Part 1: Pretend you are a clinical health psychologist, forensic psychologist, or neuropsychologist (choose the specialty you are most interested in) who is manning a booth at a psychology career fair. Graduating seniors are stopping by each booth to learn more about each subspeciality.
a. You already have pamphlets to hand out with standard information (i.e., definitions, training, job roles, etc.). So, instead of giving that spiel, your supervisor has asked you to have a 1-minute story prepared that demonstrates why the subfield plays such a meaningful role both in individual client lives and on the global stage as well.
What is the 1-minute story you tell that gives the person who comes to your booth this powerful glimpse into the responsibility your subfield carries? You can write out this statement or! If you want to, you can try the “record video” option in the editor (the icon that has the play, pause, and stop button on it) and record yourself telling the story that way.
b. You will also have a clipboard at your booth where you collect email addresses for a mailing list. You will use this mailing list to provide those who are interested links to important resources where they can learn more about a future trend in the discipline and a related multicultural research area in the discipline.
What links (scholarly articles, videos, web resources) will you be providing them? Specifically describe why each of those resources (and the ideas within them) will be important to a future practitioner in this discipline.
c. You are also tasked with ordering some merchandise (aka “swag”) to keep in stock at your booth that represents the field in some memorable, metaphoric way. What mementos might you order to pass out at your booth to remind students of the importance and value of the subfield you chose?
For example, let’s say that sports psychology was an option (it’s not in this case, but we don’t want this example to be too on-the-nose) – one might order a bunch of stress balls in the shape of basketballs with the phrase “Shape champions, transform lives!” inscribed on it. This message is threefold – the stress ball represents a coping skill, the basketball represents the sports angle, and the motto summarizes the value of the field.
Part 2: We’ve certainly learned a lot in our eight units together! If you had to identify one or more “big ideas” you are walking away with, what would they be and why do they stick out to you?
If you are left with any questions as we wrap up, please ask! You can also use this moment to say goodbye to your peers and your instructor.
Peer Engagement
Remember to circle back and substantively respond to two classmates by the due date specified in the syllabus and course calendar. Your peer engagement posts must go beyond summarizing and praising. To aid you in this endeavor, incorporate one or more of the following lines of thinking in your peer engagement posts, ensuring both a hearty, meaningful conversation and that your work meets criteria for substance and depth:
For diversity’s sake, you might intentionally choose to respond to peers who wrote about the two subdisciplines you did not choose yourself.
- Pretend you are a student at the career fair who just heard your peer’s 1-minute story. What would be your response to it and in what way do you resonate with this story? Also come up with 1 or more follow up questions you might ask your peer.
- You joined the mailing list and when you get home and check your email you see the two sources that the lovely person at the neuro/health/forensic psychology booth sent. Write back with a 4-5 sentence reply to them that summarizes the take home messages of both resources.
- Offer another piece of merchandise or “swag” your peer might think about and describe why you think it would be an effective piece of marketing.
- Share the big idea you offered in your own post and synthesize that with what you peer wrote to achieve fuller, more complete take-home message.
Include classmate responses: Listed belowClassmate 1: A: Imagine your friend is taken to court because they stole something. Well, maybe they didn’t; maybe the key witness that’s being questioned in court has a learning disability or mental disorder that influences their answers. Maybe they’re being taken advantage of by someone else to say these things. Or maybe your friend did commit the crime, but they didn’t do it intentionally. They could’ve been mentally unwell—unaware that the place they entered wasn’t theirs. And maybe that affects their understanding of Miranda rights or whether they can hire an attorney. So, when they get sentenced, maybe they don’t receive proper treatment. That’s a lot of ‘maybes,’ right? But the purpose of a forensic psychologist is to turn those ‘maybes’ into concrete answers. Yes, the key witness is competent. No, your friend wasn’t mentally competent. The list goes on. Now, imagine if these things weren’t in place. The mentality of someone isn’t considered, they don’t receive treatment, and they’re shipped off to prison. That’s unfair, isn’t it? The main point of law is to have a fair trial; forensic psychologists are vital to that – although they can’t mitigate anyone’s sentence, they can surely answer questions based on mental evaluations such as: how likely is it that the defendant will offend again? Can they be safely reintroduced to the community? They can’t predict everything, but the information provided can vastly reduce future casualties and help choose an appropriate sentence!
B:
- https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/30778/new-directions-in-forensic-psychology-applying-neuropsychology-biomarkers-and-technology-in-assessment-intervention/magazine?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=rt_magazine_share&utm_content=rt30778 — talks about future trends in forensic psychology such as VR treatment methods and wearable technology that can help evaluate an individual’s aggression levels based on biocues (such as heartrate).
- https://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/spotlight/issue-274 — a brief read about multicultural issues within the forensic psychology field such as underrepresented minorities or biased evaluations based on things like gender, sexuality, race, etc.
Both of them, for future practitioners, highlight how the field is advancing but also acknowledge the issues that are present. It provides a broader scope to understand what they’re exactly “walking into” and can give them a better idea of how they can work against these issues themselves or adapt/try out the innovations!
C: I’ve always been a lover of silly t-shirts, so I think one with “INFORMED OPINION GIVER” written across it is funny. It highlights how forensic psychologists don’t give opinions loosely, but rather they’re based on psychological facts and evaluations. Furthermore, there’d be a little gavel on it to emphasize their importance within the judgement/sentencing process – even if they aren’t explicitly changing the sentencing or anything, their conclusions play a large role.
Part 2:
It was a lot of reading this quarter, but I enjoyed it! I think the biggest idea I’m leaving with is regarding the common factors. It was interesting to read the transcription of the podcast, and I didn’t expect there to be so much clinical emphasis on something that seems so simple, but the emphasis highlights how important psychological work is. It also shows how even with a vast amount of training and knowledge; you can still find yourself messing up in the field if you keep going strictly by the book!
References:
American Psychological Association. (2023). A step toward culturally informed forensic mental health assessments: Improving justice and equity for legal-system-involved people. https://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/spotlight/issue-274
van Horn, J. E., Wallinius, M., Bouman Y. H. A., Renaud, P., van Dongen, J. D. M. (2022). New directions in Forensic Psychology: applying neuropsychology, biomarkers and technology in assessment & intervention. Frontiers Research Topic. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/30778/new-directions-in-forensic-psychology-applying-neuropsychology-biomarkers-and-technology-in-assessment-intervention/magazine?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=rt_magazine_share&utm_content=rt30778
Part 1: Booth Presentation as a Neuropsychologist
a. 1-Minute Story:
“A few years ago, I worked with a woman in her early 50s who came in believing she was developing early-onset Alzheimer’s. She had trouble remembering words, forgetting conversations, and even getting lost while driving. She was terrified—it was affecting her work, her family, everything. But after a full neuropsychological evaluation, we discovered that her memory issues weren’t due to Alzheimer’s at all—they were linked to chronic sleep deprivation and unmanaged depression. With this insight, she was able to get the right treatment, return to work, and reconnect with her life. That’s what we do as neuropsychologists: we help uncover the truth beneath symptoms, so people don’t lose years of their lives chasing the wrong diagnosis. And on a bigger scale, our work informs how we treat brain injuries, dementia, learning disorders, and even mental illness around the world.”
b. Email List Resources
1. Resource on Future Trends:
Bilder, R. M., & Reise, S. P. (2019). Neuropsychology 3.0: Rebooting the brain science interface with information technology. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 15, 499–526.
This article explores how big data, machine learning, and brain imaging are transforming the future of neuropsychology. It’s important for future practitioners because it shows that our field isn’t just rooted in paper-and-pencil tests anymore—we’re evolving toward tech-integrated, precision-based care.
2. Multicultural Resource:
Brickman, A. M., & Manly, J. J. (2021). Ethnic and racial disparities in neuropsychological assessment: Old issues, new directions. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 35(1), 1–13.
This article outlines how traditional testing can misdiagnose or overlook cognitive issues in people from diverse backgrounds due to cultural or linguistic bias. Any future neuropsychologist must grapple with these disparities to ensure fair and valid assessments across populations.
c. “Swag” for the Booth
Item: A clear acrylic brain keychain with a puzzle-piece inside it.
Phrase: “Solving the brain’s puzzle—one piece at a time.”
Why it works:
- The brain symbolizes the focus of neuropsychology.
- The puzzle piece represents the complexity and detective work involved in accurate diagnosis.
- The phrase reinforces the idea that neuropsychologists bring clarity and understanding to conditions that can otherwise feel mysterious and overwhelming.
Part 2: Final Reflection
One of the biggest ideas I’m walking away with is that mental health must be tailored to the stage of life and cultural context of the individual. Whether we’re working with children facing trauma, adults under stress, or older adults navigating cognitive decline, the best clinicians know how to adapt their approach to meet people where they are.
I’ve also learned that the therapeutic alliance—that sense of safety and trust—is just as important as any intervention. From play therapy with children to life review therapy with seniors, that human connection is the foundation of real healing.
As we wrap up, I just want to say thank you to everyone in this class. The discussions, perspectives, and insights you all brought helped me think more deeply and compassionately as I prepare for the next phase in psychology.
References:
Bilder, R. M., & Reise, S. P. (2019). Neuropsychology 3.0: Rebooting the brain science interface with information technology. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 15, 499–526.
Brickman, A. M., & Manly, J. J. (2021). Ethnic and racial disparities in neuropsychological assessment: Old issues, new directions. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 35(1), 1–13.