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How to Become a Research Psychologist

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

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

Why Become a Research Psychologist

What do research psychologists do, where do research psychologists work, research psychology careers.

What do you do if you love psychology but have no interest in working in mental health? Fortunately, psychology is a very diverse field, and there are plenty of opportunities. One that you might consider is becoming a research psychologist.

Consider the following question from a reader:

" I love psychology, which is why I'm currently working on my bachelor's degree in psychology. I don't want to work in mental health, so my ultimate plan is to become a researcher. While I know that this means I will probably need to go to graduate school, I'm not quite sure exactly where to begin. What type of psychology degree do I need if I want to work in research?"

At a Glance

What do you do if you love psychology but don't want to become a therapist or work in mental health? You might consider becoming a research psychologist. These professionals conduct research and may work in various settings, including universities, research labs, the military, government agencies, and private businesses.

This scenario is not at all uncommon in psychology. Many students love the subject, yet are not at all interested in working in mental health settings. Experimental fields are great options for people who are fascinated by psychology and enjoy performing research.

As a psychology student , you've probably already gotten a taste of just how diverse the field can be. This can be a great thing because it allows for so many different career paths and options, but it can also be confusing for students as they struggle to select an educational path.

Just like many other areas of psychology , becoming a research psychologist is not a "one size fits all" career. There are actually many different degrees that you could potentially pursue.

Start by taking into account what type of research you want to perform and what specific topics interest you the most.

In order to decide if this field is right for you, it is important to first understand exactly what these professionals do:

Also known as experimental psychologists , research psychologists study a broad range of human and animal behavior.
They design and conduct experiments exploring how people act, think, behave, interact, learn, feel, and perform under different conditions.
They also design studies and evaluate research for flaws and bias.
This can encompass an enormous range of topics, including memory , attention, cognition, decision-making, perception, and just about any psychological topic you can think of!

If you enjoy research and still want to work in mental health, there are also mental health professionals who perform research and conduct studies in clinical settings.

Educational backgrounds and requirements for experimental psychologists can vary depending upon where you want to work.

In most cases, you will start by earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. Some students may then choose to earn a master's, but many will go on to receive a doctorate degree.

Bachelor's Degree

Many students interested in becoming research psychologists begin with a bachelor's in psychology . However, some come from a background in a related area such as social work or even from an entirely unrelated degree area altogether.

Remember, it is possible to switch to psychology for graduate school , even if your undergraduate degree is in an unrelated subject.

Master's Degree

In some cases, students might then choose to pursue a master's degree in experimental psychology. However, it is important to note that job opportunities are generally more limited with a master's degree, which is why many opt to instead go on to earn a doctorate degree in psychology .

Doctorate Degree

While you might think you are limited to earning a PhD in experimental psychology, there are actually many different options that you might opt to pursue.

For example, if you are interested in studying the human brain, you might earn a degree focused on neuropsychology. Have an active interest in social behavior? Then, you might want to consider a doctorate in social psychology .

How to Get Started

While you might not be exactly sure about what specialty you want to pursue, you can now do plenty of things to prepare for your future as a research psychologist . Start by taking as many undergraduate courses in research methods , statistics , and experimental design as possible.

Sign up for research opportunities through your school's psychology department and consider signing up as a research assistant. It's a great way to gain valuable experience while earning college credits.

As you can see, research is something that plays a significant role in virtually every field of psychology . Your goal now is to determine which particular specialty area interests you the most and exactly where you might want to work someday.

Research psychologists are employed in a wide range of sectors, including private research firms, universities, corporations, the military, and government agencies.

So what kind of jobs will you be able to get as a research psychologist? While there are many different options, a few that you might consider include:

College Professor

Many research psychologists work at colleges and universities, teaching undergraduate and graduate students and conducting research.

Research Analyst

A research analyst evaluates data that has been collected. This career involves performing statistical analyses and managing data to ensure it is collected, recorded, and analyzed properly.

Research Scientist

A research scientist conducted grant-funded research. They are often the lead investigators of a study and are responsible for hiring assistants, managing projects, designing experiments, writing journal articles, and sharing the results of their experiments.

If you enjoy research and aren't interested in working in the field of mental health, a career as a research psychologist might be a great choice for you. To enter this field, you should focus on earning an undergraduate degree in psychology before going to graduate school to get your doctorate. Taking coursework in statistics and research methodology can help, but you should also take advantage of any opportunity to participate in research.

Bishop DV. The psychology of experimental psychologists: Overcoming cognitive constraints to improve research: The 47th Sir Frederic Bartlett Lecture . Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) . 2020;73(1):1-19. doi:10.1177/1747021819886519

Smith KV, Thew GR. Conducting research in clinical psychology practice: Barriers, facilitators, and recommendations . Br J Clin Psychol . 2017;56(3):347-356. doi:10.1111/bjc.12142

Scholtz SE, de Klerk W, de Beer LT. The use of research methods in psychological research: A systematised review . Front Res Metr Anal . 2020;5:1. doi:10.3389/frma.2020.00001

American Psychological Association. Pursuing a Career in Experimental Psychology . Updated March 2014.

The Princeton Review. Experimental Psychology .

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

Psychology Programs

How to Become a Research Psychologist – Schooling and Degree Guide [2024 Guide]

In contemplating psychology as an occupation, thoughts wander to hands-on professions such as counseling and therapy. However, a sizable segment of the field involves little practical work, and is more concerned with theoretical aspects of psychology.

Do you prefer fixed numbers to subjective diagnoses? Scientific observations to patient treatment? If so, perhaps a career in research psychology is for you.

Are You an Analytical Person?

Before jumping on the research psychology bandwagon, ask yourself if you’re truly an analytical person. An indispensable prerequisite for a career in research psychology is having a firm grasp of – and perhaps a natural inclination toward –working with numbers and data. Dictionary.com defines the term analytic thinking as “the abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts in order to study the parts and their relations,” and that’s exactly what research entails.

Hence, questions it would behoove you to ask are: How did I cope with math in school? Did I do well in my college statistics class? If the answer is negative, could you learn to enjoy it? Are you prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to become a resourceful statistician? In going forward with this profession, a resounding “yes” should be your only answer.

What is a Research Psychologist?

Research psychologists are found in every branch of psychology. It is often not a specific job title, but rather represents an area of emphasis for psychologists when undertaking research in their specific field, such as developmental psychology , industrial-organizational psychology , biological psychology , social psychology , and the like.

For example, a social psychologist might undertake research on the manner in which children are socialized in rural, highly religious communities and compare that to the way children in urban, non-religious communities are socialized.

Another example might be a health psychologist conducting research on nutrition and wellness for a government agency.

Research psychologists are trained in experimental methods and statistics. They utilize the scientific method to formulate and test hypotheses, develop experiments, collect and analyze data, and use that information to develop conclusions and report on their findings.

Two common types of studies research psychologists undertake are:

Experiments – research psychologists conduct experiments both in controlled lab settings and out in the field. An example might be examining the social behaviors of small groups in a rural town.
Case studies – psychologists conducting research often utilize this method when studying an individual or small group. Observing how a particular family overcomes the trauma of a natural disaster is an example of a case study.

Despite the significant differences in the ways that research psychologists conduct their studies, the tie that binds research psychologists together across disciplines is that at the heart of their research, they are seeking to understand better how humans and non-human animals feel, think, learn, and act.

What Does a Research Psychologist Do?

A research psychologist carries out many duties as it pertains to studying human behavior. Many research psychologists work for private companies or organizations conducting studies pertinent to the purpose of their employer. For example, a university might employ a research psychologist to explore methods to improve teaching and learning.

Alternatively, a research psychologist working for a non-profit human services organization might study ways to improve the bonding experience between adopted children and their adopted parents.

Research psychologists also conduct much research on behalf of governmental agencies. For example, a psychologist may research the efficacy of psycho-social intervention programs implemented by the Bureau of Prisons, looking for positive outcomes for participants in the program.

Likewise, a research psychologist working for the National Institute of Mental Health may investigate current rates of certain psychological disorders among the general population.

Other psychologists with training in research work in academic settings. Colleges and universities employ research specialists to conduct research or even assist with the development of on-campus policies and procedures regarding psychological research. For example, a research psychologist might devise rules and regulations pertaining to human or animal-based research in the psychology department.

Many research psychologists also teach. Again, colleges and universities – both public and private – might hire a psychologist with training in research to teach undergraduate courses in various genres of psychology.

There would also be opportunity for more specialized teaching assignments, such as those that train graduate or doctoral students to conduct research of their own. Typical course assignments for research psychologists include research psychology, statistics, and ethics.

Yet other research psychologists are employed by private businesses to help them create improved working environments. Research psychologists might be employed to investigate issues like low employee morale or low production rates. They may also seek to improve workplace safety by examining the types of accidents that occur, when and where they occur, and the conditions under which they occur as well.

What are the Degree and Schooling Requirements to Become a Research Psychologist?

A career in psychology usually requires a graduate degree, and the sub-field of research psychology is certainly no different.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most research psychologists need not just a Master’s degree, but a full-out Ph.D. or PsyD, to land a job of pleasing stature. Hence, normally expect 5-6 years of study even after graduating college.

Having completed coursework in experimental psychology and statistics will be of great importance, probably more so than for you than any other type of psychologist.

Obtaining psychology license generally require pre-doctoral and postdoctoral supervised experience, an internship, or a residency program, which may span 12 months or more. Sometimes more than one of them is needed.

Where Does a Research Psychologist Work?

Research psychologists typically work in the following environments:

Colleges and universities
Law enforcement agencies
Consulting and private research firms
Government research groups
Government and Private businesses
War veterans and disaster post-traumatic counseling

What Skills are Required for a Research Psychologist?

Successful research psychologists have the following skills :

Research skills – It goes without saying that research psychologist must be highly trained in research methodologies, including experimental design, observational techniques, and sampling methods.
Math and statistics skills – Research psychologists must also have a strong grasp on the statistical methods used to analyze research, including qualitative and quantitative methods of analyzing and interpreting data.
Computer literacy – Psychologists in this field are required to be highly computer literate. Computers and computer programs are used for all phases of research, from designing research studies to analyzing data to reporting data for publication.
Speaking and writing skills – Research psychologists must be able to clearly and accurately summarize their findings both in verbal and written forms. Good linguistic skills are also necessary for interacting with other members of the research team and with subjects participating in the study.
Analytical skills – Analytical skills are necessary because they need to be able to see both the fine details and the bigger picture. Higher-ordered analytical skills assist researchers in identifying patterns, highlighting anomalies, and sifting through mountains of data to come to a logical conclusion.
Skepticism – It can be difficult for researchers to avoid seeing what they want to see in their research. As a result, research psychologists need to have the ability to critically evaluate their work and the work of others.

What is the Employment Outlook for Research Psychologists?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for psychologists as a whole is 6 percent.

Unfortunately, the BLS does not offer details regarding the employment outlook specifically for research psychology. While the field will most likely not grow as quickly as other psychology disciplines, it’s still reasonable to assume that strong growth will occur. This is due in large part to an increased interest in the underlying mechanisms of behavior, such as genetics and environmental factors.

Because research psychologists specialize in conducting studies on popular topics like drug and alcohol addiction, there should be plenty of job opportunities in the coming years. This is especially true of research psychologists that have an advanced degree, like a doctorate, or have additional training in psychological research methods.

What is the Salary of a Research Psychologist?

As of February 2024, research psychologists earn a median salary of $127,818 per year. However, as in many other areas of psychology, salaries fluctuate considerably depending on the number of years of experience in the industry, as well as the sector of employment.

Individuals who go into industrial-organizational psychology average as much as $132,191 annually, which is more than any other area of psychology.

Useful Resources

Society of Experimental Social Psychology
Society of Experimental Psychologists
Division 3: Experimental Psychology
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Choosing to Focus on Research as a Psychologist

As one of the most popular undergraduate majors in the United States, psychology prepares students to gain entrance in a range of rewarding and exciting careers. Every year, students will cultivate an interest in pursuing an advanced course of study that solely concentrates on the research aspect of psychology. Educators and experts stress the importance of students preparing early for the application process, thoroughly researching their options, and becoming more active within the field.

See " So I majored in psychology ".

The Process of Psychology Research

The Scientific Method is a set of principles and procedures that researchers use to create questions, collect data, and arrive at conclusions . This approach allows researchers to accomplish their goals for their psychological studies, which is to describe, explain, predict, and in some cases, influence processes or behaviors of the mind. The ultimate goal of scientific research in psychology is to illustrate behaviors and give details on why they take place. Researchers also strive to predict (and sometimes, modify) human behavior.

Before people begin the process of research, they must select a topic of study. Researchers then conduct an exhaustive review of existing publications and information that relates to the subject. In the end, it becomes clearer as to which topic questions remain unanswered. A researcher may examine books and academic journals that date back decades to assess the most relevant topics of study. All background material helps a researcher formulate the first step in the psychology research process – the hypothesis.

The four steps of the research process are:

Step 1 – Formulate a Testable Hypothesis: A hypothesis is an educated guess about the relationship between two or more variables, or a specific occurrence or trend. Researchers go on to provide an explanation of their research, which either proves or disproves their theories.

Step 2 – Create a Study and Collect Data: There are two basic types of research methods to consider that fit the need to collect data for a study – descriptive research and experimental research.

Step 3 – Examine Data and Reach Conclusions: A researcher looks over the information they collect, and with the help of statistics, they summarize the data, analyze results and draw conclusions about their findings.

Step 4 – Report the Findings of the Study : Researchers lastly share their findings by creating a description of the study, and publish an article in an academic or professional journal.

Types of Psychology Research Methods

Psychology research takes place inside of laboratories, and often includes experiments, testing, and the analysis of statistical data. Psychology researchers may also work in the field (gathering data in hospitals, schools, workplaces, and even on city streets) with a goal to observe and study behavior in their most naturally-occurring settings.

Not every psychology researcher will use the same methods to study their topic of interest, and it all depends on his or her sources of information, data samples, and data collection techniques.

A researcher may collect qualitative data, quantitative data, or both.

Qualitative psychological data involves research findings that do not include statistical or other related procedures, while quantitative psychological data involves research findings that incorporate a mathematical model or statistical estimation.

Common approaches and data collection methods for psychology research include:

Case Studies: A thorough analysis of a single person, small group, or event, such as studying a man with a rare, incurable brain disease.
Content Analysis: A study of recorded human communications, such as books, laws and art. Examples include the analysis of the speeches of Kennedy and Nixon in televised debates, or the examination of graffiti of males and females in public bathrooms.
Cross Sectional Study: Samples of a population sheds light on information relating to specific measures. An example is a researcher who questions whether sugar consumption affects a specific health concern.
Field Experiments: Traveling to hunter-gatherer regions in South America to test out universal relationship behaviors is an example of research that studies subjects in his or her natural setting.
Survey: Random sampling of a population using a question-format collects valuable information. Examples include public health, market research, and government surveys.

Education Requirements of a Psychology Researcher

A bachelor's degree in psychology allows people to work as research or administrative assistants for psychologists. Other job prospects include becoming a technician in a related field (such as market research) or assisting psychologists in mental health centers and correctional programs. After acquiring years of experience under the guidance of professional psychologists, many people make the decision to pursue graduate and doctoral studies in psychology.

While the doctoral degree is the standard for independent research or practice in psychology, the number of psychology students who pursue a terminal master's degree has increased sixfold since 1960 – master's degrees totaled at least 21,400 in 2008. A master's degree in psychology allows people to work as assistants under the supervision of doctoral-level psychologists. Master's degree holders with several years of business experience obtain jobs in consulting and marketing research, while others land jobs within the government, universities, or the private sector as researchers, data collectors, and analysts .

A doctorate's degree in psychology typically involves five to seven years of graduate study, which ends with a dissertation involving original research . The advanced degree opens many doors to opportunities involving research and teaching positions at universities, health care services, private industries, and with the government. Psychologists with a doctoral degree often choose to conduct their own research studies while accepting a career position in the meantime.

Individuals that obtain a higher level of psychology education and experience typically encounter a larger number of job offers and opportunities to conduct research over someone without an advanced degree, other credentials, and years of experience.

Ways to Gain Experience in Research Psychology

Students with an interest in pursuing the academia route of psychology benefit the most when they accumulate as much experience as possible. Those who start early gain a definite competitive edge.

"The most noticeable current trend is just how many undergraduates are getting involved in research," says Gary W. Lewandowski Jr. Ph.D, the Department Chair of the Department of Psychology at Monmouth University. "Not only are more students getting involved, but more are doing so at a high level [such as] presenting at research conferences."

The most important thing that Mitchell Metzger says he tells students about research is to get involved early. "We have many of our students helping out in the lab with research projects as early as their sophomore year," says Metzger, a professor of Psychology at Ashland University (Ohio) and department chair since 2007. "When a student gets involved early in their undergraduate career, they really have the opportunity to build a variety of experiences by the time they graduate."

He says that while the students may start out in 'lower level' research roles such as data collection and data entry, they are undergoing valuable preparation for diving more deeply into the research process.

The countless opportunities that a student can gain psychology research experience and knowledge are:

Help Out a Professor – Dr. Lewandowski suggests getting started as early in your academic career as possible. "Even if you have not had a research class yet, if a professor is willing to have you help out, you will not only get a head start, but will learn a lot that will make taking the class easier," he says. "The more experience you can get the better."
Find a Mentor – Some of the best ways to gain experience in psychology is learning from those already in the field. "The amount of work may be daunting at first, but just like anything else, you adjust over time and find new ways to manage," says Kongit Farrell, who is a life and relationship coach with a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. "Just keep at it and work on finding a mentor to help."
Attend or Present at a Psychology Conference – "We have a number of graduates with multiple conference presentations under their belts by the time they finish their bachelor's degree, which is a huge advantage for them as they apply to graduate schools," says Metzger. "Many graduate programs see undergraduate research experience as valuable, regardless of what the specific area of research might be that the student was involved in.
Write and Publish Articles and Papers – "It is becoming more necessary for undergraduates to have co-authored journal articles in order to get into Ph.D. programs after college," says Dr. Lewandowski.
Become a Research Assistant – Obtaining a research assistant position is a valuable opportunity to gain experience, and forge professional connections that can help in the future. Universities, hospitals, and private organizations hire assistants to conduct research on psychology projects. Having previous experience working in labs or on academic research projects improves the chance of being accepted into advanced degree programs and research jobs after graduation.
Join a Psychology Organization – There are psychology-related organizations and associations that cater to varying ethnicities, regions, nations, and fields of study. For example, the Association for Psychological Science has more than 20,000 members and is the largest general psychology organization that mainly concentrates on research.
Read APA Magazines and Newsletter Articles – Reading APA magazine and newsletter articles about research tools and methods , as well as the Monitor on Psychology and gradPSYCH magazines keep students in tune with the latest in psychology research.
Independent Research with Faculty Advisor – Taking advantage of independent research and study projects allows undergraduate students to work closely with professors who serve as advisors. The student and faculty usually share a mutual interest. These professors can also write strong letters of recommendation for future graduate study, which demonstrates a student's ability to work independently.

"A growing trend [in the field of research psychology] is the recognition of the value of undergraduate research for building critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and communication skills," says Lewandowski.

Graduate school programs aim to further strengthen these necessary qualities and skills of someone with an interest in pursuing a career in psychology research. This includes:

Analytical skills help students perform psychological research by sharpening their ability to examine information and draw logical conclusions.
Communication skills aid a psychologists' ability to listen to and speak with subjects.
Observational skills help a psychologist study attitude and behavior by perfecting their ability to analyze the facial expressions, actions, interactions, and body positions of people.
Patience allows researchers to deal with subjects who exhibit mental or behavioral disorders.
People skills help researchers work well with their test subjects, interviewees, and other medical professionals.
Problem-solving skills assist researchers in pinpointing treatments and solutions pertaining to mental and behavioral issues.

Before Applying to Graduate Schools for Psychology Research

Students with an interest in graduate-level psychology research tend to experience a more beneficial application process when they pinpoint a specific area of study before applying.

Conducting an ample amount of research also makes final school selections much easier to achieve, and helps iron out the details of future plans. It is important for students to apply to a program that accommodates their values, abilities and interests. Finding the right graduate program is one of the keys to succeeding in the psychology research field.

Dr. Lewandowski is a researcher who studies intimate relationships and the self. He says that this subject allows him to concentrate on topics that he is 'eternally curious about' regarding what makes some relationships successful while others fail, such as attraction, cheating, and break-ups.

"From my experience, students can learn the importance of staying true to your interests," says Lewandowski. "I love what I research, which has made it a lot easier to be successful.

Incorporating the primary interests of a student with the availability of specialty programs and personal criteria such as location, cost of tuition and time commitments, helps students narrow down their options for choosing the right psychology graduate school.

A good resource for researching psychology graduate programs of interest is the American Psychological Association, which publishes the Graduate Study in Psychology and Related Fields – a listing of all graduate programs in North America by state and subject area . The Princeton Review also provides helpful information. Books on graduate programs are also available at the school library, career services office, and campus bookstores.

Some experts recommend applying to at least six graduate psychology schools, while others suggest applying to as many as 20 . However, application fees get expensive, so requesting applications only from the schools a student truly wishes to attend will help them stick to a budget. Therefore, spending quality time investigating available options not only makes the overall application process easier, but also saves money.

How to Apply to Graduate Schools for Psychology Research

Students who prepare early and get acquainted with the psychology graduate school application process face an easier road towards fulfilling their research career goals. Aside from filling out the proper forms, maintaining an acceptable GPA, and demonstrating research experience, there are four significant components relating to the typical application package – official undergraduate transcripts, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation.

Schools generally expect applicants to fulfill the following:

1. Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and other test scores – Most psychology graduate schools require GRE scores – a computer-based test that students take well before application deadlines. The GRE includes electronic testing that rates a student's Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical Writing aptitude. Many graduate schools also request the results of the Psychology Subject Exam – a paper test that is held three times a year.

2. Maintain a strong undergraduate GPA – Advanced degree programs in psychology typically accept applicants who possess a median GPA of 3.7 with a GRE score more than 1100, and relevant research experience. For some master's programs in psychology, a GPA of 3.4 is fairly competitive. For doctoral programs, students fair well with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

3. Furnish exemplary letters of recommendation – Professors often tell students to discuss recommendations well in advance with faculty members in a face-to-face manner. Faculty members that a student takes at least two courses and performs at a high level (preferably a combination of no less than 'A' and 'B' grades) make the best choices. Academic interaction outside of class with the professors is a plus.

4. Write a personal statement (or statement of purpose) – A student's statement is his or her chance to add a personal touch to the application process. It sets students apart from one another, and gives the opportunity to share specific interests in the field, strengths, skills, career goals, and aspirations. A student often shares the reason why they are applying to a specific program. The selection committee uses a personal statement to assess a student's writing ability, as well as determine who the best fit for their program is.

5. Prepare a vita – Students wishing to enter a graduate or doctoral program for research psychology write a vita, which is basically an academic resume. Typical features include professional/academic honors and awards, honor Society memberships, Dean's List recognition, research concentration, presentations at professional conferences or workshops, publications, and memberships in professional organizations.

6. Demonstrate relevant research or work experience – Having research and experience in psychology significantly boosts the value of an application. Work and volunteer activities in psychology also highlight a student's enthusiasm and commitment to the field.

Psychology Research Grants and Scholarships

There are numerous research grants and scholarship opportunities available for students looking to fund their pursuit of obtaining an advanced degree in psychology. A few options include:

APAGS/Psi Chi Junior Scientist Fellowship – promotes psychological science and the needs of students entering a research-oriented graduate program.
Basic Psychological Science Research Grant – supports graduate students conducting psychological science research studies.

Challenges of Becoming a Psychology Researcher

Graduate programs in psychology prepare students for the oftentimes rigorous schedule of juggling numbers and sorting endless information – skills a student needs to work on as an undergrad. But first, students must find his or her niche, and solidify their position within the field.

Lewandowski says that students may face the challenge of finding a professor who does research in the exact topic of their interest. "However, the good news is that any research experience is good research experience, and the exact topic is less important," he adds. "Even if you know you want to go on to study treatments for anorexia, your undergraduate research does not need to have the same focus."

Sometimes, the challenge is not finding a professor within the same niche to study under, but instead, locating people who are open to new theories and approaches within the field.

"I focus on applying biological concepts to social science," says Farrell, who studies topics such as why women and men make the choices they do in relationships. "It's a relatively new approach and because of this, sometimes people have not been receptive to my ideas."

However, Farrell says that over time, more people grew to realize that her work was correct, but she mentions that "being a thought leader in any profession can be daunting."

"You just have to do good work, have faith in your vision, stick to your guns, and keep moving forward," adds Farrell. She also says that developing a supportive group of friends, mentors, and loved ones makes a great deal of difference.

Becoming a psychologist that concentrates on research is often a time-consuming journey.

"One of the main challenges for our students is prioritizing their time to fit research into their busy lives," notes Metzger. "Once a student buys in to the idea that these experiences will be valuable to them, they'll need to prioritize their time to do these experiences as they are often completed outside the context of a class they are taking [for example]…they do research in their spare time."

Metzger says that some of the students at Ashland University may only have a few hours each week to devote to research, while others have considerably more time in the schedules for such activities. "Regardless of how much time they have to engage in the research process," adds Metzger. "Any exposure will be better than no exposure."

Farrell is also a reminder to students to remain steadfast in the field.

"Be prepared for long hours, and a lot of numerical and data analysis work," says Farrell. "On the flip side, this work could lead you to a very rewarding and financially lucrative career stretching from

entertainment, to business to health to politics; the world can be your oyster!"

Job Prospects for Psychology Researchers

Upon graduation, psychology researchers typically find jobs either out in the field, inside a classroom, or in a laboratory. The majority of lab research takes place in universities, government agencies (such as the National Institute of Health), and private research organizations. Some graduates may find employment in management or administration after serving many years as an active researcher.

Psychology researchers may work independently, join a team, or participate in collective research on a national or global level. In 2010, psychologists held about 174,000 jobs : working self-employed (about 34 percent), in educational services (29 percent), and in healthcare settings (20 percent). Some non-profit organizations and many colleges will hire people with a bachelor's degree in psychology to conduct research. A few government organizations and some private businesses may do the same.

The APA tells students to pool their resources and experiences as they look for a psychology research position , including internships, participating in service learning events, and even volunteering at a school. Eric Landrum, PhD, author of "Finding Jobs with a Psychology Bachelor's Degree," says that networking is critical. Staying in contact with professors and faculty is also an asset since graduates still require references and letters of recommendation when applying for psychology jobs.

However, it is the graduate with an advanced degree in psychology and solid experience under his or her belt that qualifies for more job opportunities. There are also many job positions available that incorporate other areas of interest, such as:

Alcohol and Drug Research: Example studies of interest include the impact of alcohol and drug abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, long-term effects of a drug on the central nervous system, or a drug's impact on a pregnancy.
Experimental Research: Researchers that enjoy conducting experiments in a lab often explore the cause and effect of human behavior, physiology, and psychology. They rely heavily upon test results, surveys, questionnaires, and observations.
Medical School Research: Speaks best to graduates with an interest in medicine, academia, obtaining grants/fellowships, and lecturing.
Military Research: Researchers may study post-traumatic stress disorder, the effects of war on soldiers during enlistment, depression and aggression within the armed forces, and drug use after retirement.
Nutrition Research: Questionnaires, surveys, and interviews help researchers study the eating habits of males and females, and sometimes involve issues, such as bulimia, anorexia, excessive weight control and malnutrition.
Social Research: Surveys, interviews, and observation helps with the field study of social issues, such as criminal activity, homelessness, and poverty.

Trends in Psychology Research

As the American population evolves, the demand for clinical and research psychologists increases. Research psychologists fill the duties of identifying the services and solutions that benefit an aging population who is living longer, and facing an upsurge in mental and physical obstacles.

Farrell says she is seeing a switch from compartmentalization to integration within the field. "…psychology is no longer just about your findings," she says. "…but finding out ways to apply your findings to other disciplines.

Psychology researchers play roles such as assisting in the development of programs for special groups , such as veterans with war trauma, individuals with autism, patients with mental disorders, and people with job stress.

The opportunities for people with advanced degrees in psychology are expanding in number, as there is a greater need to move towards illness prevention rather than simply making a diagnosis and treatment plan. The majority of today's issues within society involve behavior problems that include chronic health conditions or disease, drug addiction, poor personal relationships, disregard for the environment, and violence. Research psychologists play a greater role in contributing solutions to these problems by using thoughtful methods of data collection and analysis that helps develop effective intervention strategies.

The increasing diversity throughout America places research psychologists in higher demand to develop and enhance existing treatments and approaches to meet the growing needs of people representing different races and ethnicities.

Just as a constantly evolving society affects psychology research, advancements in technology also play a role in the current trends sweeping the field, such as:

The Internet: The Internet changes the face of data collection and the exchange of information. The advantages, such as having a greater access to research, helps improve the science of psychology. Research psychologists use prominent online databases, such as PsychInfo and ERIC, to aid the literature review process.

Psychologists also use email alerts to receive updates regarding the leading publications in the field. Other benefits include the sharing of cross-cultural psychology ideas, the ability to conduct online experiments, and the creation of archived data sets for secondary analysis.

Online research also has its downfalls that can detract from the validity and effectiveness of studies, including the potential for obtaining and spreading misinformation. One of the reasons the American Psychological Association's online journal Prevention & Treatment is a success hinges upon maintaining a high standard of scholarship. Not all resources follow suit, which causes a detrimental effect on the outcome of studies and data analysis.

Researchers who use the Internet as a tool for data collection must seek out reputable methods and sources of information, such as specially designed websites, highly rated, well-organized databases, and efficient software.

Advancements in Equipment and Software: Advancements in equipment and software play a significant part in the research process of psychologists that go beyond the distribution of research findings and using typical methods of data collection. Take the growth of Imaging and Computer Modeling equipment for example – researchers benefit from obtaining high resolution pictures of the brain to make determinations regarding certain cognitive processes.

Other examples of advanced technology include the MRI, thermal imaging, real-time tracking software, computer-assisted therapies, and upgraded electronic data collection tools, such as video recorders and tablet apps.

Psychologists generally keep up with the latest trends in research psychology by following current news, attending conferences, networking with colleagues, and continuing to learn more about their field. For example, psychological researchers can gain training and hands-on experience in a variety of areas by taking part in APA Advanced Training Institutes (ATIs) , which exposes participants to emerging technologies and the most current research methodologies.

To break into the research or academics field of psychology, students need to prepare for graduate and/or doctoral studies as early as possible. It's a long, rewarding journey involving a lot of hard work and patience. The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests that students with an interest in pursuing a career in psychology research need to "beef up" his or her resume, get published, and remain flexible in today's ever-fluctuating academic setting.

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5 Research Careers With a Master’s in Psychology

Industry Advice Healthcare

Working directly with patients in clinical settings isn’t the only way to put a graduate degree in psychology to good use. Research careers in psychology shape the direction of therapeutic strategies and public policies surrounding mental health. To effectively leverage findings in human behavior, several industries need researchers who can observe patients and identify behavioral patterns that affect mental well-being and decision-making.

This has led to an increased demand for psychology professionals. In fact, job growth in psychology careers is expected to increase six percent between 2022 and 2032—which is double the average growth for all other occupations.

Even with this job growth, many students still might be wondering: Is a master’s degree in psychology worth it?

Is a Master’s Degree in Psychology Worth It?

A master’s degree in psychology is an excellent investment for those looking to advance their education. While a bachelor’s degree in psychology can offer an adequate foundation of psychological methods and theories, many students need a master’s degree program to help identify what career is right for them.

“Students need more exposure to a graduate-level curriculum to really refine their goals in a certain area of psychology with the help of faculty advisors to help them shape that,” says Christie Rizzo, Associate Professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences.

Whether students plan to become psychologists , counselors , or pursue alternative careers in psychology, they need a strong foundation in behavioral theories. A master’s program provides evidence-based training that can be applied to real situations.

Some advantages students can expect from a psychology master’s degree program include:

Preparation for doctoral programs
Flexibility in career paths
Increased earning potential
Research opportunities
Skills development

Another key advantage is the access to expert mentorship. “It’s not just about the coursework,” Rizzo says. “It’s also the personalized advising that they get to help move them along.”

Experienced instructors can offer students broader knowledge of the professional options available, guide their interests, and provide opportunities to learn about developing research.

One possible job outcome these programs can highlight is careers in research. For example, a master’s degree program in applied psychology—the practical application of psychological principles and theories—can help students transfer skills from psychology to industries and job titles that are focused on research evaluation.

“Considering the different ways we’re taking psychology principles and applying them in the real world,” Rizzo says. “We need to know how to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation strategies. For that reason, the research component is incredibly important when studying applied psychology.”

If you’re interested in earning a master’s degree in applied psychology, here’s an overview of the industries hiring professionals with this educational background, as well as the top research careers in psychology that may be a good fit for you.

Top Industries in Psychology

Research careers in psychology can be rewarding for professionals who are passionate about the experimental and investigative aspects of studying behavior. Whether the goal is to work for nonprofits, public health agencies, or academic institutions, researchers are able to approach this discipline from many angles—ranging from observational studies to data analysis.

If you’re unsure of where your interests lie, here are some of the top industries hiring research-related psychology professionals.

Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofits like prevention research centers are among the most common employers for people with psychology degrees. These nonprofit organizations study the risk factors for specific types of behavior or mental health challenges and develop strategies to address these issues on an individual and community level. Through proactive interventions, these organizations strive to reduce negative health outcomes as much as possible.

Local, State, and Federal Government

Government agencies also have research-related jobs in psychology at the local, state, and federal level. Similar to nonprofits, they serve public needs and evaluate communities that require the most support. Child welfare services, community organizations, housing assistance, and health advocacy programs are just a few examples of sectors in government that provide job opportunities for psychology graduates.

Public Health and Healthcare

Public health departments and private healthcare organizations employ psychology professionals to evaluate trends and demographic factors to understand how to create successful health policies. These research-focused careers also aid in the development of public outreach technology, using data and digital tools to determine the best ways to gather public health information and communicate important initiatives to the community.

Research professionals who leverage psychology principles frequently work in schools, colleges, and universities to explore emerging ideas in the field. They identify obstacles in the industry and challenges affecting specific populations, using evidence-based practices to design research studies. Academic environments also offer the opportunity to conduct individual research, instruct other professionals, and publish ground-breaking studies in their given field.

5 Research Careers in Psychology

These industries only provide a snapshot of the types of careers that are available to professionals with a master’s degree in psychology. Here’s an overview of the most common research careers that leverage psychology.

1. Data Analyst

Annual Average Salary: $78,516

Data analysts in psychology research fields oversee databases and assure the quality of data collection, management, and evaluation practices. They leverage psychology principles to interpret and predict user behavior by understanding cognitive biases and decision-making patterns. They also apply psychological frameworks to design effective data visualizations and user interfaces, optimizing data communication within an organization to promote better decision-making.

2. Director of Research

Annual Average Salary: $148,216

A director of research oversees the operations for an institution or psychology department. They coordinate research projects, secure funding, supervise staff, and decide how to allocate resources. They utilize psychology to design experiments and surveys that account for human behavior and cognitive biases, ensuring the validity and reliability of the collected data. In addition, it can guide the development of research methodologies, enhancing the understanding of human motivations and reactions in their studies.

3. Market Research Analyst

Annual Average Salary: $68,230

Market research analysts study consumer and community behavior to aid in the development of products and services. Whether they work in psychology or consumer industries, market research analysts investigate the choices, perspectives, barriers, and behavioral patterns of specific audiences. Using surveys, studies, trend assessments, and data reporting, analysts can identify strategies to improve community outreach and communication.

4. Prevention Specialist

Annual Average Salary: $59,748

Prevention specialists work in prevention centers conducting research on specific aspects of behavioral or psychological health. For example, they might study the most effective approaches to drug prevention or research the best interventions to support families in financial distress. Their research enables organizations to develop programs and policies that reduce risk factors and address emerging issues as early as possible.

5. Research Coordinator

Annual Average Salary: $68,567

Research coordinators oversee individual research projects, ensuring they comply with industry regulations and organizational objectives. Coordinators are project managers, and directly report to a research director. They are in charge of making sure a project runs smoothly by supervising the research team, budget, data, public outreach, and all other project activities.

Take the First Step Toward a Psychology Career in Research

For professionals who want options, earning a master’s degree in applied psychology is one of the most advantageous ways to build a flexible career. A graduate degree allows you to pursue a career focused on a variety of specialities research, counseling, or even clinical psychology. However, this program ensures you have the right skills to take on almost all these roles.

“When students come out of a counseling-focused master’s degree, they don’t have that level of skill,” Rizzo says. “This is because the focus of those programs is asking students ‘How can you be an effective counselor? And how much research knowledge do you need to understand the most effective treatments?’ But it does not touch on the broader set of research skills.”

Northeastern University’s MS in Applied Psychology is specifically designed to prepare graduates for research careers in psychology. Graduates learn to analyze trends and statistics to gain insights and communicate them to a wider industry.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this program, contact an admissions counselor to explore your options.

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Become a Research Psychologist

If you like the idea of immersing yourself in the body of knowledge that has been accumulated in the field of psychology since its inception way back in antiquity, then working as a research psychologist in the field of experimental psychology is exactly the jobs you should be looking for.

People who specialize in research psychology and experimental psychology:

study behavior and cognition in humans and animals
develop experiments to test different aspects of how the mind works
formulate theories based on the results of their tests

By advancing the scope and depth of knowledge within the field of psychology, research psychology and experimental psychology professionals provide practitioners of all types of psychology with more and better tools to understand the human mind and help people live healthier and more enjoyable lives.

Specialists in research psychology and experimental psychology are generally found in academic environments such as colleges and universities, where they have access to libraries of supporting scholarly material and opportunities to learn from other psychology scholars and to teach students training for their own careers.

Psychology is a growing field that covers many areas. There are many different types of psychology, but the one thing they all have in common is that they study human behavior, including what people think, how they react, and how they feel. Research psychologists play an important role in the world today because they focus their research on human behavior so that they can help people and help the psychologist that may be offering services to this individual.

What is a Research Psychologist?

A research psychologist studies everything pertaining to an individual’s human behavior, including how they act, think, feel, and learn. They study many topics that affect people, including the effects of alcoholism or drug abuse, causes of depression, how different people learn, and even the effectiveness of the prison system.

They may work in various settings, including private industries or academia. There are various employment options a research psychologist may choose, but they are all based on and involve research. Research psychologists also study the role genetics plays in behavior.

Candidates who have an interest in both animal and human behavior typically find this the ideal career choice. In addition to performing intensive research, these professionals also do detailed observations, complete case studies, give interviews, and spend a lot of time analyzing the results of their findings. They also provide other psychologists with their findings and observations.

Required skills

In addition to meeting the education and training requirements for becoming a research psychologist, the individual must also possess other skills.

Research skills – The majority of the research psychologist’s workday deals with research so the candidate must have good research skills.
Analytical skills – Once the research is completed, the research psychologist must analyze what it means, so they must have good analytical skills.
Ability to teach – This is especially important if the research psychologist chooses a career in academia.
Extensive knowledge of the human mind – This is necessary because so much of the job entails analyzing what makes people think, feel and act as they do.
Knowledge of brain anatomy – This is also important because it helps the research psychologist better understand human behavior.
Community skills – A research psychologist needs good communication and interpersonal skills because they spend a lot of time interviewing patients and reporting their findings to others.
Objectivity – The research psychologist must have the ability to remain objective regardless of what he obtains through research and analysis.

Students pursuing a career as a research psychologist will complete a variety of courses through each degree level. General education courses are generally required for entry into a bachelor’s degree program. Courses in a bachelor’s degree psychology program may include:

Common issues in psychology
Developmental psychology
Behavioral neuroscience
Clinical psychology
Organizational psychology
Abnormal psychology
Human cognition

When completing the graduate degree program, you’ll have courses like:

Social Psychology
Child Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Experimental Psychology

In addition to all the courses required, students will also learn research methods and will perform extensive research on various topics. They’ll also learn the importance of delivering findings and analysis to other psychologists.

Doctoral degree students will also have to pass a comprehensive examination and write a dissertation based on research the student has completed. This degree typically requires the student to complete a fellowship or internship so that he or she can obtain state licensure.

Online programs

Research psychologist programs are offered as online programs at many colleges and universities. The online programs are offered at the bachelor and graduate degree levels. However, the online psychology programs are most often at the master’s or doctoral degree level. At this point in the student’s academic career, he or she has a good understanding of psychology.

The online programs offer the student the opportunity to work and earn the degree at the same time. Most students will work in psychology settings, which can give them additional work experience, fulfill internship requirements, and enhance their resume for when they do graduate and seek work as research psychologists.

The online psychology programs may be 100 percent online or hybrid programs. Rather than come to class on campus every day, the student logs in to the school site and participates through virtual learning or a variety of learning tools such as DVDs, virtual classrooms, streaming media, and more. Online programs have become very popular because of the flexibility they offer students.

How to Become a Research Psychologist – Several Steps

1. earn a bachelor’s degree.

Becoming a research psychologist requires several years of study and training. There is a step-by-step process a candidate must complete to become a research psychologist. First, you must earn a bachelor’s degree. While the bachelor’s degree doesn’t necessarily need to be in psychology, it will be very beneficial if it is in psychology because the bachelor’s teaches students the fundamentals of psychology.

2. Start your research

Additionally, if the student chooses the bachelor’s degree in psychology, the student can complete advanced psychology courses while also choosing specific areas of research they wish to develop. Psychology-based student groups and honors societies for psychology students are available for students to join. These help the students gain even more knowledge on research and psychology.

3. Gain work experience

The years spent earning the bachelor’s degree can also be spent working in research and psychology. The more research experiences a student obtains, the better it will help that student when it’s time to pursue an advanced degree. Working at a university can help the student work with professors that may provide letters of recommendation when the student is out of college and seeking work in that field.

4. Earn a master’s degree

The next step towards becoming a research psychologist is earning a master’s degree in psychology with a concentration in research psychology. The concentration may also be in experimental psychology since experimental psychology and research psychology are so similar. While still an undergraduate student, you can become gathering your letters of recommendation, writing personal statements, and taking the GRE, which are all required for entry into the master’s degree program.

5. Earn a doctoral degree

To become a research psychologist, an individual should have a doctoral degree in some sort of psychology field, such as clinical, developmental, cognitive, personality, social or experimental. The National Science Foundation indicates that a student can earn a research psychologist Ph.D. degree in seven to eight years from the time he or she starts the master’s degree program.

Salary and Career Outlook

A regular psychologist who spends much of his work time doing research is generally considered a research psychologist. The career outlook for psychologists, in general, is very good according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They reported that psychologists could see job growth of six percent between 2021 and 2031.

Psychologists in the “all other” category, the group in which research psychologists are rated, are expected to see higher job growth. Psychologists with a doctoral degree, such as research psychologists, should have the best job opportunities and career growth. The BLS predicts that about 14,100 new jobs should be created for psychologists each year until 2031.

Psychologists earn annual wages ranging from $47,850 to $133,890 as of May 2021. Their average annual wage nationwide is $102,900. Their average hourly wage is about $50.86 according to the BLS. Research psychologists are often referred to as experimental psychologists, and they are among the highest paying jobs in psychology.

Salary.com reports that research psychologists in the U.S. earn an average of $101,409 as of May 2023. The actual wages earned by research psychologists can change from one wage reporting agency to another. These factors can also determine wage potential for research psychologists.

Relevant work experience
Certifications
Type of employer
Geographic location

Research psychologists work in a variety of settings. They often work in an academic setting but also perform fieldwork or work in laboratories. They can also find work in government settings, for private research facilities, in universities, or as part of a global or national team. Some research psychologists choose to work independently.

Graduates of doctoral degree programs in research psychology qualify for many different job titles.

Environmental Psychologist
Clinical Research Psychologist
Staff Psychologist
Medical Psychologist
Principal Psychologist
Psychologist
Consultant Psychologist
Personnel Research Psychologist
Personnel Psychologist
Operational Psychologist

Research psychology and experimental psychology jobs can be found in:

Academic environments such as colleges and universities
Private research institutions
Non-profit foundations
Government laboratories

These researchers and psychologists strive to understand mental or emotional phenomena or to cure or mitigate specific behavioral or cognitive disorders.

Q : Do research psychologists earn the same type of salary as clinical psychologists?

A : According to the American Psychological Association , research psychologist and clinical psychologist wages are quite similar. The only type of psychologists that earn higher wages are managerial psychologists.

Q : Are the online psychology programs as good as the on-campus programs?

A : As long as you choose an accredited college, you’ll be getting the same kind of education except it will be done at home. Look for schools that are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation .

Q : Can I work as a research psychologist with only a master’s degree?

A : Research psychologists should have a doctoral degree, especially if they wish to obtain licensure.

Q : When choosing a bachelor’s degree program, should it be a B.A. or B.S. ?

A : BA programs are very good programs, but a BS program is more geared toward a student who wants to perform research, which is what research psychologists spend most of their time doing.

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5 Research Careers With a Master’s in Psychology

Is a Master’s Degree in Psychology Worth It?

Some advantages students can expect from a psychology master’s degree program include:

Preparation for doctoral programs
Flexibility in career paths
Increased earning potential
Research opportunities
Skills development

Another key advantage is the access to expert mentorship. “It’s not just about the coursework,” Rizzo says. “It’s also the personalized advising that they get to help move them along.”

Experienced instructors can offer students broader knowledge of the professional options available, guide their interests, and provide opportunities to learn about developing research.

Top Industries in Psychology

If you’re unsure of where your interests lie, here are some of the top industries hiring research-related psychology professionals.

Nonprofit Organizations

Local, State, and Federal Government

Public Health and Healthcare

5 Research Careers in Psychology

1. Data Analyst

Annual Average Salary: $78,516

2. Director of Research

Annual Average Salary: $148,216

3. Market Research Analyst

Annual Average Salary: $68,230

4. Prevention Specialist

Annual Average Salary: $59,748

5. Research Coordinator

Annual Average Salary: $68,567

Take the First Step Toward a Psychology Career in Research

If you’re interested in finding out more about this program, contact an admissions counselor to explore your options.

Ready to map your path? Navigate your psychology career here.

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Psychology Undergraduate Program

Department of Psychology

Finding a Research Lab

"When I joined a lab, I watched firsthand as graduate students navigated through different phases of the research process - designing a study, collecting data, analyzing that data - and was even able to participate in that process myself. No amount of classwork or reading can match that direct experience."

- Micaela Rodriguez, Class of 2020 Concentrator

Working in a research lab is an incredible experience and there are many options available to you! This page is your guide to getting involved in psychology research as an undergraduate at Harvard.

What is Lab Research?

Lab research is how psychological scientists make discoveries. When you work in a lab, you can expect to be involved in all aspects of the experimental research process: completing administrative tasks that keep the lab and its research projects running, reading and reviewing literature, collecting, coding and analyzing data, preparing written and oral reports, and participating in lab meetings and journal clubs. Labs are run by a Principal Investigator (or PI) who is usually a faculty member. Most undergraduates working in labs are closely mentored by a graduate student or postdoc in the lab in addition to the PI. Over 85% of Psychology concentrators at Harvard conduct research in a lab at some point during their academic career!

We maintain a list of past undergradauates who have been enrolled in lab courses with various supervisors and are willing to be in touch about their experience. If you would like to be put in touch with a past student, please reach out to Garth Coombs ( [email protected] ).

How Do I Find a Lab to Join?

There are several places you can check for lab research opportunities! Here are a few to get you started...

The UGO's Departmental Research Opportunities - Each semester, labs that are actively seeking undergraduates for research assistantships post openings here. See each posting for more information about current projects and how to get involved in them.
The UGO's Non-Departmental Research Opportunities - Opportunities for undergraduate research sponsored by faculty outside of the Psychology Department at Harvard.
The UGO's Summer Opportunities - Updated in December/January with opportunities for the following summer. Check back often for updates!
Faculty Lab Websites - Each Psychology faculty member has a lab website that describes the research program of the lab and provides contact information. If you find a lab you’re interested in, contact the faculty member or lab manager to see if there are any open opportunities for undergraduates!
Board of Honors Tutors - This is a list of researchers in psychology and related disciplines from the broader Harvard community who may be interested in supervising undergraduate research assistants. Reach out to any faculty whose research interests you!
The MBB Program's Research and Other Opportunities Board - Not monitored by the Department of Psychology, but these postings may be applicable to Psychology students. Check back often for updates!

For a discussion of helpful issues to consider when joining a lab and matching with a faculty mentor, check out this Neuron article on How to Pick a Graduate Advisor (the tips are equally helpful for undergraduates).

You can also check out our handout How to Join a Lab!

How Do I Reach Out?

If the lab has posted on the UGO's Departmental Research Listings , they will provide contact information and tell you what they are looking for from you (resumé, e-mail expressing interest, etc.). If you have explored their lab site and have not found any contact information, you are welcome to reach out to the faculty member or lab manager, usually via e-mail.

In your e-mail, you should briefly introduce yourself (name, status as a Harvard undergraduate), and explain what areas of their research interest you. This means you should have done your homework and know what work is being done in the lab. Finally, you can politely ask if there are any openings for a research assistant for the coming semester. Be sure to clarify whether you are seeking course credit, volunteer work, or a paid position.

Here is a fantastic resource for e-mail etiquette you might want to consult before hitting "send"!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time will i spend working in the lab .

If you’re working in the lab for course credit , you are expected to commit 8-10 hours a week to the lab.

If you want to see what it's like to work in the lab without making a semester-long commitment, you might start by volunteering in the lab for a few hours a week or asking permission to sit in on a few discussion groups or lab meetings. Some labs are not able to accommodate this type of request, but will most likely be willing to meet with you and show you the lab.

In general, faculty members are looking for people who seem interested and excited by their research and would be dedicated research assistants. Keep this in mind when inquiring!

Can I change labs?

You certainly can! Sometimes students stay in the first lab they work in for several semesters or several years. Other students try out several different labs over the course of their time in the concentration. Some labs have commitment expectations - e.g., a two-semester minimum, and you’ll want to be sure you’re aware of this up front. You’re likely to have the most fulfilling research experience when you’re excited about the research ideas and work in the lab, and it may take time to find your true passion. Feel free to check in with your CA or the UGO for advice on changing labs, and keep the conversation open and honest with your supervisors as well!

Will I come up with my own project idea, or will I be assigned to an ongoing project ?

It depends! This will vary by lab – typically, you’ll be assigned to an ongoing project that a graduate student or postdoc is working on. If you’re pursuing a thesis project, however, you’ll take an independent role in developing the study and making an original intellectual contribution. It’s good to start by working on a project that the lab is already equipped to conduct – that way, you’ll already have ready access to subject pools, equipment, and lab members familiar with your topic and methods.

Are you interested in getting involved in research in the Psychology Department but not sure where to start? Chat with Garth

Research Experiences: What does research in the Department look like? What labs might be a good fit with my particular interests? How do I find and reach out to labs?
Post-graduate Plans: How do I set myself up for or apply to graduate school? What about research assistant positions?
Honors Thesis: Is a thesis for me? What is the thesis process like? How and when do I get started? Which faculty are eligible to supervise a thesis?

Before your meeting, think about what kinds of research interest you. Which psychology courses did you enjoy the most? Did you read an article or hear a speaker discuss a topic that made you want to learn more?

Email Garth at [email protected] with any questions or to schedule an appointment!

Departmental Research Opportunities
Non-Departmental Research Opportunities
Board of Honors Tutors
Course Credit for Research
Post-Graduate Research Jobs
Summer Opportunities

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Undergraduate
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Research Experience

Research experience is very important for anyone considering graduate work in psychology. In many graduate programs, much of your time will be spent doing research. Admissions committees for such programs want to know that research is something you have already done, something you are good at, and also something you enjoy and want to continue. Remember, the people who decide which applicants to admit are the faculty members in the specific area to which you are applying. When they make admissions decisions, they are choosing people who will be not only their students, but also their research associates, for the next few years.

One plus of doing research as an undergraduate is that you can ask the faculty member for whom you work to write a letter of recommendation for you. A letter from someone who already views you as a valued member of his or her research team can be an important component of your application package.

Another plus of doing research as an undergraduate is that it lets you learn if this is something on which you would like to spend a lot of your time -- a good thing to find out before you choose a particular graduate school program! Some graduate psychology programs are less research-oriented than others. If you want to pursue graduate studies in psychology, but you would prefer not to spend a large proportion of your time on research, consider these options. Even for these programs, however, research experience as an undergraduate is likely to be an important credential. See the research opportunities section of our website to learn more about ways to get involved in research as an undergraduate psychology student.

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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Nearly all of the faculty members at the Department of Psychology have active research programs, and our undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to participate in ongoing research. Working as a research assistant provides hands-on opportunities to learn about research methods, see how the knowledge in your textbooks was generated, build skills in scientific programming, data analysis, and science communication, and develop close mentorship relationships with professors and doctoral students. Working in a lab might also:

Help you develop your academic and research interests
Identify potential future academic and professional opportunities
Improve future graduate school applications (research experience is often expected)
Help you develop specialized research skills (e.g., eye-tracking, fMRI, computational modeling)
Provide opportunities to collaborate with other students
Provide an opportunity to develop a close mentorship relationship with a faculty member, which is a great way to get advice on your educational and professional goals, and can lead to letters of recommendation--an important part of graduate school applications.

NYU Access Grads

NYU Access Grads connects undergraduates with graduate students, research opportunities, and the scientific community at New York University. We assist motivated psychology students from all backgrounds by pairing them with a graduate student mentor in the Social Psychology and Cognition and Perception (C&P) Department based on their interests and goals. Graduate student mentors give undergraduate menteess insights into what it is like to do science day to day, how to navigate the graduate school application process, and the kinds of careers they can have in psychology. Graduate student mentors can also help mentees get started in research by helping them find research assistant positions and independent research opportunities. For questions, email Nick Fendinger ( [email protected] ) or the Access Grads team ( [email protected] ). To apply, follow this link .

When to get involved in research

It is a good idea to get involved in research as early in your undergraduate career as possible! Many labs are enthusiastic to take first- or second- year students, because students who find a good fit with a lab can continue on for multiple semesters and make a more lasting contribution to the lab. Other labs look for students to have had certain coursework before being ready to contribute to the lab as an RA, and thus might be better suited for more advanced students. If you are interested in one of these labs and contact them early, you can learn about those requirements and make plans accordingly. Also, getting involved in research early might give you the opportunity to gain experience in more than one lab, which can help you develop more skills and further refine your interests. If you aim to complete an Honors Thesis or apply for a grant to do a more independent project in a lab, such as through the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund , it is also a good idea to start in a lab early, as many labs expect students to have worked as a research assistant in the lab for a certain amount of time before pursuing these opportunities.

How to identify a research mentor

There are several possible ways to find a research laboratory to join.

Look through the List of Faculty Labs. Most lab websites include information about current projects and recent papers, so you can get a sense of the research being conducted in the lab and how it fits with your interests and goals.
Visit the office hours of a professor whose course you are taking to discuss your interests and get their recommendations about which labs in the department might be a good fit for you.

How to contact a potential research mentor

There are several ways to contact a potential research mentor.

Many labs have links on their lab websites to apply directly to the lab; if you see an online application, that is the best approach to use for that lab.
If you cannot find an online application on a lab website, you can email the professor directly (unless their website has a note to email a lab manager or designated graduate student instead; a lab manager is usually a full-time lab employee whose job it is to coordinate lab activities, often this person is someone who is a recently-graduated psychology major looking to get more research experience before applying to graduate school).
When emailing a professor, graduate student, or lab manager to ask about a possible research position:
Explain who you are (e.g., that you are a third-year psychology major, etc.)
Explain what interests you about their research
Explain how you will be an asset to the lab (e.g., courses you have taken, programming experience, other practical skills)
Explain how this experience will help you as you develop your career path
Provide a resume with examples of leadership, self-motivation, and dedication to work tasks
Ask to schedule a time to meet to discuss a position or further options

When meeting with a professor, graduate student, or lab manager to discuss a possible research position:

Treat it as if it were a professional job interview
Do research on the lab (e.g., by reading articles on the lab website) and be ready to discuss why you are interested in the lab in particular
Be clear about your availability and how much time you have to devote to research
Be prepared to ask questions! These could include:
What will my role in the lab be?
What types of skills could I acquire in the lab?
How many semesters or years do research assistants often stay in the lab? Is there a minimum expectation?
Who would serve as my primary mentor and supervisor? How frequently will I be expected or able to meet with them?
Am I expected or invited to attend lab meetings?
How many undergraduate research assistants work in the lab at a time? Will I work mostly on my own or as part of a team?
What type of schedule is expected? How many hours a week will I contribute, and how much of that time will be in-person vs. remote?
What kind of training is provided?
Could you tell me more about the lab’s current research projects?
I had a question/idea about one of the lab’s papers that I read….
(If you are interested) Are research assistants in the lab expected/encouraged/allowed to write DURF applications?
(If you are interested) Does the lab take on students to complete honors theses? What is the process like for accepting students for this program?
(If you are interested) Does the lab support applications for students to receive academic credit for their research experience? (see more about these options below)
(If you are speaking to a lab manager/graduate student, and are interested), How much will I get to know Dr. X (the professor who runs the lab)? Assuming my work in the lab goes well, is it reasonable to expect that I would get to know Dr. X well enough to ask for a letter of recommendation for graduate school?
(If the person you are speaking with has suggested that you might not be the right fit at this time) What courses could I take to help me become better prepared to work in this lab?

Receiving Academic Course Credit for Research Experience in Labs

There are several ways to receive academic course credit for working as a research assistant in a lab in the psychology department. Note that a student can take up to 12 credits of internship/supervised reading credits (covering both Research Experience in psychology and Supervised Reading in Psychology), and no more of 8 of these can be in one department.

Research Experience in Psychology is a two-credit, graded course that you can register for to receive academic credit for your work as a research assistant in a lab. When you are meeting with the faculty member (or lab manager or graduate student) to discuss your research position, let them know that you are interested in this option. Together with your primary mentor in the lab, you’ll need to fill out and submit a brief application (available by emailing: [email protected]), which describes your educational goals, responsibilities, and scheduling requirements for the position. Once your application is approved, you’ll be able to register for the class. At the end of the semester, the professor running the lab will submit a grade for your work at the end of the term. Generally, students registered for this course should expect to complete about 8 hours per week in the lab, perhaps in addition to attending lab or project meetings, but check with each lab for specific expectations. The credits received for this course do not fulfill the formal laboratory requirement that is part of psychology major or count towards the total required credits for the psychology major or minor.

Supervised Reading in Psychology is a course that covers a variety of internships that psychology majors may choose to complete to advance their educational and professional goals as psychology students, including internships as research assistants in faculty labs. The process and requirements are very similar to Research Experience in Psychology, and a similar application must be completed. This course can be registered for between 2-4 credits per semester, depending on how much time will be devoted to the research internship (to discuss how many credits are appropriate, please email [email protected]). The credits received for this course do not fulfill the formal laboratory requirement that is part of the psychology major, but do count as an Advanced Elective towards the psychology major or minor.

Honors Program in Psychology . The Honors Program gives Psychology majors the opportunity to engage in closely supervised--yet independent--research and scholarship; prepares them for graduate-level work in psychology or related professional fields such as business, law, or medicine; and provides them with experiences and skills that may help them attain their career objectives. Students apply for admission to the Honors Program in their sophomore or junior year, with occasional exceptions for late-transfer students.

Grants to Support Undergraduate Research

Once you are working in a departmental lab, you might be able to work with the professor or an advanced doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow to develop an application for funding! This can increase your access to new research projects and provides opportunities for great experiences and accomplishments to list on your resume or CV.

The Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund (DURF) accepts applications 2 times per year to support student research and conference travel. The DURF considers all undergraduate research assistants who submit an abstract and rationale for funding research costs up to $1000.

The NYU Wasserman center provides an opportunity every semester for current NYU undergraduates working in an unpaid internship position to apply for a $1000 Wasserman Internship Grant .

Other opportunities for undergraduate research are available via PsiChi (the undergraduate Psychology honor society).

Paid Internship Opportunities

The psychology department views interning in psychology labs as part of undergraduate academic training and therefore the primary means of supporting this work is via academic credit, as described above. Yet, some faculty labs are able to offer paid research internship opportunities, as part of the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program , via programs supported by the National Institutes of Health to increase diversity in the scientific workforce , or other research funding agencies. Some labs offer a limited number of paid internship positions throughout the year and some do so only over the summer. Active paid internship positions in the department will be listed below.

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How to Use Psychological Research A Guide for Those New to Studying Psychology

Amanda Morris - University of Essex, UK
Tracey Elder - Open University (Milton Keynes), UK
Description

Knowing how to find, analyse, and write about research papers is a foundational skill of your psychology degree that will set you up to ace your assessments.

This book equips you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to effectively use psychological research in your essays and reports. Using annotated examples and written in an accessible and interactive style that presumes no prior knowledge of psychology, it demonstrates how to glean exactly what you need from research papers to convey your points without getting side-tracked, allowing you to showcase your understanding of key concepts.

How to Use Psychological Research is essential reading at the start of your degree and a useful guide for assessments throughout your studies.

Amanda Morris is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex and an Associate Lecturer at the Open University.

Tracey Elder is a Senior Lecturer and Staff Tutor at the Open University.

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

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Understanding Research

Information Sources

Choose a Topic

Identify Keywords
Search the Databases

Evaluate Sources

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Write and Review This link opens in a new window
Test Your Knowledge

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The Research Process

Research is a life skill. You use it every day - which smartphone should you buy? What college should you choose?

You apply the same skills in your coursework for papers, presentations, discussion posts, and more. It is crucial to know how to navigate through the research process because details for each step of the research process will vary depending on the topic, available research, and assignment or research goal. The main idea behind each step, however, will always remain the same.

Are there assigned topics? Can you choose your own? What are you interested in or passionate about? How many sources are needed?

Brainstorm Keywords

Think of narrow, broad, related, and similar (synonyms) words that represent the main ideas of your topic or question.

Search in the Databases

Input your keywords in different combinations in the library databases. AND combines different ideas, and OR combines keywords for the same idea.

Once you've found sources on your topic, review the sources to make sure they are objective, accurate, and meet the assignment requirements.

Revise or Refine Your Search

Did you find what you needed? If not, think of more keywords or try different databases to find better sources.

Cite Sources

Once you're happy with your sources, make sure to pull the citation information from the database. Review the citation formatting for any mistakes.

Write and Review

Now that you have your sources, start writing. Remember, you can always go back and find more sources if you need to!

Remember that the research process takes time and effort. You should not expect to complete all of these steps in only a few hours. By thoughtfully approaching your assignment you will be able to pick a reasonable topic, research the topic, and compose an organized piece of scholarly research.

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Research Roundup: How the Pandemic Changed Management

Mark C. Bolino,
Jacob M. Whitney,
Sarah E. Henry

Lessons from 69 articles published in top management and applied psychology journals.

Researchers recently reviewed 69 articles focused on the management implications of the Covid-19 pandemic that were published between March 2020 and July 2023 in top journals in management and applied psychology. The review highlights the numerous ways in which employees, teams, leaders, organizations, and societies were impacted and offers lessons for managing through future pandemics or other events of mass disruption.

The recent pandemic disrupted life as we know it, including for employees and organizations around the world. To understand such changes, we recently reviewed 69 articles focused on the management implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. These papers were published between March 2020 and July 2023 in top journals in management and applied psychology.

Mark C. Bolino is the David L. Boren Professor and the Michael F. Price Chair in International Business at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. His research focuses on understanding how an organization can inspire its employees to go the extra mile without compromising their personal well-being.
JW Jacob M. Whitney is a doctoral candidate in management at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business and an incoming assistant professor at Kennesaw State University. His research interests include leadership, teams, and organizational citizenship behavior.
SH Sarah E. Henry is a doctoral candidate in management at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business and an incoming assistant professor at the University of South Florida. Her research interests include organizational citizenship behaviors, workplace interpersonal dynamics, and international management.

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What a Dose of Happiness Can Do for Your Mind

New research shows how having a good memory involves more than brain cells..

Posted March 30, 2024 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

People with calm personalities also seem to have good memories, but other factors are also at play.
A new comprehensive longitudinal study shows the role of positive affect in preserving memory in later life.
By tackling your mood, you can feel more in control of your mental abilities, no matter what your age.

When you think about the factors that influence your memory , it’s likely that one of the first you consider is how well your brain is functioning. Indeed, many of the latest political discussions about age and memory center around the assumption that older people have lost too many brain cells to be able to retain anything new, much less remember the past.

Research on aging and cognition continues to show the many mental strengths of older adults, particularly when it comes to demonstrating knowledge based on experience and judgment. However, the underlying stereotypes that pervade the media are that memory shows a straight downhill course throughout adulthood.

How Personality Can Make a Difference

According to new research by a University of California, Davis team headed by Sarah Tomaszewski Farias (2024), personality can play an impressive role in affecting an individual’s memory—not only in normal aging, but also in risk for Alzheimer’s disease. One route through which this can happen, they point out, is that people high in the trait of neuroticism are more likely to experience chronic stress as well as feelings of sadness and depression . Cortisol, the stress hormone, can have harmful effects on brain health.

While suggestive, older neuroticism findings didn’t directly address the question of mood’s effect on cognition. Being high on a trait defined in terms of worry and anxiety does not necessarily mean that an individual would be depressed enough to suffer the neurological changes associated with poorer memory. More is needed to explain how a person's day-to-day feelings can affect the ability to think clearly and remember what's important.

Testing the Mood-Memory Connection

To compare personality traits vs. mood and other non-trait measures, the UC Davis authors were able to draw from data collected on 157 individuals ages 60 and older who enrolled in the university’s longitudinal diversity cohort. The English- and Spanish-speaking members of the study (40 percent racial/ ethnicity other than White) provided brain scan data at the start of the study, which provided baseline estimates of brain volumes and the presence of abnormalities known as white matter hyperintensities (abnormally dense areas on brain scans).

The participants were followed on an annual basis with diagnostic testing to assess their neurological status. At the end of the period, they completed standard trait personality measures as well as questionnaires tapping into purpose in life, self-efficacy (feelings of self-confidence ), sadness, anger , happiness , joy, loneliness , and feelings of serenity and peace.

Taking advantage of the longitudinal nature of the study, Tomaszewski Farias and her collaborators were able to conduct statistical tests in which the cognitive outcomes were plotted as a function of the personality and other psychological measures while controlling for baseline brain measurements. The authors used statistical modeling to construct change scores over time in cognitive functioning, providing estimates for episodic memory (recall of events), semantic memory (recall of words and information), spatial ability, and executive functioning , (tested by, for example, generating words in response to specific prompts). The authors also imposed a rigorous statistical constraint on the analyses to avoid capitalizing on chance.

Turning to the findings, the prediction equations revealed poorer episodic memory in participants high in sadness and low in self-efficacy. People higher in executive functioning were higher in the trait of openness to experience , replicating other results; mood was not significant in predicting this cognitive ability. Spatial ability, however, was predicted by sadness and self-efficacy, although neuroticism also played a role. All of these analyses controlled for baseline brain functioning.

Coming up with a global cognitive score, the UC Davis researchers then put all of the predictors into one equation. In this analysis, none of the personality scores reached the level of significance. Instead, mood rose to the top of the prediction formula.

As the authors concluded, having “the experience of pleasurable emotions and interactions with the environment ” (p. 193) can lower the risk of cognitive decline in later adulthood. Importantly, the predictive effects of mood on cognition were reduced but not completely eliminated when the authors controlled for baseline brain measures. This finding could suggest that being generally in a good mood could help people overcome even some structural changes that may appear on brain scans.

Putting Your Mood to Work

Why would mood have such a powerful effect on cognitive decline? Expanding on their analysis of the previous literature used as the basis for the study, the authors describe one compelling pathway.

People higher in positive affect are less likely to activate the pathways connecting hormones to the brain which can result in the destruction of neurons through inflammation. Being in a good mood, further, can lead to increases in the release of dopamine , a neurotransmitter known to be involved in both memory and creative problem-solving.

Positive affect can also lead people to take more positive steps to remain engaged in behaviors and lifestyles that promote cardiovascular health. As shown in prior research, people who are generally in a good mood are more likely to engage in exercise. Being able to think positively could also help older individuals ward off stereotype threat (Barber, 2017), the belief in the inevitability of memory loss with age, which can lead to a defeatist attitude.

The good news from this well-controlled and extensive investigation relates to the implication that cognitive change in adulthood, including the years past 60, is "plastic," or able to be altered. In the words of the authors, “Essentially all of the psychological characteristics examined in this study have been shown to be modifiable, at least to some degree” (p. 196).

Some strategies for engaging in these modifiable steps include the many positive psychology interventions including mindfulness , practicing gratitude , and boosting one’s self-efficacy. In cases of clinically diagnosed depression, treatment is not only possible but highly effective.

However, the potential of this good news to have an impact can only be realized if individuals are willing to challenge the considered wisdom that memory and other key cognitive functions are destined to decline. One small memory slip is not a symptom of a dementing illness, as you can see from this National Institute of Aging website .

To sum up, knowing that your mood is key to maintaining your memory can provide you with some very real strategies to prevent the outcomes that you fear . Tackling your mood head-on will allow you to maintain the cognitive skills so important to a fulfilling life, no matter your age.

Barber, S. J. (2017). An examination of age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline. Perspectives on Psychological Science : A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, , 12 (1), 62-90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616656345

Tomaszewski Farias, S., De Leon, F. S., Gavett, B. E., Fletcher, E., Meyer, O. L., Whitmer, R. A., DeCarli, C., & Mungas, D. (2024). Associations between personality and psychological characteristics and cognitive outcomes among older adults. Psychology and Aging, 39(2), 188-198. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000792

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. , is a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her latest book is The Search for Fulfillment.

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COMMENTS

Research Psychology Careers: How to Become a Research Psychologist
Many students interested in becoming research psychologists begin with a bachelor's in psychology. However, some come from a background in a related area such as social work or even from an entirely unrelated degree area altogether. Remember, it is possible to switch to psychology for graduate school, even if your undergraduate degree is in an ...
8 Careers To Consider For Research Psychologists
1. Earn a bachelor's degree. The first step to becoming a research psychologist is earning a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field. As an undergraduate student, you'll learn the fundamentals of psychology and work your way toward studying advanced course materials.
How to Become a Research Psychologist
A career in psychology usually requires a graduate degree, and the sub-field of research psychology is certainly no different. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most research psychologists need not just a Master's degree, but a full-out Ph.D. or PsyD, to land a job of pleasing stature. Hence, normally expect 5-6 years of study even ...
Becoming a Research Psychologist
Types of Psychology Research Methods. Psychology research takes place inside of laboratories, and often includes experiments, testing, and the analysis of statistical data. Psychology researchers may also work in the field (gathering data in hospitals, schools, workplaces, and even on city streets) with a goal to observe and study behavior in ...
Careers in Research Psychology
Career opportunities in research psychology typically require a master's or doctorate degree (see: Grad School Prep). Researchers work mostly within higher education in psychology departments, as well as medical and business schools. There also are researchers employed in various government, non-profit, and private-sector positions. ...
5 Research Careers With a Master's in Psychology
1. Data Analyst. Annual Average Salary: $78,516. Data analysts in psychology research fields oversee databases and assure the quality of data collection, management, and evaluation practices. They leverage psychology principles to interpret and predict user behavior by understanding cognitive biases and decision-making patterns.
What it's really like to be a psychology researcher
Becoming an academic researcher is a path that ends up appealing to many, because it provides an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of scienctific knowledge and investigate fascinating theories. For PhD candidate and sessional academic Sasha Davies, being a psychology researcher means working to unlock the mysteries of so-called 'baby ...
How to Become a Research Psychologist: Steps and Skills
Here are six steps you can follow to become a research psychologist: 1. Complete your A-levels. To become a research psychologist, you first complete your GCSEs or equivalent with grades A to C in English language, maths and a science. You also require A-levels of at least grade B in maths, a science and at least one other subject.
How to Become a Research Psychologist
These help the students gain even more knowledge on research and psychology. 3. Gain work experience. The years spent earning the bachelor's degree can also be spent working in research and psychology. The more research experiences a student obtains, the better it will help that student when it's time to pursue an advanced degree.
5 Research Careers With a Master's in Psychology
1. Data Analyst. Data analysts in psychology research fields oversee databases and assure the quality of data collection, management, and evaluation practices. They leverage psychology principles to interpret and predict user behavior by understanding cognitive biases and decision-making patterns.
Research careers with a bachelor's degree in psychology
Research assistant. The research assistant is the entry level research job for someone with a bachelor's degree in psychology. This is where I started my career in academic research. These jobs can also be called a program assistant, research support specialist or research technician. Research assistants do the daily work that moves research ...
Research Methods In Psychology
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc. Research methods in psychology are systematic procedures used to observe, describe, predict, and explain behavior and mental processes. They include experiments, surveys, case studies, and naturalistic observations, ensuring data collection is objective and reliable to understand and explain psychological phenomena.
Psychology Research Jobs, Employment
The Research in Spatial Cognition (RISC) Lab at Temple University is hiring a full-time research assistant to work 40 hours per week on Temple's main campus to ... The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal and quantitative skills, programming experience, some experience in psychology or neuroscience research, and ...
Finding a Research Lab
Faculty Lab Websites - Each Psychology faculty member has a lab website that describes the research program of the lab and provides contact information. If you find a lab you're interested in, contact the faculty member or lab manager to see if there are any open opportunities for undergraduates! Board of Honors Tutors - This is a list of ...
How to Do Psychology Research: Introductory Guide
Psychology is a very exciting field, and many students find great personal meaning in conducting psychology research. For example, through Polygence I have worked with students who used psychology to: identify factors that predict mental health issues; encourage people to make more environmentally friendly choices; and develop a novel mobile application to improve mental health.
Research Experience
Research Experience. Research experience is very important for anyone considering graduate work in psychology. In many graduate programs, much of your time will be spent doing research. Admissions committees for such programs want to know that research is something you have already done, something you are good at, and also something you enjoy ...
How a psychology degree builds invaluable field research skills
Psychology programs can help teach students how to adjust successfully to change by responding in a flexible, proactive and civil manner. 5. Data analysis. Field research can involve a massive intake of information. Collection methods carry obvious importance, but the researcher's ability to analyze the data is just as critical.
Research Opportunities
Working in a Psychology-related research lab on Grounds provides great work experience, whether or not you envision a career as a psychologist or researcher. ... Research assistants who work during the academic year are able to earn 2 credit hours for 80 hours of lab work during the semester (approximately 6 hours/week). Tasks include ...
Research
My research project focused on the effects of stroke on attention, and resulted in several publications in international journals. On the strength of my published work I was awarded an NHMRC post-doctoral fellowship, which I took to the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge.
Research Opportunities
Research Experience in Psychology is a two-credit, graded course that you can register for to receive academic credit for your work as a research assistant in a lab. When you are meeting with the faculty member (or lab manager or graduate student) to discuss your research position, let them know that you are interested in this option ...
How to Become a Research Psychologist?
Students who want to work in psychology research or academia should start preparing for graduate and/or doctoral studies as soon as possible. It's a long, rewarding journey that requires a lot of perseverance and patience. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), students who want to pursue a career in psychology research ...
Interview Method In Psychology Research
Unlike questionnaire methods, researchers need training in interviewing (which costs money). The interview method in psychology is a data collection technique where a researcher engages in direct conversation with individuals to gather information about their thoughts, experiences, and behaviors. It involves asking structured or open-ended ...
How To Find Psychology Research Assistant Jobs With 13 Strategies
Here are 13 strategies that can help you find a job as a psychology research assistant: 1. Identify your preferences. Reflecting on your professional goals and personal priorities can help you focus your search and evaluate open positions. A rewarding psychology research assistant job might help you build your professional network, specialize ...
How to Use Psychological Research
How to Use Psychological Research is essential reading at the start of your degree and a useful guide for assessments throughout your studies. Amanda Morris is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex and an Associate Lecturer at the Open University. Tracey Elder is a Senior Lecturer and Staff Tutor at the Open University.
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Remember that the research process takes time and effort. You should not expect to complete all of these steps in only a few hours. By thoughtfully approaching your assignment you will be able to pick a reasonable topic, research the topic, and compose an organized piece of scholarly research.
Research Roundup: How the Pandemic Changed Management
Work-life Balance ; All Topics; For Subscribers ... of the Covid-19 pandemic that were published between March 2020 and July 2023 in top journals in management and applied psychology. The review ...
Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior: Evidence-based
Steve M. Jex, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Central Florida. His research focuses on the impact of individual differences on employee responses to stressors in the workplace, and more recently how employees balance chronic illness with work demands.
Best Online Ph.D. In Organizational Psychology Programs Of 2024
A Ph.D. in organizational psychology can lead to lucrative careers with high levels of responsibility in academia, research, management consulting, policy and human resources, among other fields.
What a Dose of Happiness Can Do for Your Mind
Research on aging and cognition continues to show the many mental strengths of older adults, particularly when it comes to demonstrating knowledge based on experience and judgment.
Most Affordable ABA-Approved Online Paralegal Programs for 2024
You can also research the school's overall reputation and its online learning track record. Program Curriculum and Specialization. Review the program curriculum to ensure it covers core paralegal skills, legal research methods, and writing effectively. Consider if it offers electives or tracks for specialization in an area of interest.

How to Become a Research Psychologist

Why Become a Research Psychologist

At a Glance

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Doctorate Degree

How to Get Started

College Professor

Research Analyst

Research Scientist

How to Become a Research Psychologist – Schooling and Degree Guide [2024 Guide]

Are You an Analytical Person?

What is a Research Psychologist?

What Does a Research Psychologist Do?

What are the Degree and Schooling Requirements to Become a Research Psychologist?

Where Does a Research Psychologist Work?

What Skills are Required for a Research Psychologist?

What is the Employment Outlook for Research Psychologists?

What is the Salary of a Research Psychologist?

Related Reading

Useful Resources

Choosing to Focus on Research as a Psychologist

The Process of Psychology Research

Education Requirements of a Psychology Researcher

Ways to Gain Experience in Research Psychology

Before Applying to Graduate Schools for Psychology Research

How to Apply to Graduate Schools for Psychology Research

Psychology Research Grants and Scholarships

Challenges of Becoming a Psychology Researcher

Job Prospects for Psychology Researchers

Trends in Psychology Research

Research Psychology Programs

Licensing & Certification Information

5 Research Careers With a Master’s in Psychology

Is a Master’s Degree in Psychology Worth It?

Top Industries in Psychology

Nonprofit Organizations

Local, State, and Federal Government

Public Health and Healthcare

5 Research Careers in Psychology

1. Data Analyst

2. Director of Research

3. Market Research Analyst

4. Prevention Specialist

5. Research Coordinator

Take the First Step Toward a Psychology Career in Research

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Become a Research Psychologist

What is a Research Psychologist?

Required skills

Online programs

How to Become a Research Psychologist – Several Steps

2. Start your research

3. Gain work experience

4. Earn a master’s degree

5. Earn a doctoral degree

Salary and Career Outlook

Research psychology and experimental psychology jobs can be found in:

Paying for College

Online Degrees

5 Research Careers With a Master’s in Psychology

Is a Master’s Degree in Psychology Worth It?

Top Industries in Psychology

Nonprofit Organizations

Local, State, and Federal Government

Public Health and Healthcare

5 Research Careers in Psychology

1. Data Analyst

2. Director of Research

3. Market Research Analyst

4. Prevention Specialist

5. Research Coordinator