Eric Mah, Psychology, Lifespan Cognition lab, and Not Being Afraid
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/08/17
Eric Mah is a friend and colleague, who works with me in the Lifespan Cognition Lab. Here we talk about psychology, selection of degree, the Lifespan Cognition Lab, his main research question, and tips for becoming involved in psychology.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How did you come into an interest in psychology?
Eric Mah: Like many (most) undergraduates starting an Arts degree, I signed up for a number of intro psychology courses in my first year at KPU. I was immediately drawn to several aspects of the field—the complexity and mystery of the human mind, the direct relevance of findings to myself and others, and the sheer variety of interesting research areas. As I took more courses, I also came to appreciate the rigor and applicability of psychological research methods and the ingenious and elegant research designs scholars have used to answer profound questions about the mind. Currently, I see psychology as one of the fields with the most remaining unsolved puzzles and mysteries—and I can’t resist a good mystery!
Jacobsen: What is your degree? Why select it? Why choose the Lifespan Cognition Lab?
Mah: I graduated with a BA Major in Psychology (Honours) and a BA Minor in Philosophy. Though my primary interest is in psychology, philosophy has also fascinated me. Similar to psychology, my interest in philosophy grew out of a curiosity about the many great mysteries that philosophers have tackled: What is the nature of reality? What is knowledge, and how much can we really know? What makes a person who they are? What makes something right (or wrong)? On a more practical level, I believe that the tools provided by philosophical education—critical thinking and healthy skepticism, ability to evaluate arguments, and openness to new ideas, among others—are extremely valuable in psychological research (and most other fields)! While the mysteries philosophy presents are fascinating, I believe that many of them are in principle unsolvable, and most of them have limited relevance to everyday life. I believe psychological research has more answerable questions and more practical relevance, but one of my research interests is in the psychological questions one can ask about philosophical questions (e.g., how do people think about morality, free will, arguments, epistemology, etc.)
I chose the Lifespan Cognition Lab primarily because I wanted more experience in the field of cognitive psychology. Prior to my involvement with Dr. Bernstein’s lab, my work, including my Honours thesis, had been in social and positive psychology. Cognition is a broad and fascinating area of psychology and I wanted to expand my knowledge and expertise to this field. Cognitive research has revealed a number of seemingly paradoxical and mysterious psychological phenomena that beg explanation (e.g., irrational biases, unexplained phenomena like the revelation effect, etc.). In particular, research on common biases and fallacies aligns with my broad research question.
Jacobsen: What is your main research question?
Mah: My main research question, broadly, is this: Are humans more rational or irrational? While we like to call ourselves the “rational animal”, research suggests that we can be systematically wrong in our thinking—we rely on time-saving but oft-faulty heuristics, fall victim to unconscious bias, and regularly commit fallacies.
Within this broad research question about rationality, there are several more specific questions I would am interested in trying my hand at: What are the ways in which our thinking can be flawed?; What are the contexts in which bias arises; Can we guard against systematic errors in thinking, and if so, how?; Are biases truly “irrational”—or are some of them actually adaptive?; What constitutes “rational” thinking (e.g., purely logical/philosophical standards or something else)? Due to the broad nature of these questions, I could see myself in cognitive, social or forensic psychology.
Jacobsen: What are some good tips for those with an interest in psychology for becoming involved in a psychology lab? What should they not be afraid of? What should they be prepared for?
Mah: Research work is incredibly interesting and rewarding, and working in a lab offers a lot of opportunities you might not find elsewhere (e.g., funding, resources, guidance from senior researchers, opportunity to attend conferences, connections w/potential supervisors). Practical lab research experience is invaluable if you’re planning on eventually attending grad school or doing any post-undergraduate psychology work. Overall, I would definitely recommend joining a psychology lab to any student serious about psychology, regardless of whether they have research or clinical inclinations.
In terms of advice, I would recommend starting early. I see a lot of students that join up in their late 3rd or 4th years of their degree, and they don’t have a lot of time to get research experience (and the all-important lines for their CV). I had the good fortune to be approached by a faculty member and senior researcher (who would later become my Honours supervisor) in my 1st year at KPU, and a number of the students in our lab came to us in their 1st/2nd years. By getting an early start (i.e., a late 1st year or early 2nd year in a 4-year program), you have more time to gain research experience, dabble in a number of different projects and research areas, and find out if research is for you.
On a related note, don’t be afraid to approach faculty researchers, even if you’re just starting along the psychological path. As a lab manager, I’m always impressed to see a 1st or 2nd-year student with an interest in psychological research and the initiative to seek out lab opportunities. Even if you feel you lack experience and knowledge, the lab is a collaborative learning environment. Faculty researchers and more experienced research assistants are happy to guide you and help you learn the skills necessary for research. I see a lot of students who are intimidated by faculty and end up being too afraid to approach them about research opportunities. My advice here: Don’t be afraid! Many faculty members are more than willing to talk research and offer advice (and research opportunities) to students.
As for preparation, it does help to have a basic foundation of research experience. This experience generally comes from 1st or 2nd-year research methods and stats courses, and I would recommend that interested students take these before pursuing more involved research in a lab. Early research methods courses also provide a great opportunity to find out if you enjoy research and whether you’re a good fit for it. Beyond that, those interested in lab research should be prepared to work hard. Lab work most typically involves running subjects but also involves study design, data entry, data preparation (e.g., posters, manuscripts), and presentations (e.g., to fellow lab members, conference audiences).
In sum: take a couple research courses, start looking early, and don’t be intimidated or afraid—just be prepared to work hard!
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