What is I-O?

You, by yourself, or with another grad student (from the same or different institution) are invited to design, develop, write and submit your own TIP-TOPics column for consideration. Whatever issues you want to address or format changes you would like to make, have at it. Write the piece as if you ARE the next columnist(s) and this is your first installment, your debut, if you will. Feel free to keep the format the same or be innovative and create your own; keep the content or find new issues of interest and relevance to grad students in I-O and related fields. Whatever your ingenious mind can deliver, bring it on!

After we sort through the piles of submissions (we hope we have demonstrated how much fun this job is) and forward them on for review, the current TIP Editor (Allan Church) and Editor Elect (Debbie Major) will select the student team to carry the torch for the next 2 years. The lucky person(s) will be announced at the next SIOP meeting in San Diego. Although the change in TIP Editor may result in format changes to a number of columns (including TIP-TOPics), it is certainly possible that your submission will in fact become the first installment of your tenure for the July 2001 issue of TIP. At the very least, you will be on board as the official voice of the student membership for the next 2 years in TIP.

You are welcomed and encouraged to send your entries to us as soon as now, and no later than March 9, 2001. Ok, well give you some guidelines at least.

First and foremost, our perspective has been that this column is intended to be a vehicle to lament, address, discuss, create or otherwise reflect on issues faced by thousands of students in I-O programs or related fields across the country, written specifically by peers. Secondly, TIP is not, nor is it meant to be, a refereed journal. Rather, it is an informal newsletter of SIOP to help keep professionals and students alike informed as to the latest issues, events, happenings, and so forth in the field and in touch with each other. Consequently, in keeping with the tone and spirit of TIP, the student column, TIP-TOPics, has traditionally been informal and non-empirical. Our data is simply qualitative and anecdotal. Perhaps some may disagree, but we have felt it important to keep it light-hearted and fun. And sometimes, we have even managed to bring up some important issues in the hopes of inciting controversial yet friendly debate, or just pass on helpful information and insights. But of course, you may have your own designs for the column.

As to the particulars, following the current format (again, this may change with the next Editor) the column should be no longer than 89 single-spaced 12-point font pages. Please put the title TIP-TOPics for Students on the cover page and put your name(s) and affiliation(s) underneath the heading. Also, please include on that cover page additional contact information such as: name, address, phone, fax number, and e-mail address(es). Lastly, all individuals who submit an entry must be student affiliates of SIOP in good standing as of March 9, 2001. If you are not, your entry will be deemed ineligible and returned unreviewed. As is now tradition, the next columnist(s) will have a 2-year tenure beginning with this submission, July 2001 issue and ending with the April 2003 issue. And, as you must be a graduate student throughout your tenure, submitters should be at least 2 years from graduating.

The next columnist(s) will be chosen using a blind review process, so please include the cover page and pertinent information mentioned above, but place an identifying 5 digit number on it that also appears in the top right corner of all pages in the submission. Please send all submissions via electronic mail (the form in which the column is submitted to the TIP Editor) to either Kim or Tom (e-mail addresses appear at end of column). Please put in the subject line: TIP-TOPics contest. If you have any other questions, please contact us. Thank you and good luck! 

Scientist and Practitioner: Meeting of the Minds

Ahh, the scientist versus practitioner debate . Anyone who holds I-O near and dear to the heart (and Im sure you do or you wouldnt be reading this article) is familiar with this now timeless dialogue. We learn in class discussions and lecture that the heart of this debate lies in the inability of scientists to get their work out into the applied I-O mainstream, while practitioners have difficulty relaying their practical knowledge to those who occupy the hallowed halls of academia. While this debate is worthy of discussion, it seems to have little practical relevance to us now as students (like we dont have enough to think about) and would therefore lie beyond the scope of this article. Why, then, do we bring it up? Because, as in much of psychology, semantic difficulties abound, and the scientist versus practitioner tag has been applied somewhat inappropriately to the model that guides our education. Or has it?

Most schools offering I-O programs tout the scientist/practitioner model as their educational guideline of choice (we do recognize that masters-only programs prepare practitioners, while some PhD programs focus only on preparing researchers). First, are scientist and practitioner appropriate labels to apply here? Are we not all scientists once we leave with our degrees in hand, regardless of where we apply our science? And how many academicians do you know that dont put their science into practice (grant monies would be hard to come by if they didnt)? Now that we have spent our 2 on the semantic problems with this label, where does that leave us? In exactly the same place, because as students we know what this really meansscientist versus practitioner reads to us as academic versus consultant.

Still, what does this have to do with us? Absolutely everything! The first decision we make after deciding to pursue a career in this field is what route we will take once were out there. Sure, we may say were undecided (at least to our advisor), but deep down we all have a pretty good idea of whether were going to be academics or consultants. This is an important and appropriate step, as how you plan to use your knowledge once youre out of school dictates how and what you will learn and absorb while youre in school. For example, those planning careers in academia spend many days, months, and years becoming intimate with a particular subject area, so that they may prepare themselves to fill a niche in a faculty somewhere while developing a research stream that will help them overcome the publish or perish dilemma. For those pursuing consulting careers, the focus is much different, in that students try to achieve a greater breadth of knowledge, a better understanding of pragmatic, application-based methodology, and are always asking, How does this theory translate into practice?

Now that this difference has been articulated (we all implicitly know its there), it begs the questionif there is a fundamental difference in the way academic and consultant path students approach their education, can or should they be taught in the same manner? Should future academics be allowed to bypass some of the course work/internships in order to concentrate on research and publications? Should future consultants be allowed to bypass the more theory-based stuff in favor of gaining more hands-on, applied experience? In other words, should the educational experience (within the same department and program) be qualitatively different depending on your career path (e.g., different requirements, etc.). After all, we have all asked at some point, Do I need this? How is this going to help me when I get out?, so you have already entertained some form of the question we are now asking. We, as always, have an opinion (this is, after all, an editorial); but first, let us delve a bit deeper into the debate.

First, a little history . Believe it or not, SIOP has not always explicitly stated its understanding that students need to be affronted with not only sound research skills but with practical, application-based knowledge and experience as well. The Guidelines for Education and Training were very much geared toward how to train students to develop and promote theory, and were criticized for their lack of attention to developing real-world applied-type skills. Much to its credit, SIOP has recently rewritten its Guidelines in response to this criticism, and not only did they address the importance of incorporating applied-skill training into each program ascribing to this model, but went a step further and also addressed the issue were discussing here. For your further reading pleasure, we have included an excerpt containing some of these guidelines regarding the scientist-practitioner model at the end of this segment, so that you may see what SIOPs official position is on this subject.

Lets recap. First, the scientist-practitioner, research-applied, academic-consultant issue is a very real and salient issue facing I-O students. However, the issue is not what path to take (most know from the beginning), but how were being prepared to follow that path. We know that we learn differently and hope to take away fundamentally different things from our educational experience based on our career path; yet, scientist/ practitioner model programs do not differentiate between the two in terms of requirements, course/seminar/program focus, and program progression (wed love to know of any that do). So, then, the reasonable question follows: Should programs differentiate between future academicians and consultants in order to teach them differently and/or to allow students to focus on those skills which will most benefit them upon graduation?

Though the question seems intuitive, the answer is not. As students ourselves, we knew we had a considerable lack of perspective on this issue, so we went to the people who did know (this, by the way, is the goal of this articleto take student issues/concerns, articulate them, and then do some research in hopes of shedding some light). No, we did not go to the faculty (for once), as they are as biased on this issue as we are (academics have little difficulty preparing academics). We went to the people who are out thereproducts of scientist/practitioner model programs who are now internal/ external consultants to industry. We informally queried some recent graduates (they asked to remain nameless) of a few of these programs to see if they felt that they were missing anything when starting their careers. The answer, surprisingly, was a resounding NO!

The general sentiment was that none of them left graduate school as subject-matter experts or ready-to-go consultants, nor should that have been the goal. What they learned in school was how to think, both critically and analytically, in order to solve problems. Information can always be retrieved and relearned once youre a professional, but the different methodologies and problem-solving skills learned in school are what proved to them to be invaluable. More importantly, there is an entirely different education that must (and can only) happen once you leave school and enter the world of I-O consulting; indeed, the education continues throughout your career. To this end, our respondents felt that the focus of graduate education should be to teach students the value of science in approaching and solving problems, to make them aware of the various methodologies at their disposal and how to determine which is the most appropriate to use in different contexts, and to teach them to think critically and analytically. In our opinion, these seem to be common denominators of all I-O psychologists, regardless of who signs their paycheck (University of X or XYZ Corp.).

Armed with our newfound insight, we spent some time thinking about some of the assumptions we had made regarding our graduate experience. For one, why the scientist-versus-practitioner model reads to us as academic versus consultant, or why we feel the goal of our education is to prepare us as either academics OR consultants and not as scientists AND practitioners. Indeed, none of us will leave our respective programs as academics or consultants; those are the labels of professionals who have spent considerable time mastering their craft. We should, however, leave our programs as scientists and practitioners, armed with the ability and skill necessary to eventually become competent professionals. Perhaps we, as students (past and present), have differentiated ourselves too much in terms of our career goals, which may be the cause for the greater scientist versus practitioner debate first mentioned in this section. If, instead of labeling ourselves as either academic or consultant, we appealed to the common denominator of our training as scientists and practitioners, the talking between professionals would eventually flow much easier.

As an asidewe would like to note why we seemed to change our tune or pull the bait and switch half way through the article. It was written this way to reflect our original skepticism in why scientist/practitioner model programs seemed to be light on the side of preparing students for applied work (students from different programs have shared similar sentiments with us). After speaking to those who are now consultants, and finding that they did not feel slighted, we began to wonder if we had gotten the idea all wrong about what it is we are to learn here. We concede that maybe we have, maybe we all have, and that perhaps, just perhaps, they know what theyre doing.

The following is an excerpt from the Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral Level in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (August 1999)

The scientist-practitioner. Consistent with the traditional orientation and philosophy of the members of the Society, the underlying theme embedded in these training guidelines is that the I-O psychologist is frequently both the generator of knowledge and the consumer/user of such knowledge. As a scientist, he or she develops and evaluates theory using research and empirical skills. As a practitioner, he or she applies and evaluates theory and research under specific conditions. Thus, the I-O psychologist frequently provides psychological services to individuals and groups in organizational settings.

Taking the scientist-practitioner model seriously means that doctoral education needs to focus on both the theory and application associated with all content areas. In preparing for the current version of the guidelines, many I-O psychologists, especially those employed outside the academic setting, expressed concern that previous guidelines have been too focused on theory. We recommend that theory and practice both receive consideration as students learn about the content of I-O psychology. The relevance of theory to practice and applied research should be emphasized. I-O practitioners working in the field can facilitate the development of doctoral students practical knowledge by offering internship and research opportunities and sharing their own practical experiences.

This dual emphasis on theory and practice is needed regardless of a students intended career path. Those interested in academic careers need to understand both theory and practice to develop sound research, the findings of which should have a meaningful applied impact. Academicians will also be charged with teaching new generations of I-O psychologists about the theory and applications associated with each content area. I-O practitioners in industry, government, and consulting are required to use their knowledge and skills to deliver products. Thus, students not only need to know each topic in a theoretical sense, they also need to know how to develop and implement associated products. For instance, a student should know how to design and conduct a job analysis or conduct and report on the results of a test validation. Learning about a topic in a theoretical sense is not equivalent to the experience of doing it. Doing it and having first-hand familiarity with the pitfalls, limits, and constraints of a technique is different from, and as critical as, theoretical knowledge. 

TrIP Through Time

Compsthe word that strikes fear and panic into the minds of graduate students throughout the land. For many of us, this is the key obstacle in the road to the PhD and at the same time a rite of passage. Arguably, the comps process is the most stressful period in graduate school, whether due to the intensity of the event or the extent of our overactive imaginations. Even if only symbolically, it represents the height of our knowledge and understanding of the field. Such a significant occurrence in our careers warrants a few notes from those who have cleared the hurdle.

The following comments are a compilation from recently graduated or ABD students at various universities. A word of thanks and appreciation to all of you who responded and shared your insights; these comments have helped us begin preparing for the ritual and we believe they will do the same for you. Remember, you are not alone, not the first and not the last to survive, and you too can make it with a little help from your friends.

Although most programs seem to have some event termed comps, qualifying exams, and so forth, the processes and formats are not identical. Yet, at the same time, the components are quite similar; all seem to involve written and/or oral exams taken over a period of time covering an extensive range of topics in I-O. In one program, the student submits a composition of his/her strengths and weaknesses to the doctoral committee, which also serves as the comps committee. The committee then develops 5060 questions which are pared down by student and advisor to 3035. The format may differ somewhat for individuals but may involve two 4-hour days; each day the student must answer one required and 3 of 4 additional questions. Following the written portion, the student then has oral exams in which any of the 10 questions presented are fair game. Another program has a 2-day closed-book written exam (four questions on anything in the I-O field; another four on student-selected topics) followed by oral exams in which questions are not restricted to those on the exam. University of South Floridas comps process is similar but does not involve oral exams and the four required topics are known in advance (research methods, ethics, personnel and organizational); the exam is spread over a 2-week period (2 days per week; two questions per day). In addition, the entire I-O faculty participates in the process rather than being driven by a students committee. Yet another program requires students to submit a plan of study in which four major and two minor areas are identified. Five members of the comps committee submit related questions to the chair who determines the final questions. The exam usually takes place in one day (three questions in the morning, three in the afternoon) in which 4 of the 6 topic areas (not the questions) are known.

Armed with the knowledge that theyre all the same, but different, lets get to the meaty stuffthe advice that the respondents had for you. Perhaps not surprisingly, there seemed to be several themes that were mentioned most.

Schedule time. Procrastination is your enemy, steer clear of it by developing a schedule that incorporates reading, studying, practice, and personal time. Always count on the fact that something unanticipated will occur during this 2- to 4-month period of time and build a little extra time for it. Go so far as to treat the study process as your job that requires your presence and attention at specified days and times; dont let less important deadlines sidetrack you. And most agreed, you should be focused on comps, not on the dissertation, new projects, or vacations and be prepared to devote a significant amount of time and energy toward it.

Take them seriously. Some may tell you not to worry about them and that it is not a big deal. Dont allow this to translate into you dont need to study or stay disciplined. Passing comps requires stamina, discipline, focus, and preparation. Many of the respondents suggested practicing with old questions under similar circumstances and soliciting feedback from faculty members. Other strategies included getting materials from previous students and paying close attention to those areas in which you are the weakest. And make the process manageable by breaking topic areas into reasonable chunks that can be covered in one to two study sessions, which will allow you to cover entire topics in 12 weeks. Finally, review, review, review. However, try not to get mired down in the details and memorizing the minutiae (unless your program has a reputation for demanding such); find good overviews and meta-analyses articles that will give you the BIG PICTURE. And while youre at it, THINK about the topic, integrate information and develop a framework for understanding and retaining material. For most, throwing a bunch of disjointed numbers and names on a page wont cut it; you have to develop an organized, coherent argument or analyses using what youve learned as support.

Get help from your advisor. Your advisor may be able to assist you in the planning process by helping you to identify critical areas for review. Or he/she may be able to explain the philosophy underlying your programs approach to comps as well as expectations for successful performance. Also, actively enlist their help by giving them your practice questions/ answers and asking for feedback. If nothing else, he/she will know that you have made a substantial effort to master this knowledge.

Use a partner. Several respondents said they found a partner to study with which helped them not only to digest material but also to maintain their motivation and commitment to the process. The nature of your interactions will help you to achieve a deeper understanding of the material, and your partner may offer insights you would not have found on your own. One caveat: choose the right partner. Find someone you can have fun with and stand to be around for many hours every week for 3-plus months but also who will complement your style. In other words, dont choose someone you like but who will increase your anxiety, loaf, or otherwise impede your progress toward your goal.

Activate your social support network. You will need emotional and other types of support throughout this process, so dont be afraid to ask for it from friends, family, and colleagues. First, it may be wise to forewarn them that you will be unavailable for many regularly scheduled activities. Particularly if you have children, it is important to have a lot of help in caring for them and dealing with inevitable crises during this period. But, also let these people, whom you love and trust, be a source of relaxation, fun, and sanity. Although you may have to cut down on the amount, schedule in some time to be distracted and do fun things; try to keep some routine in your life. Most of all, keep the lines of communication open so they understand how the process is affecting you and how they can help make it easier. Perspective is importantcomps are only one challenge in your life that you too will successfully overcome; dont let it rearrange your cosmic equilibrium.

Without a doubt, and even for the most even-tempered, unshakable personalities, comps will produce new heights of anxiety and stress. So, how has everyone else managed it without ending up in a strait jacket? There are a myriad of approaches and tricks but from what we heard, it comes down to keeping your perspective and lots of discipline. In hindsight, some have said the anticipation was much worse than the experience. Keeping that in mind, stick to your plan and dont procrastinate; that way you will avoid the final stretch panic 2 weeks before exams start. Reward yourself for small accomplishments with a night out on the town or some other incentive. As we mention in the Balancing piece, hit the gym and exercise, which will relieve stress and give you more energy! At the same time, balance the exercise and studying with lots of sleep; who can digest and incorporate information, much less retain it when you are exhausted? In other words, pace yourself and you wont need to lose precious REM time. Throughout graduate school, you have been developing the skills and abilities to conquer this battle; you just have to put them to use.

At this point, you may be wondering to yourself What benefit do I get from participating in such a barbaric and cruel process? Obviously, there are widely differing perspectives on this point, but most people felt they did benefit in some way, even if it was just sheer satisfaction of being able to move on. Some discovered dissertation topics, while others said they bonded with their study partners and emerged with better friendships. A few said that the process helped them to integrate and understand the material on a qualitatively different level, allowing them to grasp the big picture across topics.

Whatever the format or process and however you do it, you will survive! Comps are just another opportunity for you to prove to yourself that you are talented, bright, and ambitious; soon youll also be an I-O psychologist! Congratulations to all of you who have already passed your comps and to those of us who will... someday! 

TIPs for Balancing Life and Graduate School

Balancing life and graduate school is a skill that will help you to be more successful and contented in your future; you will always feel the pressure to excel in several competing areas of your life. How do you prepare for this conflict? A brief but true story illustrates a perfect example. John Sculley, in 1982, had been hired away from PepsiCo to become the president of Apple. He realized the pressures he would face would be infinitely challenging and draining, particularly because he was ignorant concerning anything related to computers. What he did know was the job would require simple, honest hard work, stamina, and lots of energy. To prepare, he did something unusual; he immediately began a regiment of grueling physical training. In other words, Sculley prepared to use his intellectual capacity and skills by conditioning his body. He made a connection between two areas of his life and used that to achieve balance and success.

Exercise, in any form, offers a myriad of benefits: relieves stress, improves appearance, prolongs life, helps one resist disease and improves immune functioning, elevates mood, and increases energy and stamina. It also, however, promotes discipline and focus, two skills which are key to successful graduate (and professional) careers. We arent advocating that you immediately enroll in the army and begin boot camp, but we do suggest you consider this a relatively simple and wildly beneficial strategy in balancing the demands of life and graduate school.

Through creating and adhering to a regular schedule of exercise, you will also train your mind and body to be more disciplined. As you have learned by now, at whatever stage you are in, this skill is essential to successfully managing the challenges of education (and a career), but it is also a key in learning how to balance competing demands. The disciplined person can delay gratification and force him/herself to complete the important and necessary tasks for reaching goals without the crippling effects of procrastination. Perhaps even more importantly, exercise is a fabulous means to relieve stress (have you ever seen somebody after a kickboxing class? They are usually much more pleasant afterwards!). And of course, none of us have any use for that! Because exercise allows you to take out your frustrations and pent-up aggression, it frees your mind to focus on the activity at hand. The ability to focus and concentrate is another powerful tool in managing the demands on your time.

As the pace at which people live their lives increases exponentially, infinite numbers of demands are placed on our time. This alone makes it critical to learn how to focus and channel (not through a medium) your energies. You are still human and that means, you still can only physically do one thing at a time, even though you may list multitasking as one of your skills. Focus and concentration make it possible for anyone to finish those items that have been sitting on your to do list for days.

Our advice for this issue is summed up in the following (anonymous author):

A workout is 25% perspiration and 75% determination. Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self-discipline. Doing it is easy once you get started.

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Youre still reading the column?! Go to the gym and box your brains into shape. And sharpen those keyboards, get creative, and send in a submission to be the next TIP-TOPics columnist! We hope to see your submission soon.