The Forum: Interview with Laurie B. Slone

A shortened version of the interview on this page appeared in the Spring, 2003, issue of The Forum, SPSP's student newsletter. The interview is with Laurie B. Slone, a fourth-year graduate student at Dartmouth College. Her area of specialization is social and experimental psychology, and her faculty advisor is Jay G. Hull.

	Why did you choose to attend graduate school in social psychology?
	I was a business major as an undergraduate, focusing on Marketing and Management, especially consumer behavior (I minored in psychology). In my senior year I worked with a professor, Dr. David Brinberg, on an independent research project and he inspired my interest in research. In order to finance my education, I worked my way through my undergraduate career. So when I finished I decided to take a job instead of continuing immediately with graduate school. After ten years out in the working world, holding jobs in marketing consulting, retail, the restaurant business and sales, I finally made my way back to graduate school. I knew that the jobs I had held were not analytical enough for me to be satisfied.
	What is it about social psychology that specifically attracted you?
	During my working experiences I realized that social psychology, conducting research to understand human behavior, was what I wanted to pursue. Social psychological findings seemed to help explain why people did not always act rationally or in their best interest.
	Please describe the program you attend (size, research vs. teaching focus, etc.).
	The psychology program at Dartmouth College is small but has almost doubled in size since I started the program. We have just over 20 full time faculty and over a dozen research professors. At the same time we currently have 27 graduate students, which makes the faculty to student ratio almost 1:1. We are a very research-oriented department, including focuses on social psychology, social cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology and decision making, and behavioral neuroscience.
	How many graduate schools did you apply to, and how did you decide which ones?
	When I applied to graduate school I only applied to four schools. My main interest was finding a program that I fit with, and Dartmouth was my number one choice. I was interested in the work of the social faculty here, and I was very attracted by the small size of the program, knowing that I would be able to learn more from close contact with the faculty.
	What were the major criteria you used to decide which school you attended?
	After interviewing at Dartmouth, I knew that it had what I was looking for and it was also in a location that I wanted to live in.
	What do you feel are the major strengths of the program you are currently attending?
	The small faculty-to-student ratio (as I stated before), the foresight of the department in its involvement in brain sciences, the exposure to a plethora of speakers from outside the university, and a location that is conducive to getting lost in research.
	What are your research interests? If you can, tell us a little about how you got interested in this area.
	My research interests center around how small influences in our environment influence our behavior even without our awareness. My research has focused on behavioral priming effects, self-awareness, contrast and assimilation effects, as well as interest in affect and evaluation. It was probably a combination of my advisor's research on self-regulation and self-knowledge and my background in consumer behavior that lead me to these interests. To explore my interests, I have conducted many research projects in my time here.
	What kind of career do you plan to pursue and why?
	I am still keeping all possibilities open at this point. I am interested in continuing conducting research and am open to a position in a social psychology department or a business department. At the same time I am reviewing other research opportunities outside academia, such as marketing research or other research institutions.
	What do you like most about being a graduate student?
	Designing research and analyzing data to answer specific questions...constantly learning.
	What do you like least about being a graduate student?
	The pay.
	If you could give young graduate students one piece of advice, what would it be?
	Before you decide on a graduate school, make sure it is not just "the best place" but instead is the best place for you. You are interviewing the program as much as they are interviewing you. Second piece of advice...talk about your research as much as possible!
	Is there anything else about you or your department you'd like to let us know about?
	I think that is all!