“It humbles me to be able to do research”: A Conversation with PhD student Jennifer McWilliams

(Photo provided by Jennifer McWilliams)

“I have found that studying at the graduate level has been more liberating and has afforded me much more autonomy than during my undergraduate degree. I am able to put more of “me” into my work and follow lines of research that will be closer to what I want to pursue in the future.” ~Jennifer McWilliams

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*In the following article, TS refers to The Synapse and JM refers to Jennifer McWilliams

TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself, your supervisor, the topic of your research, and the field it contributes to?

JM: My name is Jennifer McWilliams, and I am a PhD student in the Experimental Psychology program at the University of New Brunswick working under the supervision of Dr. Janine Olthuis. I have many research interests, and am conducting research that falls under multiple umbrellas in psychology - like social and health psychology. 

My doctoral thesis broadly focuses on mental health professionals’ prescription of exercise practices or behaviour. This research contributes to the field of Sport and Exercise Psychology, as well as Health Psychology. More specifically, it contributes to the discussion surrounding the prescription of exercise as medicine within Canada.

TS: What was the inspiration for your study, your research question(s), and the main results or expected results?

JM: My inspiration came from my enjoyment of exercise, past experience with exercise as treatment for mental health issues, and through multiple chats with my supervisor, Janine (she was definitely the driving force)! 

Although I would love to speak further about my research questions, I am at a critical point during thesis proposal writing and I would rather that others not be privy to my research questions (I know of other students who have had their theses scooped, unfortunately!). However, I will say that my doctoral thesis focuses on the individual differences and systemic factors that influence how Canadian mental health professionals’ prescribe exercise practices to individuals with anxiety.

TS: Could you provide a brief summary of the methods/ experimental procedure used in your study?

JM: For my doctoral thesis, I will be approaching my research questions via two frameworks: The Theoretical Domains Framework, which serves to help identify how health professionals’ behaviour is influenced by evidence-based practices; and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, which serves to help identify factors influencing the implementation and effectiveness of interventions across a wide range of contexts. 

I will be conducting two studies that cover four themes. One study will be quantitative (i.e. enumerating survey responses) and the second will be qualitative (i.e., interviews with mental health professionals). The two frameworks will be used to guide the creation of the questions for my survey and qualitative interview guide, and will be utilized during the coding of the interviews. The survey will be housed on Qualtrics, an online survey tool, and the interviews will either be in-person or virtual (depending on levels of COVID-19 and participant preferences).

TS: What is the time frame for your project, and how far along are you?

JM: I am currently at the writing stage of my thesis proposal! I have finished writing my research questions and methods and have created the materials for each study, and am currently working on the introduction section. 

Once I have completed writing my thesis proposal, passed it to Janine and my committee for feedback, and defended it appropriately, I am hoping to begin data collection soon thereafter (after it goes through ethics, of course!).

My plan is to have my thesis proposal to my committee by the beginning or middle of March and, hopefully, defend it during the summer. I then plan on starting data collection during the Fall 2023 term and will have a year or so to collect data and write my thesis. My ultimate goal is to complete my thesis and graduate in May 2025.

TS: How would you describe your state of mind while doing research?

JM: I would say that it depends on the day! On some days, I am highly focused, loving my life as a graduate student, thoroughly enjoying my thesis and research, and can write and work for hours on end. On other days, however, I find that I have absolutely no motivation to do anything and struggle to pick away at the most miniscule task on my to-do list. No matter what state of mind that I am in while doing research, I do my best to get at least something done from my list of duties so that I can feel proud of myself for doing so. I also do my best to not overly worry if I do not finish enough on my to-do list for the day or week – this has been crucial to maintaining my sanity during the really intense times and prevent myself from spiralling into a ball of self-loathing!

TS: What would you consider the biggest difference between studying at the graduate level versus the undergraduate level? Why did you choose to pursue graduate study in psychology?

JM: Personally, I would say that the biggest differences between studying at the graduate level versus the undergraduate level are the expectations surrounding each assignment, the amount of work that is assigned, and the commitment that is necessary to complete each seminar or course. 

During my undergraduate degree, I (fondly) remember having more time to study and complete my assigned work, and was able to take 5-7 courses each semester. During my graduate degree, however, the amount and the expectations surrounding the quality of each assignment greatly intensified; this made it difficult to take too many seminars/courses at once and made time management a crucial skill to continuously practice. I also found that my level of commitment (although relatively high during my undergraduate degree) was amplified as each seminar or course came with the expectation of presenting or participating – I was no longer just a face in an audience of undergraduate students who could simply sit and listen and not participate (my specialty)! When looking at it from a more positive perspective, I have found that studying at the graduate level has been more liberating and has afforded me much more autonomy than during my undergraduate degree. I am able to put more of “me” into my work and follow lines of research that will be closer to what I want to pursue in the future.

Like many psychology students, I wanted to learn about the mind and why people behave the way they do! Why do people believe stereotypes about certain people or groups? Why is it that some people are prejudiced or racist towards certain people or groups? What influences someone’s mental health and well-being, either positively or negatively? There are just so many questions that I wanted an answer to, and psychology was the best route to be able to channel my curiosity!

TS: Is there anything else you wish to share about your research/ research process, or any insights/ advice you would share with undergraduate students hoping to pursue graduate study?

JM: There are many things that I could share, but I will stick to only a few!

All of the research that I have conducted to date, and will be conducting in the future, is meaningful to me in some way or another. I find that putting a little piece of myself into each of my research projects really helps keep me motivated; research can be grueling sometimes, especially if things do not work out - which is more common than one would think! 

For example, as I am a Black New Brunswickan who experienced a lot of adversity throughout my life, much of my research focuses on marginalized or racialized populations, like Black women and men. This was, and will always be, an important factor to include in my research! It also humbles me to be able to do research, as not everyone has the opportunities that I had to become a graduate student - it is a massive privilege!

A strong piece of advice that I can share with undergraduate students who are looking to pursue graduate study is to start early! If you know that you want to pursue graduate school in some area of psychology (or any other field of study), make sure that you reach out to faculty members and research labs starting in your first or second year of undergrad. This is crucial as graduate committees look for research experience when they are choosing who to admit into their programs. If you were not able to start early with volunteering or working in research labs, do not be afraid to take a gap year after you have finished your undergraduate degree! Taking a year off (or two!) will allow you to gain more valuable experience and will make you more desirable as a candidate for graduate studies. Furthermore, demonstrating your skills and working hard while volunteering or working as a research assistant is essential for graduate studies as you will need to ask faculty members or graduate students who know you and your work for reference letters for graduate programs, awards, or grants. Ψ

Created for The Synapse by Incé Husain.