Frequently Asked Questions:
Are you going to take a graduate student for the 2011-2012 academic year, i.e., starting in September of 2011?
Yes.
Can I arrange an interview to discuss research interests/possibility of attending McGill?
Not yet. We receive applications from close to 200 students per year, of whom we may accept 5-10. The faculty simply do not have time to interview extensively. In January, the applications receive a preliminary sorting into A/B/C piles. I will then examine carefully the applications that are rated "A" and which indicate an interest in working with me. I then arrange personal or telephone interviews with a small number (2-4) applicants. These interviews usually take place in February or March. So, you may be hearing from me then!
What are you looking for in a student?
I am looking for students who are excited about ideas and are eager to learn to be researchers/scientists. My research is becoming increasingly quantitatively oriented, so I am hoping to find students who like numbers. Hint: It's ok to list 2-3 faculty members as potential supervisors. Most students don't really have such specific interests that only one supervisor will do. But don't list 6 supervisors!
What can I do my research on?
· I am especially interested in finding a student to look at methods for alleviating maladaptive self-criticism. Extending research begun by former student, Allison Kelly, is one likely path. See: · Kelly, A.C., Zuroff, D.C., & Shapira, L. (2009). Reassuring oneself and resisting self-attacks: The treatment of two intrapersonal deficits in depression vulnerability. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33, 301-313. · Kelly, A.C., Zuroff, D.C., Foa, C.L., & Gilbert, P. (in press). Who benefits from training in self-compassionate self-regulation? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. · Another line of research that I would like to extend examines Paul Gilbert’s social rank theory of depression. Click here for references to this theory. .
What are the thesis topics of your recent/current students? · Viviana Mauas: Dependency, self-criticism and adjustment to menopause. · Allison Kelly: Compassion for the self and self-criticism · Michelle Leybman: Development of a measure of individual differences in alliance style · Daniel Kopala-Sibley: Developmental antecedents of personality vulnerability
Where else can I do research on these topics? There are a number of outstanding Canadian clinical psychologists whose research lies in the broad area of vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Here's a partial list: · Myriam Mongrain, York University, Toronto, Ontario · Darcy Santor, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia · Gordon Flett, York University, Toronto, Ontario · David Clark, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB · Paul Hewitt, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia · Lynn Alden, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia · Brian Cox, University of Manitoba
Click here to return to my Home Page.
|