studies

• Explanatory case studies : Used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. Helpful for doing qualitative analysis to explain presumed causal links.
• Exploratory case studies : Used to explore situations where an intervention being evaluated has no clear set of outcomes. It helps define questions and hypotheses for future research.
• Descriptive case studies : Describe an intervention or phenomenon and the real-life context in which it occurred. It is helpful for illustrating certain topics within an evaluation.
• Multiple-case studies : Used to explore differences between cases and replicate findings across cases. Helpful for comparing and contrasting specific cases.
• Intrinsic : Used to gain a better understanding of a particular case. Helpful for capturing the complexity of a single case.
• Collective : Used to explore a general phenomenon using multiple case studies. Helpful for jointly studying a group of cases in order to inquire into the phenomenon.

Where Do You Find Data for a Case Study?

There are several places to find data for a case study. The key is to gather data from multiple sources to get a complete picture of the case and corroborate facts or findings through triangulation of evidence. Most of this information is likely qualitative (i.e., verbal description rather than measurement), but the psychologist might also collect numerical data.

1. Primary sources

• Interviews – Interviewing key people related to the case to get their perspectives and insights. The interview is an extremely effective procedure for obtaining information about an individual, and it may be used to collect comments from the person’s friends, parents, employer, workmates, and others who have a good knowledge of the person, as well as to obtain facts from the person him or herself.
• Observations – Observing behaviors, interactions, processes, etc., related to the case as they unfold in real-time.
• Documents & Records – Reviewing private documents, diaries, public records, correspondence, meeting minutes, etc., relevant to the case.

2. Secondary sources

• News/Media – News coverage of events related to the case study.
• Academic articles – Journal articles, dissertations etc. that discuss the case.
• Government reports – Official data and records related to the case context.
• Books/films – Books, documentaries or films discussing the case.

3. Archival records

Searching historical archives, museum collections and databases to find relevant documents, visual/audio records related to the case history and context.

Public archives like newspapers, organizational records, photographic collections could all include potentially relevant pieces of information to shed light on attitudes, cultural perspectives, common practices and historical contexts related to psychology.

4. Organizational records

Organizational records offer the advantage of often having large datasets collected over time that can reveal or confirm psychological insights.

Of course, privacy and ethical concerns regarding confidential data must be navigated carefully.

However, with proper protocols, organizational records can provide invaluable context and empirical depth to qualitative case studies exploring the intersection of psychology and organizations.

• Organizational/industrial psychology research : Organizational records like employee surveys, turnover/retention data, policies, incident reports etc. may provide insight into topics like job satisfaction, workplace culture and dynamics, leadership issues, employee behaviors etc.
• Clinical psychology : Therapists/hospitals may grant access to anonymized medical records to study aspects like assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans etc. This could shed light on clinical practices.
• School psychology : Studies could utilize anonymized student records like test scores, grades, disciplinary issues, and counseling referrals to study child development, learning barriers, effectiveness of support programs, and more.

How do I Write a Case Study in Psychology?

Follow specified case study guidelines provided by a journal or your psychology tutor. General components of clinical case studies include: background, symptoms, assessments, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Interpreting the information means the researcher decides what to include or leave out. A good case study should always clarify which information is the factual description and which is an inference or the researcher’s opinion.

1. Introduction

• Provide background on the case context and why it is of interest, presenting background information like demographics, relevant history, and presenting problem.
• Compare briefly to similar published cases if applicable. Clearly state the focus/importance of the case.

2. Case Presentation

• Describe the presenting problem in detail, including symptoms, duration,and impact on daily life.
• Include client demographics like age and gender, information about social relationships, and mental health history.
• Describe all physical, emotional, and/or sensory symptoms reported by the client.
• Use patient quotes to describe the initial complaint verbatim. Follow with full-sentence summaries of relevant history details gathered, including key components that led to a working diagnosis.
• Summarize clinical exam results, namely orthopedic/neurological tests, imaging, lab tests, etc. Note actual results rather than subjective conclusions. Provide images if clearly reproducible/anonymized.
• Clearly state the working diagnosis or clinical impression before transitioning to management.

3. Management and Outcome

• Indicate the total duration of care and number of treatments given over what timeframe. Use specific names/descriptions for any therapies/interventions applied.
• Present the results of the intervention,including any quantitative or qualitative data collected.
• For outcomes, utilize visual analog scales for pain, medication usage logs, etc., if possible. Include patient self-reports of improvement/worsening of symptoms. Note the reason for discharge/end of care.

4. Discussion

• Analyze the case, exploring contributing factors, limitations of the study, and connections to existing research.
• Analyze the effectiveness of the intervention,considering factors like participant adherence, limitations of the study, and potential alternative explanations for the results.
• Identify any questions raised in the case analysis and relate insights to established theories and current research if applicable. Avoid definitive claims about physiological explanations.
• Offer clinical implications, and suggest future research directions.

5. Additional Items

• Thank specific assistants for writing support only. No patient acknowledgments.
• References should directly support any key claims or quotes included.
• Use tables/figures/images only if substantially informative. Include permissions and legends/explanatory notes.
• Provides detailed (rich qualitative) information.
• Provides insight for further research.
• Permitting investigation of otherwise impractical (or unethical) situations.

Case studies allow a researcher to investigate a topic in far more detail than might be possible if they were trying to deal with a large number of research participants (nomothetic approach) with the aim of ‘averaging’.

Because of their in-depth, multi-sided approach, case studies often shed light on aspects of human thinking and behavior that would be unethical or impractical to study in other ways.

Research that only looks into the measurable aspects of human behavior is not likely to give us insights into the subjective dimension of experience, which is important to psychoanalytic and humanistic psychologists.

Case studies are often used in exploratory research. They can help us generate new ideas (that might be tested by other methods). They are an important way of illustrating theories and can help show how different aspects of a person’s life are related to each other.

The method is, therefore, important for psychologists who adopt a holistic point of view (i.e., humanistic psychologists ).

Limitations

• Lacking scientific rigor and providing little basis for generalization of results to the wider population.
• Researchers’ own subjective feelings may influence the case study (researcher bias).
• Difficult to replicate.
• Time-consuming and expensive.
• The volume of data, together with the time restrictions in place, impacted the depth of analysis that was possible within the available resources.

Because a case study deals with only one person/event/group, we can never be sure if the case study investigated is representative of the wider body of “similar” instances. This means the conclusions drawn from a particular case may not be transferable to other settings.

Because case studies are based on the analysis of qualitative (i.e., descriptive) data , a lot depends on the psychologist’s interpretation of the information she has acquired.

This means that there is a lot of scope for Anna O , and it could be that the subjective opinions of the psychologist intrude in the assessment of what the data means.

For example, Freud has been criticized for producing case studies in which the information was sometimes distorted to fit particular behavioral theories (e.g., Little Hans ).

This is also true of Money’s interpretation of the Bruce/Brenda case study (Diamond, 1997) when he ignored evidence that went against his theory.

Breuer, J., & Freud, S. (1895).  Studies on hysteria . Standard Edition 2: London.

Curtiss, S. (1981). Genie: The case of a modern wild child .

Diamond, M., & Sigmundson, K. (1997). Sex Reassignment at Birth: Long-term Review and Clinical Implications. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , 151(3), 298-304

Freud, S. (1909a). Analysis of a phobia of a five year old boy. In The Pelican Freud Library (1977), Vol 8, Case Histories 1, pages 169-306

Freud, S. (1909b). Bemerkungen über einen Fall von Zwangsneurose (Der “Rattenmann”). Jb. psychoanal. psychopathol. Forsch ., I, p. 357-421; GW, VII, p. 379-463; Notes upon a case of obsessional neurosis, SE , 10: 151-318.

Harlow J. M. (1848). Passage of an iron rod through the head.  Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 39 , 389–393.

Harlow, J. M. (1868).  Recovery from the Passage of an Iron Bar through the Head .  Publications of the Massachusetts Medical Society. 2  (3), 327-347.

Money, J., & Ehrhardt, A. A. (1972).  Man & Woman, Boy & Girl : The Differentiation and Dimorphism of Gender Identity from Conception to Maturity. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Money, J., & Tucker, P. (1975). Sexual signatures: On being a man or a woman.

Further Information

• Case Study Approach
• Case Study Method
• Enhancing the Quality of Case Studies in Health Services Research
• “We do things together” A case study of “couplehood” in dementia
• Using mixed methods for evaluating an integrative approach to cancer care: a case study

Related Articles

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Qualitative Data Coding

What Is a Focus Group?

Cross-Cultural Research Methodology In Psychology

What Is Internal Validity In Research?

Research Methodology , Statistics

What Is Face Validity In Research? Importance & How To Measure

Criterion Validity: Definition & Examples

Academic Problems and Skills

Learning Problem, Learning Skill

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Every school wants every child under its charge to receive the same educational opportunities. However, some students develop academic problems that may cause them to underachieve and, in extreme cases, drop out of school entirely. These problems include confusion about or disinterest in a subject, time management (including procrastination ), lack of attention from teachers, bullying , and inappropriate or violent behavior toward others. While many academic problems can be resolved if caught early and tackled with the help of professionals, some difficulties can persist for years, wreaking havoc on the student’s self-esteem and social relationships.

Conversely, academic skills can be protective influences for students, driving them to achieve their goals . Examples include staying organized, using time wisely, prioritizing effectively, concentrating on tasks, and keeping motivated. With all of the responsibilities that students need to manage at school and at home, these abilities are essential to their success.

• Signs and Causes of Trouble
• School and Mental Health
• Academic Strengths

Teachers and parents are often the first line of defense against academic problems. They should be attuned to any changes in the child’s behavior—such as a drop in grades, a sudden lack of interest in the classroom or at home, skipping classes, or a tendency to act out with teachers or peers or family members. These behaviors may signify an underlying cause that needs to be addressed. It’s important for adults to identify any contributing factors of trouble. A person’s physical health can have a powerful effect on academic performance, and vice versa. If adults see concerning behavior, they should find out if the student is experiencing a lack of sleep, poor nutrition , chronic illness , or a newly developed loss of vision or hearing.

Academic problems can also indicate a possible learning disability, such as  dyslexia  or  ADHD . In such cases, student performance may benefit from school accommodations, such as extra time on tests or additional visual or auditory learning aids for lessons. Parents may also want to consider whether there is a better fit for their child, including  placement in a special education classroom  with fewer students and specially trained staff.

Children and teens are more anxious than ever before. Risk factors like poor sleep and exposure to violence are on the rise. Parents and school personnel  need to know  how to identify the warning signs, deploying intervention immediately to prevent at-risk students from harming themselves and others.

Trouble at school can be both a symptom and a risk factor of mental health conditions. Students today are under extraordinary pressure to excel at academics and extracurriculars, leading to massive stress and worry. When students feel like they cannot measure up to these high and unfair standards, they may develop problems ranging from general anxiety to depression to thoughts of suicide .

Students also have to cope with greater insecurity and a feeling that the world is less safe, given the rise of political instability and violence at schools, particularly mass shootings . This can cause great emotional upset and make it difficult to perform at peak levels.

Ordinary disciplinary measures increase aggression in students. And in turn, this increases everyday violence. Students and teachers are on edge. Plus, anxiety about the possibility of a school shooting is common among students, parents, and school staff, despite the additional safety precautions that many schools are taking.

Students can build up resilience to the stress and anxiety they feel daily in several ways. They can cultivate strong relationships with their peers and teachers and look for opportunities to maximize their strengths as well as engage with the school community. They should also pay attention to their bodies and understand the importance of self-care—getting enough rest, hydrating, eating healthy foods, and exercising. 

Healthy ways to address these fears include making sure students have accurate information, keeping an open line of communication, asking questions rather than making statements, discussing emotions in an age-appropriate manner, and having students describe what would make them feel safer. 

Students who are confident and successful in school tend to share particular academic strengths. While some of these skills may come more easily than others, with time and attention, students can build up their proficiency in most of these areas. Not only do colleges and universities look for these qualities when considering applicants, but they also will serve people well as they transition into the workforce and adult life. Important academic strengths include:

Attention to Detail: Someone with this strength is able to follow instructions while making fewer mistakes. They find it easier to focus on the task at hand and complete an assignment.

Cognitive Flexibility: The most successful students are cognitively flexible and able to adapt to new challenges and changes. A flexible mind moves from task to task, applying what was previously learned to new contexts and problems.

Communication: Humans are social by nature and communicating well, both orally and in writing, is crucial. The ability to clarify goals and expectations furthers cooperation .

Creativity : Innovation and the ability to think more abstractly are in high demand both academically and professionally. Creative thinkers generate great works of art as well as smart solutions to modern problems. Technology evolves daily and creativity is a valuable strength.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Over time, students may forget the details of what they formally studied. However, the ability to think critically allows one to learn efficiently, identify problems, find solutions, evaluate progress, and make plans for the future.

Organization: Students must juggle competing demands, including school assignments, exams, extracurricular activities, family obligations, relationships, and more. Planning ahead, stating clear goals, prioritizing tasks, and managing time can help organizational skills.

Passion: Being thoroughly engaged in a subject can be a powerful motivation for students. A person who is curious and enthusiastic shows a commitment to learning, a positive quality that stands out.

Resilience : Even the best students face academic challenges. After a failure, the resilient learn from their failures and bounce back. They persevere and overcome new obstacles readily.

Experts are warning that the problem of out-of-control technology continues to grow in alarming ways. Here are 8 ways parents can protect their children.

College students aren't reading anymore, unless you count texts, tweets, and social media comments (but I don't and here's why).

Neurodiversity has become a buzzword on college campuses as more and more students and faculty identify as neurodivergent. How are colleges meeting this need?

Pop psychology often simplifies or misconstrues psychological concepts to the point of nonrecognition.

What can patients do to take charge of schizophrenia?

As today's graduates step into a world of unprecedented advancements, recruiters from destructive groups are waiting to lure the best and the brightest of them.

Pediatricians make careers out of watching kids develop. We know a child's emotional life and behaviors can impact lifelong academic success. Here is why SEL makes sense.

Students often feel stuck at the beginning of their research projects; here is a strategy to keep moving forward.

A Personal Perspective: People, including psychologists, are drawn to topics relevant to issues in their own lives. But is this the primary force driving psychological research?

A riveting new book examines the history—and price—of exposing corruption in medical research.

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Student Research Symposium strengthens skills for Psychology majors

In April, the Psychology department held their Annual Student Research Symposium for undergraduate students to present research and strengthen communication skills through poster presentations and brief talks.

“We want all of our students to have oral presentation skills and be able to communicate science effectively to people who may not be science-minded or experts in the field,” said Robyn Kondrad, associate professor of psychology. “Doing posters and doing talks are both experiences that are a wonderful way for students to gain those professional skills,” Kondrad said.

Five groups gave brief talks with slide show presentations to an audience of peers and faculty members on various topics in psychology, including gender, relationships, and mental health.

“It takes a lot of courage,” Kondrad said. “You’re standing up in front of a lot of people all at once with a microphone.”

Four groups of students presented posters on field placement, internship, or practicum experiences in local agencies. Twenty-nine groups of students presented on research endeavors. Many of the students who presented posters at the symposium work with faculty members as assistants in research labs.

Psychology students first joining research labs often work with entry-level tasks. As they learn more about the research process, they get more hands-on practice with research skills, such as data analysis. Any students working in research were encouraged to present on their lab work.

“Students who are research assistants develop close working relationships with their faculty,” Kondrad said. Students get connected to faculty members, usually with faculty who share similar interests in research fields.

Faculty and graduate student judges walked around during the presentations with ballots to rate the presentations on research quality and presentation effectiveness. The symposium committee compiles the ballots, and then selects two Best Research Poster awards and two Diversity in Psychological Research Awards. The Diversity awards are selected for research on topics related to diversity or diverse populations, or for presenters from underrepresented groups like racial or ethnic minority groups, first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, and more.

“These awards are meant to be motivators and recognition for students to help them gain competence and confidence,” Kondrad said.

Diversity in Psychological Research Awards were given to Katavonni Sorlouangsana, Jessica Johnson and Francis Powers III for their poster, “Add Confetti to the Fire: Conveying Object Emoji with Time Delay Responses”, and to Tanner Skyhammountry for their poster, “Engaging in Politics: Early Exploration Between Mindfulness and Political Engagement.”

In addition to the student presenters, other students in the general education courses PSYCH 101 and PSYCH 160 were encouraged by their instructors to go to the symposium. Many students in these classes participate in Psychology research as subjects. Kondrad encouraged her students to visit the symposium and observe some of the outcomes of the studies in which they participated.

In a reflection assignment for PSYCH 160 students who opted to attend the symposium, Kondrad said that some of her students were surprised about the results for the posters of the studies they participated in as subjects. For general education and Psychology students, the symposium “provides a great experience for students to see science in action and get a better understanding of that process.”

“We all look forward to it every year,” said Kondrad, about the symposium. “It’s fun to see the students work hard and to see their excitement about presenting their work.”

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by Lindsey Park

Published: Friday, May 31, 2024

Last Updated: Monday, June 3, 2024

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At every level, the Department of Psychology’s faculty work to ensure that Richmond students receive the finest education they know how to provide. Professors agree that a strong psychology education includes mentorship opportunities, strong academic advising and advanced coursework , research experiences and other experiential learning opportunities.

In the classroom, professors recommend students begin with the Introduction to Psychology course. Careful planning and personal reflection should dictate how you build the rest of your academic course load. Learning doesn’t just happen in one field of study, at the expense of all others. Students grow by exploring all of the areas of specialization within psychology. At the undergraduate level, a breadth of study that gives students the tools they will need to acquire more tools is more important than conquering one discipline in its entirety. Students gain empirical experience as they take 300-level laboratory classes, and independent research with faculty members prepares them for psychology work at the graduate level.

Professors emphasize the distinction between clinical and cognitive psychology to students, both in their coursework and as they plan for careers, but remind them that there is no need to definitively choose one specialty over another as an undergraduate student. Cognitive psychology studies the underlying processes of human performance, including sensory processes, human learning, memory, information processing, problem solving and human factors. Clinical psychology includes a variety of interrelated concentrations such as child psychology or community psychology, all of which relate to the assessment and treatment of mental illnesses and disorders. At the undergraduate level, there is no reason for students to choose between the two fields; instead, they should enjoy the opportunity to take courses in both disciplines.

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uOttawa launches groundbreaking MA in Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies

The University of Ottawa (uOttawa) is launching a one year  Master’s (MA) degree in Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies to debut in September 2024.

The program offers a comprehensive exploration of the therapeutic, spiritual, ritual, and naturalistic uses of psychedelics across cultures and throughout human history. The innovative program, a collaboration between uOttawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Arts, aims to advance research in psychology, consciousness, comparative mysticism, and psychedelic-assisted interventions. It also includes a specialized training component for mental health professionals and spiritual care providers.

Integrating spiritual guidance and psychedelic-assisted therapy

"We are excited to offer this groundbreaking program that will not only advance academic research but also provide practical training for those working in mental health and spiritual care," says  Dr. Monnica Williams , Program Co-director and Full Professor at the School of Psychology. "Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to explore and harness the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in a culturally sensitive and scientifically informed manner."

“Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to explore and harness the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in a culturally sensitive and scientifically informed manner.”

Dr. Monnica Williams

— Program Co-director and Full Professor at the School of Psychology

The MA in Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies is built on two existing graduate microprograms in psychedelics, one in the  School of Psychology and one in the  Department of Classics and Religious Studies .

"The program is unique in Integrating spiritual guidance within the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy framework," says  Dr. Anne Vallely , Co-director and Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies. "While such transpersonal experiences can lead to life changing insights, they can also trigger existential challenges that go beyond what traditional clinical training can tackle. Our program addresses this by integrating psychological and spiritual training : students learn about the human quest for transcendence and the mythic structures of consciousness alongside the psychology of mental health, neuroscience, and the dynamics of therapeutic encounters."

Program Highlights

• Interdisciplinary Education: Students will explore the spiritual, ritual, and therapeutic uses of psychedelics to gain insights from diverse cultural perspectives.
• Advanced Research: Emphasis on innovative research in consciousness studies, comparative mysticism, and mental health.
• Culturally Sensitive Therapies: Students will learn to deliver culturally sensitive psychedelic-assisted therapies.
• Professional Training: Practical training for licensed medical providers to become skilled facilitators and integration counselors for psychedelic treatment sessions.
• Spiritual Care Training: Spiritual caregivers - including clergy and chaplains - will receive training to support individuals undergoing psychedelic treatments for mental health, bereavement, and end-of-life.
• Traditional Healing Practices: Based on Indigenous traditions of psychedelic plant use for wellness and spirituality, there is interdisciplinary training on psychedelics in shamanic or ritualistic settings, in collaboration with experienced Indigenous and traditional healers.  

“The program is unique in Integrating spiritual guidance within the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy framework.”

Dr. Anne Vallely

— Program co-director and Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies.

This one-year online MA program, which can be completed on a part-time basis over two years, is open to students worldwide. It is designed to cater to four primary groups:

• Licensed mental health and medical professionals.
• Ordained or commissioned clergy, chaplains, and spiritual care professionals.
• Shamanic and ritualistic traditional entheogenic healers.
• Researchers focused on advancing academic study of psychedelics.

Applications for the MA in Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies for Fall 2024 will open shortly. A French version of the program will be available in the near future.

For more information about the program, including admission requirements, courses offered, and application deadlines, please contact [email protected] .

Media enquiries:  [email protected]

The International Journal of Indian Psychȯlogy

Life Skills of Senior Secondary School Students in Relation to their Academic Achievement

| Published: May 31, 2024

In present era, there is a need to develop more life skills as people are facing emotional instability, unemployment, lack of attention, imbalance in personal relationship conflict and self-doubt. The aim of this research paper was to access the levels of life skills and academic achievement and find out the relationship between life skills and academic achievements of senior secondary school students in Sonepat District. Descriptive survey method was use for present paper. This study was conducted on a sample of 100 senior secondary school students. Life skills Assessment scale (2014) by Nair, Subasree and Sunitha was used by the researchers to collect the data. Data was analyzed by using percentage, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation method, mean, S.D.  and t-test.  The results indicated nearly half of the senior secondary school students were average in their life skills and more than half of the students were having average level of academic achievement. A positive significant relationship was found between life skills and academic achievement of senior secondary school students. Boys found higher than that of girls of senior secondary school w.r.t. their life skills. Girls found higher than that of boys of senior secondary school w.r.t. their academic achievement. Boys and girls were significantly differed in their life skills and academic achievement.  The study suggested implementations of new methods and training programmes to enhance life skills and academic achievement of senior secondary school students.

Life Skills , Academic Achievement , Senior Secondary School Students , Training Programmes

This is an Open Access Research distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any Medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2024, Bala, A., Meenu, Anshu & Rekha

Received: April 25, 2024; Revision Received: May 27, 2024; Accepted: May 31, 2024

Dr. Anju Bala @ [email protected]

Article Overview

Published in   Volume 12, Issue 2, April-June, 2024