Doreen Lewis Blog: Dissertation

Showing posts with label Dissertation. Show all posts

Hudson researcher puts Cupid in her sights - St. Petersburg Times

Hudson researcher puts Cupid in her sights - St. Petersburg Times

This is an interview I did last week. The article is online at the St. Petersburg Times' website and in print tomorrow.

The Love Survey

My research proposal passed ethics committee review and scrutiny by my dissertation committee. I am now authorized to begin data collection. Will you help me?

Are you in a romantic relationship? Research Study Volunteers Needed.

I am a doctoral student working on my Ph.D dissertation in the General Psychology Program at Capella University. I am currently collecting data for a study that involves examining the factors of romantic relationships (intimacy, passion, and commitment) and how they relate to satisfaction. Please consider participating in this dissertation study - Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment as Predictors of Couple's Relationship Satisfaction. It is my hope that this research will assist in furthering psychological research about love theories.

Eligibility requirements are:

1) At least 18 years old of age.
2) Live in the United States
3) English-Speaking
4) Currently in a heterosexual, steady couple’s relationship
5) Internet Access

The survey takes about 10-20 minutes to complete and is unpaid. Participation is completely confidential. There are no foreseeable risks associated with this study and you may withdraw from the survey at any point.

For more information or to participate in this research opportunity, please click on the following link: www.thelovesurvey.org or go straight to the survey by clicking SURVEY

Thank you!

Doreen Lewis

On Being Everyone's Girl and How I Steal Time for Myself

I know I'm not alone... I know some of you will read this blog title and clearly understand what it means. I venture to say that it's possible you are just like me or know someone just like me... We are the caregivers of the world.... the flat-tire friend (meaning the one you wouldn't hesitate calling when your car broke down in the middle of the night and you needed help). We're the ones who sign up not only to volunteer on a project, but lead it as well. We are the people pleasers and the ones who derive intrinsic pleasure in saving others, even with sacrifice of self.

OK... so we make great best friends, but we're also a tad tired, cranky, and afraid to say no or cry out to others when we need (God forbid we need) support, ourselves.

I am at a very important point in my dissertation. About 70 pages into it, I've achieved several milestones, approval, covered the history and literature review now at expert level. I'm ready to get approval to start the experiment so I can crunch numbers and draw some insight as conclusions. At this point, I am about to submit a sizable presentation to my mentor and committee members. The American Psychological Association has changed format standards for scientific papers (now, the 6th edition) and I'm editing all that before sending.... I swear, if I don't have a period or comma in the right place, the whole damn thing gets sent back to me for rewrites and more time and more money in a semester.

Today is my earmarked day for dissertation, with boss on the road and kids at school, this is good time. I'm alone. I need silence. I have my cell phone on vibrate, but I still check it, God forbid someone has a flat tire. And guess what, GRRRRR! Everyone is having flat tires today, so to speak. And you know what? I can't even keep this promise to myself to lay low and do my thing. No, instead, I'm doing it AGAIN... not doing what needs this total concentration. And I'm so distraught about, I'm blogging about it instead of doing it, but I need to vent.

A good way to solve problems is to remember a time in your life of a similar problem and how you overcame it. So I'm remembering. In 2004 and 2005 I knocked out 3 novels.. or about 800 manuscript pages in that period. I go to the recesses of my mind to remember how I gave the dedication to those projects. And I remember now.. and I hate to think that that's what I need to do now...

Back then, I didn't get the silence or the space or support I really needed for writing, not enough... so what I did was work through the nights... 2 AM, 3 AM, 4 AM... sometimes all night until 6 AM and then up and go to work. That was the only way when it came down to it that I could complete those books and get them to the publishing houses. I'm going to have to steal sleep if I can't control the interruptions better.

To date, I have gotten as far as I can go writing this stuff leisurely over this past year, it is now a critical point that I need to be anal about this submission (every damn "t" crossed). In a scientific paper, you don't want any avoidable error. So.. I need prayer to find the strength and courage to walk away from others, realizing the world will go on without me for a time... and I need to get this done. I am so close... my God... so close to this important part done.

And now, I feel better having blogging. The rest of the day is my work.

If you're reading this, DO NOT CALL ME! I'm having my own flat tire day!!!

thelovesurvey.org -- My Dissertation Project

I blogged a while ago about my upcoming presentation in Kansas as a new scholar at the International Association of Relationship Research (IARR). I just completed my "poster" for a poster presentation. It is 4 feet by 4 feet and I'm having it produced in color on crease-proof fabric, which will later be a momentum I can hang in my office.

My research will be conducted online... I'm creating a website and it's under construction now.

Take a peek (you can view my poster there, too)....

THUMBNAIL View - Click to go to Website

www.thelovesurvey.org

I was Selected as a New Scholar Presenter.

I thought I'd share my good news today. This morning I received a congratulatory email from the International Association of Relationship Research (IARR), which is a professional organization of researchers and scholars who are social scientists dedicated to furthering the study of personal relationships. I applied to be a presenter at a New Scholar conference being held at the University of Kansas. IARR accepted my proposal to present on the subject of intimacy, passion, and commitment as predictors of relationship satisfaction.

It's called a "poster presentation". Think 8th grade Science project only with testosterone (tri-fold board on a table with graphics and bullet points) - me proudly standing next to my oh-so-brilliantly designed board, smiling. Professors, publishers, scientists and gurus will stop by and informally ask questions about my study, offer insight and ideas, etc. My presentation will be among 30 projects presented in November.

Following the new scholar event is a couple of days of intensive seminars by some of the great leaders in this specialized field of psychology.

What an exciting festival of geekdom for me! I truly love this stuff.

Oh, and I've never been to Kansas.