Psychology Equity, Inclusion, and Community (PEIC) Committee Newsletter
Newsletters brought to you by the Outreach Subcommittee
The Outreach Subcommittee within the PEIC Committee is specifically focused on building connections between our Department and other Departments at Pitt as well as between our Department and the greater Pittsburgh community. One of our major initiatives is a Speaker Series which hosts presenters from outside of our Department who share their expertise on a variety of topics related to the PEIC Committee’s goals including interdisciplinary perspectives on diversity and how recruiting diverse and marginalized populations improves research. We also put together this newsletter to keep the Department apprised of upcoming events and other important information in the equity, inclusion, and community space.
Keep reading to find out about some of our new initiatives and reach out to Whitney Ringwald (wringwald@pitt.edu) and Alex Silver (AMS645@pitt.edu) to get involved!
Tips for Scientific Communication
Communicating your research with broader audiences can increase public trust in science and improve our research quality through dialogue with the communities our research aims to benefit. Because we don’t get a lot of practice sharing research outside of academic settings, there are some things to keep in mind to be an effective science communicator. Dr. Lauren Hallion, an advocate for science communication in Pitt’s clinical psychology department, suggests to “balance clarity/consistency of messaging and precision, and between pizazz (that which goes viral) and credibility. In my experience, it also seems to help when you're telling people what they want to hear, and when you make it fun.” Some additional tips:
- Clarify your goals; common goals include:
- Share findings/excitement about science.
- Increase appreciation for the usefulness of science.
- Bring attention to a specific issue or improve discourse on an issue.
- Influence people’s behavior, opinions, and policy preferences on basis of science.
- Engage with public to incorporate their perspective in seeking solutions to societal problems.
- Tailor message to audience.
- Consider the audience’s past experience with scientists/research.
- Connect scientific knowledge to what they know and build on it.
- Identify what matters to the audience.
- Think about what you hope the audience will do with the information.
- Use medium appropriate for the audience.
- Focus on the big picture “so what?” of your research.
- Identify the single idea the audience should leave the room with.
- Convey why your research is important and what problem it addresses.
- Present practical applications.
- Framing and design should be understandable and memorable
- Start with the main idea and provide key supporting details after.
- Provide context. • Use everyday language and short sentences.
- Use vivid language, make bold statements.
- Tell a story to make complex ideas more approachable.
- Provide anecdotes, metaphors, examples to make research concrete.
- Make research emotionally tangible.
- Use visuals to support messages.
Check out this Google Doc to find examples and additional resources!
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Historical Perspective: A discussion of problematic research practices in psychology
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, a racist. Life is full of examples of situations where the source of amazing insight may not be so amazing. As virtually everyone in psychology knows, people like Sigmund Freud are great examples of people who drive humanity forward despite fallibility in their thoughts and actions. This is why cross-examination on important topics is a useful tool in this day and age, and that applies to academic fields as well.
While it may be tempting to assume that one academic field has all of the answers, it is often critical for different fields to collaborate and learn from one another. This is especially the case when such fields are relevant to the current research question. This is exemplified by a recent research paper published in Nature Communications. The researchers of this article used machine learning to analyze a database of European portraits to reach the conclusion that facial trustworthiness increased over time. Since publication, the paper has received critical backlash, with many comparisons being made to phrenology. One such critique was that the researchers failed to include art historians, sociologists, or economists on the paper, leading to the problematic findings seen in their analysis (see here for a review). As psychologists and as scientists, it is critical for us to acknowledge that our fields are not disconnected from others, and certainly not from the world beyond the bubble of academia.
When attempting to bring aspects and methods from other fields & avenues into our research, it is important that we consult and learn from others who know these experiences better than we do. So that our understanding can be up to date and that our conclusions are accurately supported by the relevant literature, let this paper be an example of what not to do when researching the past.
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PEIC Events and Initiatives
The Psychology Partnership for Undergraduate and Graduate Students (PUGS)
The Psychology Partnership for Undergraduate and Graduate Students (PUGS) is a new program being developed by the Undergraduate Subcommittee to partner undergraduate and graduate students for a mutually beneficial mentoring experience. Graduate partners will learn excellent mentoring skills, and undergraduates will benefit from the mentoring and guidance of an experienced graduate student in the department.
Please send an email to Linsah Coulanges at lic127@pitt.edu if you’re interested in becoming a graduate partner. We’d love to have as many of you be a part of this as possible! Please also feel free to reach out to Linsah if you have any questions or recommendations.
Teaching Brown Bag with Lindsay Bernhagen, Ph.D.
Friday, October 23, 2020 - 1:30pm to 2:30pm: We will discuss the article “Transforming the Classroom at Traditionally White Institutions to Make Black Lives Matter” by Frank Tuitt, Chayla Haynes, & Saran Stewart on creating a more inclusive classroom for Black students at traditionally white institutions. https://pitt.zoom.us/j/99827639216 (Passcode: teach)
PEIC Book Club Meeting
Friday, November 6, 2020 - 9:00am: Discussing “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi. All interested faculty, students and staff are welcome to attend. Students: Note that the Pitt library does have a few ebook copies of this book available to ‘check out’. Please RSVP to Jill (jcyranow@pitt.edu) and Petra (per29@pitt.edu) by Friday, October 30th. Meeting ID: 962 9614 6251 (Passcode: bookclub)
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November Action Items
Thursday, November 5, 2020 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm: Center for Urban Education Lunch & Learn. Kali Aukuno, author of "Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination" Check it out HERE.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020: US Presidential Election. Click HERE for voting resources.
Wednesday, October 28 and November 11, 2020 - 2:00pm: University Counseling Center, International Tea Time. Come join us via Zoom for this virtual tea time hangout! UCC staff will lead a discussion on some of the challenges facing our international students during this difficult time. Students will have an opportunity to share their experiences and support each other. Click HERE to register!
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 11:30am to 1:00pm: Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB) Meeting. The Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB) is a group of faculty and community stakeholders that host monthly meetings to provide consultation to researchers interested in engaging community members in research projects. The CRAB aims to ensure that research studies are culturally sensitive and relevant. Check out the event HERE.
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Organizations in Need of Your Help
Want to help but don’t have time to volunteer? Check out the following organizations that need your funding:
Learn about and Donate to the Armenia Fund HERE.
Learn about and Donate to the Bukit Bail Fund HERE.
Looking for ways to get involved in volunteer efforts? These organizations are looking for volunteers:
Psychology Partnership for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
The Psychology Partnership for Undergraduate and Graduate Students (PUGS) is a new program being developed by the Undergraduate Subcommittee to partner undergraduate and graduate students for a mutually beneficial mentoring experience. Graduate partners will learn excellent mentoring skills, and undergraduates will benefit from the mentoring and guidance of an experienced graduate student in the department.
Please send an email to Linsah Coulanges at lic127@pitt.edu if you’re interested in becoming a graduate partner. We’d love to have as many of you be a part of this as possible! Please also feel free to reach out to Linsah if you have any questions or recommendations.
Survivor’s Support Network
The Survivor’s Support Network was developed to provide faculty, staff and graduate students with the knowledge and tools needed to best support survivors of sexual misconduct on Pitt’s campus.
The Survivor’s Support Network is a community of trained and caring leaders who are knowledgeable about campus and community resources and are committed to supporting survivors. Joining the Survivor’s Support Network requires participation in two workshops that will provide basic information about the effects of trauma, how to respond to disclosures of sexual misconduct and how to provide referrals to support resources.
Questions? Contact Carrie Benson at carrie.benson@pitt.edu