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Eliminating Psychological Roadblocks & Barriers to Completing the Dissertation. Tamara L Brown, PhD Associate Professor, UK Department of Psychology Associate Editor, Journal of Black Psychology Owner, Dissertation Coaching Services LLC. Today’s Game Plan. Dissertation Components
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Eliminating Psychological Roadblocks & Barriers to Completing the Dissertation • Tamara L Brown, PhD • Associate Professor, UK Department of Psychology • Associate Editor, Journal of Black Psychology • Owner, Dissertation Coaching Services LLC
Today’s Game Plan • Dissertation Components • Myth Busters • Cognitive / Thought Traps • Emotional / Feeling Traps • Behavioral Traps • Dual Role • Concrete Strategy
Dissertation Components • Select a Committee Chair • Select Committee Members • Develop a Written Proposal • Defend Proposal to Committee • Obtain IRB Approval for Study • Conduct Research • Analyze Data • Complete Written Dissertation Draft • Submit Draft to Committee Chair • Incorporate Chair’s Feedback into Document • Submit Dissertation Draft to Full Committee • Incorporate Full Committee’s Feedback • Submit Final Dissertation to Committee • Orally Defend Dissertation to Committee • Committee Approves or Rejects Oral Defense
Selecting a Chairperson • Critical to Completing Your Dissertation • A Good Working Relationship Five Tips • Clarify Mutual Expectations • Be Professional • Be Proactive • Take Responsibility • Have Realistic Expectations Of Your Chairperson
Selecting Committee • 2nd Most Important Relationship • Consider the Role Each Will Play • Same 5 Tips • Be Nondefensive • Use Active Listening
Develop Written Proposal • Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review • Statement of the Problem • Review of all Relevant Literature • Purpose of the Study • Research Questions and Hypotheses • Chapter 2: Methodology • Description of Study Participants & How They Will be Recruited • Detailed Description of all Measures/Materials (copies should be placed in appendices) • Step-by-Step Description of Study Procedures • Hypotheses • Description of Planned Analyses
Myth Busters • “I’m too busy to write!” • “I need uninterrupted time to work/write” • Mismanagement of negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
Cognitive Traps • Trap 1: Thinking Errors • Excessive standards or demands • Awfulizing • Trap 2: Cognitive Fusion
Feeling Traps • Feeling Trap 1: Emotion-Thinking Disconnect • Feeling Trap 2: Nonacceptance of Feelings
Behaving Traps • Behaving Trap 1: Behavior-Thinking-Feeling Disconnect • Behavior Trap 2: Experiential Avoidance • Procrastination • Perfectionism
One More Thing.... Dissertation Do-er Dissertation Project Manager
Structured Approach • Timelines • Advantages • Breaks dissertation into smaller weekly goals (decreases procrastination) • Helps focus energy toward specific and tangible weekly goals • Gives sense of control over entire dissertation process • Shows consequences of not completing short-term goals (accountability) • Enables you to plan dissertation around rest of life • Three Separate Types • Developing a sound dissertation topic (including research question) • Writing a dissertation proposal • Carrying out and completing the dissertation study • Guidelines • Don’t do it alone; • Create clear, specific milestones with concrete 1-wk beginning and end • Assign dates to milestones • Be realistic • Maintain in electronic form & and revise as needed (project manager)
Structured Approach • Action Plans • Advantages • Breaks weekly goals into smaller daily tasks • Provides daily road map so time is not wasted figuring out what to do • Enables you to make better use of available time • Creates tangible sense of accomplishment on a regular basis • Can help manage academic and nonacademic responsibilities • Guidelines • Make plans small and specific • Connect plans to specific days of the week and specific times (to combat procrastination; putting off to later in the week) • Be realistic • Maintain in electronic form & revise as needed (project manager) • Do not plan to do dissertation work while on vacation • If you can only make daily plans rather than weekly, do that and make adjustment as you get more information • Don’t do it alone
Need Help? • Tamara L. Brown, Ph.D., M.Div. • University Contact Information: • University of Kentucky; Department of Psychology • 207-Q Kastle Hall • Lexington, KY 40506-0044 • tbrow2@gmail.com • 859-257-9612 • Dissertation Coaching Contact Information: • www.thedisscoach.com • tamara@thedisscoach.com • skype: thedisscoach • phone: 859-806-4722