Hi
I'm considering doing a PhD, in order to become a lecturer. Although I enjoy study and keep returning to it, even while working full-time, the isolation of PhDs is concerning.

Juggling full-time work with a psychology conversion course currently (and a PGDip in the past) has reduced the social life - I'm currently single too! I suspect that some teaching and conference-going on the side during the PhD would be a good outlet(I love explaining things), but I wonder if I'm temperamentally unsuited to the task, despite being academically capable.

I've asked the more outgoing of my current lecturers about this. One said he always made sure he finished at 5pm, another said he thinks extroverts are better at recruiting research participants, and another just said "can you sit at a desk and study all day?" (to which the answer is yes, if I have people to meet in the evening).

I love the people in my current department and would love to teach there... is that the wrong primary motivation?

Are you all very solitudinous people or not?

Ogriv

In my own personal situation, I find the isolation intellectual rather than social. I mean, all the sources I have seen, and the ideas I am developing - they are diffent from others - so even though I have phd friends in same/similar disciplines, there is some isolation still. Socially though, I couldn't function without regular contact with my friends and boyfriend. Sure, I'm not a party animal, but two nights of socialisation keeps me happy.

I've had to get a lot better at chatting to people at conferences and being social. I think academia is, utlimately, a social profession. People need to like your ideas, but they also need to find you amiable. Abrasive people at conferences normally have a wide berth around them!

I am highly extroverted by any measure--and it has not been a problem with the Phd. It does mean making sure I get enough people contact, because a lot of the PhD is done alone. On the other hand, I am thrilled at the chance to do presentations--I love to be talking in front of, with, near, around people! I think extraversion, like any trait, can help you or hurt you--its a matter of how you channel it and how you use it in your situation.

These posts make me very happy! More, please!

Hello- I'm a complete introvert, and I do think that doing a PhD can be quite suited to people like me. But I also think that a lot of extroverts do PhD's as well, and I guess that it is just about what you put into it and what you want to get out of it. It sounds like you'd be really good at teaching, going to conferences etc., and a lot of people find that very hard- plus it sounds like you are quite happy in your department, and that is always a good start. So long as you are interested in what you want to research, and there are avenues for you to be 'yourself' then I dont think it would be a problem..

http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/ls/16types.htm


Sort of related--an interesting webpage that describes the learning style of 16 different personality types. Mine--ENFP--is exactly right!!!

http://www.careerfulfillment.com/learning_styles/lrn_11enfp.htm

another interesting page on personality and learning style--ENFP again--me! Which is interesting, and true--it says I like exploring ideas, being able to explore, dislike lots of rigid, rote formality--which is a demotivator--dislike learning on my own ( so for me its important to get to do some people involved things in my research)...etc...

Olivia - I've always come out as ENFP too. Though I understand some studies question the validity of the Myers-Briggs test, it describes me reasonably well. What is your research on? Presumably it allows you enough people contact?

Thanks for these messages - it sounds as if it's a question of playing to your strengths really, and also making the most of the social time you do have. And never again studying with a full-time job

hee hee I come out as a ISTJ which is so me!! ISTJs learn best by experiencing, doing and practicing. For them, the theory (and the links that can be made to their existing knowledge and skills) comes later. V. good website!

I am looking at international law and children's issues ( my PhD is in law)but it is heavily focused on what happens to people ( ie it gets to become cross disciplinary and has lots of sociology and anthropology and psychology in it!) and not just focused on the legal instruments themselves. So its perfectly an ENTP PhD!

What is yours?

errr.. ENFP! I mean!

Well, I'm most definitely a solitudinous person. It does have advantages in that I don't go out, so have extra time to study (not that I often do). But more often it's a bad thing being so shy because I have real trouble teaching undergraduates, and meeting people at conferences. So your extroversion should serve you well as a lecturer: you do need to be able to engage with everyone, I think.

My research? Well I'm still on the conversion course at the moment. It's looking at cooperativeness and socioeconomic status, but it's only undergraduate level really.

Beyond that, I'm quite interested in researching deferment of gratification, believe it or not! Quite appropriate for a PhD I would have thought, heh heh

As the topic has applications in health psychology eg addiction it should be possible to do things with a bunch of participants in a lab. I could do a bit of qualitative research within it e.g. interviews, but I prefer quant analysis really. But you can still have the people contact with quant I think, depending on what you do.

I've never really had an intellectually challenging day job, so it should make quite a nice change to be hideously overwhelmed!

Ogriv