With my WAGSFP project it’s certainly been a learning curve. I considered myself decently well-versed in the research process, but getting into the nitty-gritty of the analysis and coding has been a new and admittedly challenging experience. I am being pushed to quickly pick up unfamiliar coding in order to establish relationships between my variables and moderators. Through this, though, I am gaining more confidence in quantitative data analysis than I thought possible.
Social identity is a large component of my research project and as a researcher. The sample I have been working with has participants of various sexualities and gender identities. I have been working to understand how these identities play a role in the relationship between impulsivity and sexual risk behavior. It is a complex interaction, so my mentor and I are still working to clarify this relationship. Furthermore, I find it particularly important that researchers, especially social science researchers, are also aware of their own identity when conducting research. I am proud to represent women in research, as we are unfortunately few and far between. However, I am also acutely aware that I hold several other privileged identities that have helped me become a research fellow. I believe it is essential for researchers to be knowledgeable of the social identities they hold and how that has the possibility to influence their perception of social research outcomes.
With this summer’s research I have gained a greater appreciation for research and particularly its potential impacts and influence on the field of WGS (and psychology). With dedication and inclusive research, we can continue to uncover how power dynamics and structural inequalities impact individuals and communities.