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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
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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
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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!
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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
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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)
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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)
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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
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Signs/Indications Incompetent Frustrated Confused Stupid
Imposter Faker Anger Fraud Lost Alone Incapable Stuck Disappointed Immobilized Paralyzed
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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
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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)
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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.
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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)
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Engage in Active-Constructive Responding
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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
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Social Support Fellowship with other doctoral students Social media
Family Friends Healthy Escape -- mental/physical
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Embrace the Murk…. Thoughts?
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Embrace the Murk…. Thank You !
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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.
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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
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Embrace the Murk…. For Comments or Questions: Nancy S. Bostain, Ph.D.
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