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This guide by Dr. Tamara L. Brown offers comprehensive strategies to eliminate psychological roadblocks that deter students from completing their dissertations. It covers essential components of the dissertation process, debunks common myths, and identifies cognitive, emotional, and behavioral traps. With a structured approach to project management, it provides actionable timelines and specific goals to help students navigate their dissertation journey effectively. Learn how to foster productive relationships with committee members and develop a sound research proposal while managing time and expectations.
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Eliminating Psychological Roadblocks & Barriers to Completing the Dissertation • Tamara L Brown, PhD • Associate Professor, UK Department of Psychology • Associate Editor, Journal of Black Psychology • Owner, Dissertation Coaching Services LLC
Today’s Game Plan • Dissertation Components • Myth Busters • Cognitive / Thought Traps • Emotional / Feeling Traps • Behavioral Traps • Dual Role • Concrete Strategy
Dissertation Components • Select a Committee Chair • Select Committee Members • Develop a Written Proposal • Defend Proposal to Committee • Obtain IRB Approval for Study • Conduct Research • Analyze Data • Complete Written Dissertation Draft • Submit Draft to Committee Chair • Incorporate Chair’s Feedback into Document • Submit Dissertation Draft to Full Committee • Incorporate Full Committee’s Feedback • Submit Final Dissertation to Committee • Orally Defend Dissertation to Committee • Committee Approves or Rejects Oral Defense
Selecting a Chairperson • Critical to Completing Your Dissertation • A Good Working Relationship Five Tips • Clarify Mutual Expectations • Be Professional • Be Proactive • Take Responsibility • Have Realistic Expectations Of Your Chairperson
Selecting Committee • 2nd Most Important Relationship • Consider the Role Each Will Play • Same 5 Tips • Be Nondefensive • Use Active Listening
Develop Written Proposal • Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review • Statement of the Problem • Review of all Relevant Literature • Purpose of the Study • Research Questions and Hypotheses • Chapter 2: Methodology • Description of Study Participants & How They Will be Recruited • Detailed Description of all Measures/Materials (copies should be placed in appendices) • Step-by-Step Description of Study Procedures • Hypotheses • Description of Planned Analyses
Myth Busters • “I’m too busy to write!” • “I need uninterrupted time to work/write” • Mismanagement of negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
Cognitive Traps • Trap 1: Thinking Errors • Excessive standards or demands • Awfulizing • Trap 2: Cognitive Fusion
Feeling Traps • Feeling Trap 1: Emotion-Thinking Disconnect • Feeling Trap 2: Nonacceptance of Feelings
Behaving Traps • Behaving Trap 1: Behavior-Thinking-Feeling Disconnect • Behavior Trap 2: Experiential Avoidance • Procrastination • Perfectionism
One More Thing.... Dissertation Do-er Dissertation Project Manager
Structured Approach • Timelines • Advantages • Breaks dissertation into smaller weekly goals (decreases procrastination) • Helps focus energy toward specific and tangible weekly goals • Gives sense of control over entire dissertation process • Shows consequences of not completing short-term goals (accountability) • Enables you to plan dissertation around rest of life • Three Separate Types • Developing a sound dissertation topic (including research question) • Writing a dissertation proposal • Carrying out and completing the dissertation study • Guidelines • Don’t do it alone; • Create clear, specific milestones with concrete 1-wk beginning and end • Assign dates to milestones • Be realistic • Maintain in electronic form & and revise as needed (project manager)
Structured Approach • Action Plans • Advantages • Breaks weekly goals into smaller daily tasks • Provides daily road map so time is not wasted figuring out what to do • Enables you to make better use of available time • Creates tangible sense of accomplishment on a regular basis • Can help manage academic and nonacademic responsibilities • Guidelines • Make plans small and specific • Connect plans to specific days of the week and specific times (to combat procrastination; putting off to later in the week) • Be realistic • Maintain in electronic form & revise as needed (project manager) • Do not plan to do dissertation work while on vacation • If you can only make daily plans rather than weekly, do that and make adjustment as you get more information • Don’t do it alone
Need Help? • Tamara L. Brown, Ph.D., M.Div. • University Contact Information: • University of Kentucky; Department of Psychology • 207-Q Kastle Hall • Lexington, KY 40506-0044 • tbrow2@gmail.com • 859-257-9612 • Dissertation Coaching Contact Information: • www.thedisscoach.com • tamara@thedisscoach.com • skype: thedisscoach • phone: 859-806-4722