From the 9th May to the 24thJune 2016 I worked as a summer research intern in the Psychology department alongside Dr Rory MacLean, Dr Jennifer Murray and Lee Curley on a project in juror decision making. Throughout my undergraduate degree I had become really interested in decision science and knew it was the area I hoped to have a career in, so I was really eager to start working on this project.
The project itself investigated the process and efficacy of decision-making strategies used by jurors, which involved presenting participants with examples of evidence from mock trials and asking them to assess likelihood of guilt on a continuum. My role was to primarily collect all of the data required (which was done through a questionnaire format) and analyse it. At first data collection did pose as a challenge as university campuses were mostly empty with students starting their summer holidays. However, luckily, friends and family were extremely keen to take part! Data analysis ran smoothly with the results showing what was predicted.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a summer research intern and would highly recommend applying to all students. Having now attended graduate interviews, recruiters have been very interested in my internship and enthusiastic to hear more about it. Being in a working environment and teammates with lecturers that have taught you for the past 4 years was a great experience, and one that I will certainly not be forgetting in a hurry. As I now start my graduate job in market research, the research and statistical skills I gained through this internship will be greatly beneficial.