Course Syllabus

Research Assistant

 

Semester & Location:	Spring/Fall - DIS Stockholm
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Psychology
Faculty Members:	Ebba Karlsson, Psychology
Program Director:	Tina Mangieri - tma@disstockholm.se
Program Coordinator:	Kenzie Zimmer - mz@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Will be decided in consultation with research mentor

About the Research:

The overarching goal of this research project is to develop interventions which can be applied on a broad basis in society (e.g. education systems, organizations, institutions) to improve civil disagreement in the public discourse. It will investigate psychological flexibility as a potential underlying cognitive process influencing behaviors in political contexts, and if interventions developed in clinical settings targeting it can be effectively applied in political contexts as well.

This research has important practical implications. If effective interventions to facilitate civil political discourse are developed, it could possibly curb the negative development with increased polarization and subsequent dysfunctional effects on the democratic system and society. In addition to increased psychological well-being on an individual level, constructive discussions mean that more focus and energy can be used to develop sustainable solutions to societal challenges. Moreover, it will contribute to the robustness of previous findings by testing them in a new setting. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), compassion research, and a behavioral analysis framework will be in focus, covering both individual and environmental factors influencing behaviors.

Researcher Bio:

Ebba Karlsson has earned a M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology (Stockholm University, 2015), B.A. in Philosophy (Stockholm University, 2013), and been a visiting student in Politics and Public Policy at New York University. She has had several research assistant and internship positions, including at Ratio (Stockholm, Sweden) an independent research institute focusing on the conditions for enterprise, entrepreneurship, and political change; OPP (Oxford, United Kingdom) a business psychology company; and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, working with the Global Health Access Policy (GHAP) project focused on medical travel and wellbeing. She has participated in the international EFPSA Junior Researcher Programme and conducted research on the connection between creativity and well-being.

Description of role and responsibilities of the Research Assistant

You are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hrs per week on the project. The workload may vary over the semester. If you are traveling to do field research in a different location, you may be spending more time on research during that period.

As research assistant you will:

1. Participate in weekly meetings with your research mentor at a time set collectively at the beginning of the semester.
2. Participate in three workshops during the semester (see 'Workshops' below for more information):
   1. A workshop at beginning of the semester: orientation and strategies for successful international research work
   2. A workshop on responsible research practices and ethics mid-semester
   3. A final workshop discussing strategies and best practices for communicating research findings, especially to those outside of the field
3. Write an assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses in the research process at the beginning of the semester. Revisit at the end of the semester as part of an evaluation of your own participation in, and learning from, the research project.
4. Keep a research journal and/or send weekly emails to your research mentor describing the activities of the week, and outlining goals for the following week.
5. Conduct literature reviews.
6. Participate in carrying out the research project, e.g. data collection, analyses, writing, coding, observation, documentation etc. The specific responsibilities in a given semester vary depending on the phase of the project and will be set by the research mentor at the beginning of the semester. Be prepared to contribute to tasks that may come up during the semester. Research processes are not always predictable.  
7. Present the relevance of the research and/or findings to peer(s) from other disciplines at the End of Semester Showcase
8. Make a final oral and/or written presentation of the research you are involved in, depending on what is agreed with your research mentor.

Learning Objectives

The primary objective is for you to experience the world of scientific research and gain experience that will prepare you for any future career you choose to pursue. By the end of the semester you will grasp the complexities of the research project, and have made your own contribution to the project. You will also have learned to communicate scientific ideas and findings, both orally and in writing, to members from your particular discipline as well as peers from other disciplines.   

You will be able to:

• Articulate clear research questions and relevant hypothesis
• Identify and demonstrate appropriate methodologies to address the research questions
• Demonstrate awareness of the problem with scientific bias and importance of viewpoint diversity while conducting research
• Define, articulate and use terminology, concepts, and theory in their field and know how to use them
• Contribute to developing a conceptual framework through literature reviews
• Participate in focus groups and observations regarding civil political behaviors
• Identify and practice research ethics and responsible conduct in research
• Work collaboratively with the mentor and other research assistants, demonstrating effective communication and problem-solving skills
• Work autonomously in an effective manner, setting and meeting deadlines
• Present and explain the research effectively to different audiences (e.g. others in the field, the public etc.) through research presentations

Readings

These are examples of readings that will be included for this project, a full list will be given at the beginning of the semester.

Biglan, A., & Hayes, S. C. (1996). Should the behavioral sciences become more pragmatic? The case for functional contextualism in research on human behavior. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 5(1), 47-57.

Biglan, A. (2003). Selection by consequences: One unifying principle for a transdisciplinary science of prevention. Prevention Science, 4(4), 213-232.

Gilbert, P. (2017). Compassion: Concepts, Research, and Applications. Routledge.

Levin, M. E., Luoma, J. B., Vilardaga, R., Lillis, J., Nobles, R., & Hayes, S. C. (2016). Examining the role of psychological inflexibility, perspective taking, and empathic concern in generalized prejudice. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 46(3), 180–191.

Workshops & Orientation

All sessions are mandatory and held in 1D-409.

Orientation: Tuesday, January 15th, (16.00-17.00) 

Workshop 1 Research, a Critical History: January 29th from 16.30-18.00. Dinner together afterwards.

Workshop 2 Research Ethics: March 11th from 18.00-19.30.

Workshop 3 Communicating Research Findings: April 2nd from 16.30-18.00.

Final End of Semester Showcase: May 7th, 16.00-18.00

Field research (optional) 

Expenses related to field work will be covered by a DIS travel grant. The field work will be planned with the research mentor at the beginning of the semester.

Depending on the time of the position for this project, research assistants will have the possibility to visit international conferences related to political psychology, compassion research and Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) and visit collaborators around Europe together with the mentor. Research assistants are also welcome to suggest field visits and other activites related to the project.

To see some possible upcoming conferences, visit:

International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP) www.ispp.org

Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) www.contextualscience.org

Approach to Mentoring

All DIS research mentors have been trained in mentoring students but their approach to mentoring may differ. Mentoring is about engaging at a different - and often deeper - level than what is typical in the class room. However, mentoring also comes with some degree of ambiguity, which is important for you to be prepared for. The research mentor will work closely with you throughout the semester but part of the training is also for you to use your own judgement, to make assessments and decisions. As part of planning your tasks and responsibilities for the semester together, the research mentor will talk to you about her/his approach to mentoring.

Expectations of the Research Assistant 

The specific expectations of the individual research assistant is agreed at the beginning of the semester. In general, a research assistant is expected to take initiative, take ownership of the project and work independently. Obviously, to be prepared for meetings and be willing to part take in scientific discussions. In cases where more research assistants are involved in the same project, you will be expected to engage in some team-work. Carrying out a research project is not a straight forward and predictable process. This is part of what makes it exciting. It also means that communication is crucial. You are expected to take responsibility for communicating about problems or issues that arise.

Students will be able to take an active part in all steps of the research process, such as assisting with literature reviews, study design, lab experiments, data analysis, and preparation of conference presentations and posters. What tasks will be most relevant depends on the timeline for the project and the successful applicant’s expertise. Students might be asked to do conduct their own small-scale intervention study based upon the preliminary study design, as a pre-test before the main intervention study takes place.

The most important qualifications for this position is an ability to work independently, to take initiative, and have strong analytical and problem-solving skills. It is important that you have a motivation and ability to quickly learn and apply new skills.

Evaluation and grading

All research assistants are assessed on their participation in the seminar on responsible research practices, weekly status reports to the research mentor, self-evaluation, and presentation to peers from other disciplines. Additional evaluation and grading depends on the individual research project and project phase and is outlined by the research mentor at semester start. It may include e.g. literature reviews, input to research design, participation in data collection, producing an interview guide, a poster presentation for an expert panel, a working paper etc.  

Evaluation: A number of diverse tasks will be given throughout the semester to address learning objectives. Emphasis will be on engaged participation and may include individual and/or group-based written/oral tasks. Projects may be given that will explore topics experientially.

 

Methods of Evaluation	How evaluated	Due Date	Percentage of grade
Engaged participation	Individual	Ongoing	45%
Work-in-progress report	Individual	Friday May 3rd	30%
Final presentation	Team	Thursday May 2nd	25%
Total			100%

 

Engaged participation (45%)

Your participation grade reflects the importance of being active in this course, which relies on behaviors such as coming prepared to meetings, conclude tasks and readings on time, be able to work independently and take initiative, as well as reaching out for help when needed.

Moreover, at the beginning of the semester and continuously, we will together discuss which tasks might be most suitable to work on depending on the student’s background, interests, and phase of the project. This work is part of the engaged participation and will count towards the final grade. 

 

Work-in-progress (WIP) report (30%)

As part of the evaluation, you will write a work-in-progress (WIP) report, including a theoretical background of the project, study design, and method, together with a critical analysis of those parts. Moreover, you will describe what you have done during the semester, and reflect on your research experience by identifying what was learned, personal strengths and opportunities for growth, and how the experience informs your future educational and career goals. Further instructions can be found here.

 

Final presentation (poster or other formats) (25%)

At the End of Semester showcase (December 11th) the students are expected to present what they have been working on during the semester. This can be demonstrated by creating a poster, a video, or using other formats. Further instructions can be found here.

Pre-semester task 

Task: Statement of purpose, objectives, and expectations

Before the semester starts, research assistants should write a 1-2 page statement, answering the following questions:

Purpose: Why do you want to pursue this course? What is important and meaningful to you?

Objectives: What do you intend to learn during this course? What are your goals?

Expectations: What are your expectations regarding the course content and tasks? What are your expectations of Ebba as your supervisor? What do you need to make this a good learning experience?

I will also write a statement as supervisor, and at the beginning of the semester we will meet as a group and discuss our statements and see how we can create a good environment and learning experience taking this into account.

Weekly meetings

The research assistants will meet together with the mentor every Tuesday at 11.40-12.40. The readings and tasks to be completed for each week will continuously be updated during the semester. The research assistants are expected to fill out a weekly time management report (using this template) and send to the mentor beforehand. 

Disability and Resource Statement  

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Policies

Attendance

It is crucial for your learning that you stay on task and hand in assignments on or before the due date. All work– including in-class projects – have to be completed in order to pass the class. Late papers or projects will be marked down with 1/3 of a grade for each day it is late.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment

DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software.  See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

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