Janneke Overduin, msc
Teacher Bachelor Psychology at University of Twente
In 2015 I finished the mastertrack Psychology of Conflict, Risk, and Safety at the University of Twente.
Why Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety?
I chose this track because of the meta-view on Forensic Psychology and the course on Group Dynamics. I am interested in what makes people commit crimes and how they behave in legal settings. However, the individual analysis and treatment of delinquents are not my cup of tea, in contrast to the emphasis of masters in Forensic Psychology at other universities.
During the programme, we were able to choose our own emphasis in almost every course. For example: In ‘Leadership and Ethics’ [now integrated into: Psychology of Sustainability] we had to write several essays, for which we were free in choosing which leader we wanted to apply our theoretical knowledge to. Also, in writing my master thesis, I could really specialize in my field of interest: I studied online consumer conflicts. Information on what to do in a consumer conflict is increasingly available online. I conducted an experiment to test the influence of this information on negotiation behaviour. Since the researchers in the PCRS department all have their own expertise and interests (staff), students are supervised by someone who is sincerely enthusiastic about the student’s research.
Teaching
Simultaneously with my master, I started teaching in the bachelor. I was tutor in the TEM-modules (Twente Education Model), which means I got to interact with students a lot. I was interested in teaching before, but now I could test whether my expectations were matching the reality of being a teacher at a university. I loved to discuss both, personal development and academic research skills with students. Furthermore, I liked to teach students to apply social psychological knowledge, and to use that skill in their educational context.
Therefore, after my defence I continued my job as a teacher in the bachelor Psychology at the department of Psychology of Conflict, Risk, and Safety. My enthusiasm about psychology in conflict-situations, either intra- or interpersonal, seems to be a neverending story.
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