1. Nancy S, Bostain, Ph.D. I/O Psychology Faculty
Embrace the Murk Helping Future Psychologists Thrive in Graduate School and Beyond
Nancy S, Bostain, Ph.D.
I/O Psychology Faculty

2. The Murk is:
Uncomfortable feelings of inadequacy & incompetence, lack of confidence, while questioning one’s abilities, authenticity, self efficacy
Often associated with thesis/dissertation writing
Can also occur early career and/or first time attempts at mastery of new or unfamiliar project

3. Synonyms Fog Mud Clouds Muck Crap Gunk
Stuckness Paralysis Confusion Embarrassment
Disabled Immobile Stagnant Hopeless
It’s more than just recognition. It’s about acceptance as a normal/natural part of the process. It’s life!

4. Stories For Context
Starting Own Consulting Practice
Doctoral Students in Dissertation Work
Residency with 40 doctoral students-Murk Meter
TA’s at Residency-received FB on proposal

5. Theoretical/Conceptual Perspectives
According to the Council of graduate schools 56% of PhD candidates in the social sciences do not complete by their 10th year (Council, 2014)
ABD (Blum, 2010)

6. Theoretical/Conceptual Perspectives
Imposter Syndrome or Phenomena
Faced with a new challenge or need to perform, experience feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and dread
Need to be the very best
Everything should be completed with ease and perfection
Fear of Failure
Fear of Success (Clance & Imes,1978)

7. Theoretical/Conceptual Perspectives
Statistics and/or Research Design Anxiety (Perepiczka, Chandler, & Becerra, (2011)
Unrealistic Performance Expectations
I’m smarter than this??? Aren’t I???
Endings/Neutral Zone (Murk)/New Beginnings (Bridges, 2009)
Self-Efficacy
Theoretical/Conceptual Perspectives

8. Signs/Indications Incompetent Frustrated Confused Stupid
Imposter Faker Anger Fraud
Lost Alone Incapable Stuck
Disappointed Immobilized Paralyzed

9. Ways to Manage/Combat
Cognitive Restructuring (McKay, Davis, & Fanning, 2011)
Feel the Fear and Keep walking. Social Media/Student Websites
Psychology of Happiness-Positive Psychology-SWB (Boiiler et al.,2013; Seligman, 2016; Biswar-Diener & Dean, 2007)
Social Support

10. Cognitive Restructuring
How many people talk to themselves?
How many careful about what you say to another because of the effect it many have on that person?
How about Careful because of the Affect on YOU?

11. Common Distorted Thinking/Rationale Comebacks
Filtering
Polarized Thinking
Over Generalization
Mind Reading
Catastrophizing
Shift focus. No need to magnify.
No black & white judgement. Thinking in percentages.
Quantify. Evidence for conclusions. There are no absolutes.
Check it out. Evidence for conclusion.
Realistic odds.

12. Common Distorted Thinking/Rationale Comebacks
Fallacy of Fairness
Emotional Reasoning
Global Labeling
Being Right
Shoulds
Preference vs. Fairness.
Feelings Can Lie.
Be Specific.
Active Listening. Ontological Humility (Kofman, 2006)
Reframe. It would be nice/better/helpful.

13. Refuting Distorted Ideas
Step 1: Write down the facts—only the facts!
Step 2: Write down your self talk: judgements, beliefs, assumptions, worries (note distortions)
Step 3: Label your emotional response-one or two words
Step 4: Refute by answering six questions
Step 5: Substitute alternative realistic self talk

14. Disputing Questions (Step 4)
Select the distorted idea:
Is there any support realistic/rational for this idea? (no)
What evidence exists for the falseness of this idea?
Does any evidence exist for the truth of this idea? (no)
What is the worst thing that could happen to me?
What good things might occur? (Mckay, Davis, & Fanning, 2006)

15. Feel the Fear-Do it Anyway
Keep Walking-Trudge Forward-One Foot in Front of the Other
Talk about the Thoughts/Feelings-Share
Journal-Critical Reflexivity (Cunliffe, 2004)
Learn to be Productively Stupid-Ignorance by Choice (Schwartz, 2008)
Say –Thank You, When Complimented, Period.

16. Positive Psychology-Happiness
Create a Gratitude List
Write Down “three good things” & Why Each Night x 1 Week
Take the VIA Strengths Questionnaire
Do an Activity You Don’t Care for Using Your Greatest Strength/s
Engage in Active-Constructive Responding (Seligman, 2016)

17. Engage in Active-Constructive Responding

18. Positive Psychology-Happiness
PERMA—Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment
Focus on combinations of feeling good, living meaningfully, establishing supportive and friendly relationships, accomplishing goals, and being fully engaged with life. (Seligman, 2013) 
Positive Future Thinking
Be Self-Forgiving-Mistakes are for Learning
Self Discipline and Grit is about 2 x as important as IQ

19. Social Support Fellowship with other doctoral students Social media
Family
Friends
Healthy Escape -- mental/physical

20. Embrace the Murk….
Thoughts?

21. Embrace the Murk….
Thank You !

22. References
Biswar-Diener, R. & Dean, B. (2007). Positive psychology coaching: Putting the science of happiness to your with your clients. Hoboken, NJ: Joh Wiley & Sons.
Blum, L D. (2010). The “All-but-the-dissertation” student and the Psychology of the doctoral dissertation. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 24(2),74–85, doi: /
Bridges, W. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change (3rd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press
Bolier, L. ; Haverman, M. ; Westerhof, G. J.; Riper, H.; Smit, F.; & Bohlmeijer, E. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public,13. Retrieved at:
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy, Theory, Research and Practice, 15, doi: /h
Council of Graduate Schools. (2013). PhD Completion and Attrition: Analysis of Baseline Demographic Data from the PhD Completion Project. Ph.D. Completion Project. Quantitative Data.

23. References
Cunliffe, A., L. (2004). On becoming a critically reflexive practitioner. Journal of Management Education, 28(4),
Kofman, F. (2006). Conscious business: How to build value through values. Boulder,CO: Sounds Ture, Inc.
McKay, M.; Davis, M.; Fanning, P. (2011). Thoughts and feelings: Taking control of your moods and your life (4th ed.). Oakland. CA: New Harbinger Pubs.
Perepiczka, M.; Chandler, N.; Becerra, M. (2011). Between graduate students’ statistics self-efficacy, statistics anxiety, attitude toward statistics, and social support . The Professional Counselor(1)2,
Seligman, M (2016). Positive psychology with Martin Seligman. Retrieved from:
Seligman, M (2013). PERMA. Retrieved from:
Schwartz, M. A. (2008). The importance of stupidity in scientific research. Journal of Cell Science (121),1771.  doi:  /jcs

24. Embrace the Murk….
For Comments or Questions: Nancy S. Bostain, Ph.D.