Prospective Research Assistants

We regularly employ undergraduate research assistants (URAs) in the Psychotherapy Research Lab, which is located in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Most URAs register for credit (PSYCH 398B), although some volunteer. For credit, students are eligible if they have (a) completed at least one semester in residence at UMass, (b) completed the required prerequisites (i.e., Introductory Psychology and Psychology 240 and 241, or their equivalents), and (c) maintained a minimum GPA of 3.00. We offer 2 credit (6 hours/week) or 3 credit (9 hours/week) positions. For additional details on research assistantships (and other educational experiences outside of the classroom) in the UMass Psychology Department, visit here. The number of URAs that we hire in any given academic year depends on the nature and number of current research projects, as well as the number of returning URAs. 

If you are interested in joining the lab, please email Dr. Constantino. He or one of his graduate students will let you know if we are hiring; if so, they will also provide instructions for applying. The application process first involves the completion of an online form. We then invite the students who appear to be a good match to interview with Dr. Constantino and/or one his graduate students. We then make final selections. In most semesters, we have many more applicants than positions; thus, these positions are competitively awarded. We are most interested in working with students who are keen to learn about psychotherapy research, and who are highly motivated, responsible, reliable, accountable, and professional. Attention to detail, effective communication skills, and the ability to work effectively as a part of a larger team are necessary qualities. We prefer that our URAs have some background knowledge in psychotherapy, or at least clinical psychology (e.g., coursework).

As a lab, we have three primary goals in working with our URAs. The first goal is to provide a substantive research experience that will help students learn about methods of inquiry into psychotherapy process and outcome. In this regard, students engage in activities such as:

• Administering studies (i.e., interacting with human subjects)

• Transcribing and coding interview or psychotherapy session data

• Conducting literature reviews and coding articles for meta-analyses

• Entering and managing data

• Providing editorial assistance

• Providing administrative/clerical assistance

• Assisting graduate students on their research projects

We also attempt to provide our URAs with a rich understanding of the conceptual rationale underlying the projects on which they are working. The second goal is to help URAs advance their theoretical knowledge and critical thinking skills. We do this by providing students with background readings from relevant literatures, inviting students to project meetings and practice talks/defenses, and engaging in individual scholarly dialogue. Finally, our third goal is to help URAs develop professionally. And, provided that the student has had a successful experience in the lab, we provide letters of recommendation for future applications to graduate programs and/or jobs.