Psychology Research Assistant | 4 Must Know Facts On Research Assistant Psychology

In this post, I discuss Psychology Research Assistant covering the following aspects which could give you a good idea, information and psychology facts about the subject:

Let’s discuss this interesting topic of Psychology Research Assistant in detail.

Research Assistant Psychology Myth

Many people believe that psychology is a discipline which applies common intuitive understanding and reasoning to understand and resolve intricacies of human behavior. It can be studied by reading few bestsellers books & novels and one can guide others if one believes that s/he has a good understanding of working of human mind (in other words, can act as a psychotherapist or a counselor). As a matter of fact, by considering so, the person has believed to be in a MYTH!

Psychology Research Assistant Jobs Reality

Psychology, a discipline of Social Sciences, is an empirical scientific field whose facts are established through research-guided inquires and experiments that are replicated and generalized before being called as a psychology fact, theory or principle. The Research Psychology and Experimental Psychology, the two most significant sub-disciplines of psychology, use scientific methods and procedures to come to conclusions regarding human behavior. Students interested to explore about the generation of new knowledge in psychology generally pursue the academia route and benefit by taking research positions at a very early stage of education. Research Assistant and Research Associate are two such positions that attract students while pursuing psychology major and graduate coursework. The research experience gained by engaging in research process gives them a competitive edge along with direct experience of the scientific process.

Psychology Research Assistant Job Description

The Research Assistant jobs are meant to offer opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience of research in psychology. Under direct supervision of a senior researcher, academician or a university professor, students obtain firsthand knowledge of conducting research. They assist in projects by getting involved at various stages of the entire research. They assist in literature review in which they are meant to search database engines and scholarly articles to see the relevant researches that have already been done on a particular topic of interest. At times, they do pilot testing in which they go for preliminary try-out of the research tool to see its validity for the topic of study. They are also guided to collect data by going into various settings. Various clerical tasks like mailing surveys, answering queries, photocopying, summarizing data and giving feedback to participants etc. also come under job roles of a research assistant. They are trained to take interviews, transcribe and analyze them according to the theme of the guided inquiry. Entering data into computers and analyzing them through statistical software are some of the other types of works done by them. The psychology research assistant is also responsible for doing follow-ups and preparing the first draft of results and findings of the research. In short, they are engaged at multiple steps of research in which their role is to run the research project on a daily basis.

Psychology Research Assistant Jobs Preparation

Research Assistant Jobs in Psychology are generally offered by colleges, universities and departments. Besides, governmental agencies, NGOs and private corporates also offer positions to hire research assistants for specific projects. A student looking for the research assistant position should start looking for it about 6 months to 1 year in advance according to the elective chosen in psychology major or the subject of specialization in graduate program. They can also choose to work with a specific mentor / supervisor / professor / scientist whom they believe is a pioneer in their area of interest. A thorough search for the position should be made using university websites, professor’s profiles and job search portals and gateways. They should also read descriptions, duties, work hour schedule and compensation offered in a research project. Depending on the settings, the research assistant positions can be paid or unpaid for the students. Likewise, research positions may or may not award credit scores to students. An aspirant must consider all these relevant factors before selecting a position as it will help in future career decision in psychology.

To conclude, an in-depth search and networking are critically essential to secure the best research assistant position for a student.

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