The SIOP Exchange

How I Learned to Love Coding

Peter Yu, SIOP Blogger

Has this ever happened to you? You sit down at a computer, take a deep breath, and open a file that you know you will be unenjoyably and painstakingly working on for a while. This is how I originally felt about coding. For the unaware, coding involves reading a research article looking for numerous items of interest, such as the theoretical background, methods, results, and anything else you’re told to look for, all while keeping records of your findings in a separate file, like a spreadsheet. After finishing one article, you move on to another, whittling away at a seemingly endless list you need to get through to contribute to an extensive literature review or meta-analysis. I loathed coding at first, thinking it was something I had to do to be a responsible student. However as time passed, I realized that coding is one of the best activities I could involve myself in.

One reason why coding has been beneficial is the knowledge of numerous theoretical frameworks I have gained. When investigating a major research area, there are bound to be multiple theoretical models and arguments that give basis towards why certain phenomena occur. For the innately inquisitive, gaining new insights and perspectives this way should be naturally appealing, however for grad students like myself, gaining understanding and familiarity of different theories can help inform your future research projects, account for unexpected data, consider alternative viewpoints, and save you time when it comes to studying for those dreaded comprehensive exams.

Practice: A Scientific Failsafe

By Garett Howardson, SIOP Blogger

In a recent focal article in The Industrial and Organizational Psychologist: Perspectives on Science and Practice, Kepes and McDaniel (in press) lament that findings in the industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology literature may lack trustworthiness. The authors argue that this lack of trust is a partial bi-product of a peer review system that encourages unscientific behaviors, such as hypothesizing after the results are known (i.e., HARK-ing). The authors ultimately posit the question; are the scientific results of the I/O psychology literature trustworthy? Before I can address this question, however, I think it is important to briefly address the alternative question, “What is science?”

As an aspiring methodologist, my training can be characterized as an existential journey to discover the meaning of science en route to developing better methods of scientific inquiry. Through this journey, I have pieced together a definition of “science” that I have come to like. I define science as, a systematic, iterative, and infinite conversation with Nature to determine the efficacy of our current state of knowledge. I like this definition for a few reasons. First, it places science in the real world (i.e., nature) rather than in an ideological world of theory and philosophy (cf., Einstein, 1934, p. 165). Second, and perhaps most importantly, this definition suggests that science cannot be advanced without applying our knowledge to nature. This occurs through the systematic and iterative processes where we apply our knowledge to nature, observe the end result, amend our current knowledge, apply the updated knowledge to nature, and repeat ad infinitum. This appeals to me because it suggests that practice is the failsafe for science. Consider the following example of the science of flight.

The Journey of an Authentic Leader

By Maria Collar, SIOP Blogger

As a leader, there is absolutely no way that decisions can be made without experiencing a healthy dose of anxiety. Undoubtedly, there will always be times in which the decision of “should I stay or should I go” will become the crucial moment in everybody’s career. Indeed, my various roles as a leader have been permeated with the dubious uncertainty of knowing that “if I go there will be trouble and if I stay it will be double”. However, it is precisely at moments like these when true leaders take possession of the biggest tool available in their arsenal, themselves (Covey, 1990/​1991).

I Have My Master’s… Now What?

By Ryan Samia, SIOP Blogger

It has been a year and half since I’ve received my master’s in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology. As a newcomer into the professional world, I have asked myself a ton of questions on what I will do next in order to gain experience and be successful. Yes, graduate school was a learning and worthwhile experience as I have learned both the science and practice of I-O Psychology. However, I knew that pursuing higher education was not in my 5 year plan.

As I’ve gotten more exposure to the “real world”, I found out 3 things to do right out of the master’s

To Judge or Not to Judge: How to Reach Logical Conclusions

By Maria Collar, SIOP Blogger

No matter how successful we are at treating others fairly, there will always be an occasion in which someone feels that they were wronged or treated unfairly. When an employee feels their rights were abridged or policies were not applied consistently, it is essential to respond to the concerns in a sensible, comprehensive and objective manner. It is the investigation process that will permit complying with regulations, and a good thorough investigation will help avoid claims of discrimination.