Statement of Purpose
There were moments in my childhood when my parents tumbled short of my dreams. I wanted to spend all the time in the world with them, yet both of them had full-time jobs as well as part-time jobs. They were constantly working, striving to provide the best for our little family. I’ve always wondered the secret to my parents’ happiness in their workplace despite the long, irregular hours. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychologist, discovered the psychological concept of ‘flow’ that might explain the workaholic phenomenon. Flow is a mental state of effortless concentration and enjoyment in an activity. For example, a complete absorption at work results in a sense of euphoria. By changing the perspective of a job …show more content…
Shah. While enrolling patients in clinical studies, I learned how health aids impacted people’s work life. Through their personal stories, I understood how the work they were passionate about gave them a sense of purpose. It was an important factor in building self-esteem and self-fulfillment. On the other hand, as I grew familiar with the schedule of an ER doctor, I saw how work could potentially create a serious conflict in family life. Although I am not interested in pursuing a career in medicine, I believe my experiences with clinical research will serve as a solid foundation to succeed in graduate school. At the hospital, employee surveys were distributed regularly to ensure job satisfaction. Workplace education aimed to reduce discrimination was constantly introduced. Quality assurance (QA) training was implemented to improve job performance. The success of these measures relied heavily on applied I/O psychological theories and principles. It showed me the importance of I/O research, how its findings affected the design of many workplace programs that contributed a significant difference in the quality of an employee’s …show more content…
2005). Furthermore, studies suggested that even newborns can recognize and process facial disfigurements (Cohen, 1998). This eventually sparked my interest in the formation of discrimination. In a study done by Madera and Hebl, the authors found managers who interviewed a facially stigmatized applicant rated the interview lower when compared with a non-stigmatized applicant (Madera & Hebl, 2011). Considering that bias formed at such early stage of life, the finding in the latter article makes sense. At Rice University, I am especially interested in working with Professor Hebl. Her research on gender bias in the workplace, how to improve the experiences of transsexual employees, and how individuals and organizations can reduce interpersonal discrimination align with my own interests. I want to expand my understanding of workplace discrimination, especially the subtle prejudice against women and minorities. It is my goal to further cultivate my research interest at Rice University with the aim of conducting my own I/O research one
There were moments in my childhood when my parents tumbled short of my dreams. I wanted to spend all the time in the world with them, yet both of them had full-time jobs as well as part-time jobs. They were constantly working, striving to provide the best for our little family. I’ve always wondered the secret to my parents’ happiness in their workplace despite the long, irregular hours. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychologist, discovered the psychological concept of ‘flow’ that might explain the workaholic phenomenon. Flow is a mental state of effortless concentration and enjoyment in an activity. For example, a complete absorption at work results in a sense of euphoria. By changing the perspective of a job …show more content…
Shah. While enrolling patients in clinical studies, I learned how health aids impacted people’s work life. Through their personal stories, I understood how the work they were passionate about gave them a sense of purpose. It was an important factor in building self-esteem and self-fulfillment. On the other hand, as I grew familiar with the schedule of an ER doctor, I saw how work could potentially create a serious conflict in family life. Although I am not interested in pursuing a career in medicine, I believe my experiences with clinical research will serve as a solid foundation to succeed in graduate school. At the hospital, employee surveys were distributed regularly to ensure job satisfaction. Workplace education aimed to reduce discrimination was constantly introduced. Quality assurance (QA) training was implemented to improve job performance. The success of these measures relied heavily on applied I/O psychological theories and principles. It showed me the importance of I/O research, how its findings affected the design of many workplace programs that contributed a significant difference in the quality of an employee’s …show more content…
2005). Furthermore, studies suggested that even newborns can recognize and process facial disfigurements (Cohen, 1998). This eventually sparked my interest in the formation of discrimination. In a study done by Madera and Hebl, the authors found managers who interviewed a facially stigmatized applicant rated the interview lower when compared with a non-stigmatized applicant (Madera & Hebl, 2011). Considering that bias formed at such early stage of life, the finding in the latter article makes sense. At Rice University, I am especially interested in working with Professor Hebl. Her research on gender bias in the workplace, how to improve the experiences of transsexual employees, and how individuals and organizations can reduce interpersonal discrimination align with my own interests. I want to expand my understanding of workplace discrimination, especially the subtle prejudice against women and minorities. It is my goal to further cultivate my research interest at Rice University with the aim of conducting my own I/O research one