Study Skills for Psychology Students

A Practical Guide

Sylvie Collins, Pauline Kneale

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN:
  9781134642328
• Topic: Study Aids
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology

""The problem with the first year was I didn't know what I didn't know, and even when I thought there was something I was supposed to know I didn't know what to do about it."" This quote from a perplexed undergraduate student illustrates the plight of many first-years who feel overwhelmed by the demands made on them at university, combined with the expectation of lecturers and tutors that they will already know how to study independently.



'Study Skills for Psychology Students' is a light-hearted yet comprehensive guide to studying psychology at university. Covering topics such as using the library and other resources, making effective notes in lectures and successful revision skills, the authors provide a practical guide to help the new student get the most out of their psychology course. Finally, in addition to the generic information needed by all students embarking on a degree course, 'Study Skills for Psychology Students' includes psychology specific material on Ethics, Professional Data Acquisition and Interviewing Skills.

1	Where are the Skills in Psychology?

Be careful not to let education get in the way of your learning.

Studying psychology at university is about being an independent learner. You get to organise your own activities and to set your own agenda. This text is designed to help you get a grasp on what is expected, and provide helpful ideas on how to study. There is a tendency to assume that one already knows about studying, having done a bit at school. However, university education is different, and it may be useful to be offered a shortcut to understanding what learning at university involves, so that you can more quickly get to grips with psychology – which is (possibly) one of the reasons why you are studying it. It also aims to build your self-confidence by giving practical hints, advice and examples. If you are asked to compile a bibliography, present a seminar or refine an argument DON’T worry about how to do it; look it up, get the job done and go clubbing. You already have lots of study skills: reading, note-making and exams are normal activities. This book suggests ways to review and refine what you do and offers some new ideas that will make the study side of life less hassle.

Unlike many psychology texts, this one aims to be cheerful and adds some games to divert you. There are some terrible jokes; writing them down inevitably diminishes humour, but smile as you groan. Light relief is vital in study. If you find deep thinking leads to deep kipping, have a coffee, solve a crossword clue or tackle a wordsearch to refresh your brain, but remember to go back to thinking after your break!

A psychology degree has two elements:

• The psychological knowledge element, including all the current theories from biological and social psychology, the dopamine pathways, the consequences of child abuse, the relationship between food and exercise, the psychological implications of the development of Artificial Intelligence. The scope is universal because, of course, ‘psychologists do it everywhere with everyone they meet’.

• The skills element. Often called transferable skills, they allow psychologists to be efficient researchers and are of longer-term benefit in the workplace. Most psychology graduates will acquire practical experience of the skills and attributes shown in Figure 1.1. Some will be picked up by osmosis, others will be taught at varying levels of detail.

Figure 1:1 Skills and attributes of a psychology student

In the last years of the twentieth century, UK student numbers expanded and the emphasis switched from lecturers teaching to students learning. Self-motivated learning is vital in life, enabling you to keep abreast of developments and initiatives. Employment is unpredictable. Job market and company requirements change rapidly. Employers need individuals who are flexible about their careers. An efficient graduate is someone who sees their career as a process of work and learning, mixing them to extend skills and experience. This is the essence of lifelong learning.

In the jargon of career management and personal development, the phrase ‘transferable skills’ is readily quoted. To add value to your degree, you need to recognise and reflect on what you do every day in your course (see Chapter 2), and understand where these skills have market value. Employers claim to be happy with the academic skills students acquire, but they also want graduates with skills such as listening, negotiating and presenting. Any strengthening of your skills and experience of skill-based activities should add to your self-confidence and improve your performance as a psychologist and as a potential employee.

In addition to traditional psychology skills, your degree will give you the opportunity to experience some of the latest electronic trends, tele-working, surfing the world wide web (www), electronic journals, video-conferencing, e-mail, bulletin boards, databases and spreadsheets, and video. University encourages you to get wired, get trained and build your own electronic resource base. The technology may seem daunting but it is fun too. (And if some 5-year-old proto-anorak wearer can manage, so can you!)

The importance of graduates acquiring ‘skills’ as well as knowledge is well established and was reinforced in the Dearing Report (NCIHE, 1997), which defined four key graduate skills – happily psychology degrees are awash with them (see Table 1.1) However, these four need some unpacking to show what is involved. AGCAS (1997) lists the self-reliance skills that organisations and companies desire. Most elements involve Communication, IT and Learning how to learn:

Graduate skills	In psychology degrees
Communication	All modules. Oral and written communication in seminars, tutorials, workshops, debates, group work, practical classes.
Numeracy	All modules using statistics, computing, databases, data handling; calculations in practicals, projects and dissertations.
Use of Information Technology	Word processing. Modules using graphics, statistics, databases, programming and SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).
Learning how to learn	Taking personal responsibility for learning as an individual, and in group research, field work, projects and dissertations.

Table 1:1 Where to find NCIHE (1997) skills in action

Communication skills, both written and oral, and the ability to listen to others.

Interpersonal or social skills, the capacity to establish good, professional working relationships with clients and colleagues.

Organisational skills, planning ahead, meeting deadlines, managing yourself and co-ordinating others.

Problem analysis and solution, the ability to identify key issues, reconcile conflicts, devise workable solutions, be clear and logical in thinking, prioritise and work under pressure.

Intellect, judged by how effectively you translate your ideas into action.

Leadership – many psychology graduates eventually reach senior positions managing and leading people.

Teamwork, working effectively in formal and informal teams.

Adaptability, being able to initiate and respond to changing circumstances, and to continue to develop your knowledge, interests and attitudes to adapt to changing demands.

Technical capability, the capacity to acquire appropriate technical skills including scheduling, IT, statistics, computing and data analysis, and to update these as appropriate.

Achievement, the ability to set and achieve goals for yourself and for others, to keep an organisation developing.

Most psychologists can expect to finish a degree with a sound knowledge of a number of parts of the subject, and to have developed graduate skills in synthesising information while researching psychological issues from different perspectives. While academic content varies from university to university, most psychology graduates will have gained practical experience of the skills and attributes shown in Figure 1.1. By graduation you should feel confident in listing these skills on a curriculum vitae (CV), and be able to explain where in the degree these abilities were practised and demonstrated.

1.1 Learning Activities at University: What to Expect, and Spotting the Skills!

Psychology degrees are traditionally divided into three years called either Years 1, 2 and 3, or Levels 1–3. There may be an additional year intercalated for an industrial placement or a year abr...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1. Where are the skills in psychology?
• 2. Reflection skills: reviewing and evaluating, adding value to your degree
• 3. Maximising free time
• 4. Library and electronic resources
• 5. Effective reading
• 6. Making effective notes
• 7. Thinking
• 8. Constructing an argument
• 9. Effective essay skills
• 10. Citations, references and sources
• 11. Listening and interviewing
• 12. Discussion
• 13. Oral presentations
• 14. Researching and writing in teams: it’s fun and efficient
• 15. Writing practical reports
• 16. Abstracts and executive summaries
• 17. Presenting psychological information: diagrams, tables and graphs
• 18. Dissertations and final-year research projects
• 19. Ethics
• 20. Reviewing a book
• 21. Posters and stands
• 22. Revision skills
• 23. Examinations
• 24. ‘Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax …’: a few answers to things psychology students ask
• 25. Try this, crossword and quiz answers
• 26. Study skills: a mini-bibliography
• Index