A cautionary note: When I was in graduate school, there was a lab with a handwritten sign outside of it-the first time I read the sign I read "Self-Centered Research and Tanning Unit".
The permanent sign read "Self-Control Research and Training Unit". Leah Leah Adams-Curtis Director of Assessment Knox College 2 East South Street Galesburg, IL 61401-4999 309-341-7260 From: Patrick Dolan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 9:58 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] naming labs My experience mirrors Ken's. The practice seems fairly new (last 15 years), and I figured it was influenced by a couple well known named labs (eg. FIL in London- functional imaging lab). Friends who do neuroimaging followed suit with some fun names (PIL- psychological imaging lab, and after the English punk band; and BIL - brain imaging lab and the name of the PI, etc). Around the same time though, rather large, well known researchers starting adding names to their lab too. Maybe it gives them something to put on the web site. Patrick Patrick O. Dolan, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology Drew University Madison, NJ 07940 973-408-3558 [email protected] >>> Ken Steele <[email protected]> 10/4/2011 9:56 PM >>> Hi Annette: As far as I can figure, people just pick a name that sounds good and cool and catchy and go with with it. Personally, I have found many lab names to be pretentious. (It's a room with 4 freaking computers!) and the title is laden with demand characteristics. What is one to think about people who show up to studies in lab names like "Anxiety Prevention Lab" or "Fat Fear Lab" or "Relationship Anxiety Lab." (Names slightly changed to hide actual lab name.) I ran an online participant recruitment program that picked intro psych students at random and offered them to particpate in studies labeled "#1, #2, #3..." Faculty hated the program. Students would sign up for the program but "standard effects" would not be found. Hmmm. Ken PS - I have worked in some "name labs" and their history was such that I felt honored to have walked in the building but they are very few and far. Typically, there was no "name" on the famous-name lab door. You were either in the know or you didn't know. But the effects happened without the name on the lab ddor. On 10/4/2011 8:40 PM, Annette Taylor wrote: > Ok tipsters, this might be an odd question. > > I know from my graduate and post doc experiences that people > name their labs. > > Is there some formal process for this or do people just say to > themselves, "this sounds good" and use whatever they come up > with? Maybe with a good acronym to go with the name? I never > gave it any thought. > > I mean, if now that I'm over 60 and wanted to grow up and > sound "professional," could I just pick a name for my little > room and then the students who work as research assistants > with me in my little room could put on their resume that they > worked in "blah blah" lab, and I can pick anything I want? > Does anyone know how it works? > > Thanks > > Annette > > Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D. Professor, Psychological > Sciences University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, > CA 92110 [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed > to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8c39 <http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13524.94845a3ed9806f1cef14973830dd8c39&; n=T&l=tips&o=13134> &n=T&l=tips&o=13134 > > --------------------------------------------------------------- Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. [email protected] Professor Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 USA --------------------------------------------------------------- --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13443.99ec8b626a47132c52969dd081cdd808 <http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13443.99ec8b626a47132c52969dd081cdd808&; n=T&l=tips&o=13136> &n=T&l=tips&o=13136 or send a blank email to leave-13136-13443.99ec8b626a47132c52969dd081cdd...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13346.fd4eeaf6abdc74d8c3a37fbfbb055cd9 <http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13346.fd4eeaf6abdc74d8c3a37fbfbb055cd9&; n=T&l=tips&o=13149> &n=T&l=tips&o=13149 (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) or send a blank email to leave-13149-13346.fd4eeaf6abdc74d8c3a37fbfbb055...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=13150 or send a blank email to leave-13150-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
