IWD2024 Interview with Professor Julie Aitken Schermer

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Visit Professor Aitken Schermer's website here: Prof Julie Aitken Schermer at WesternU

A huge welcome to Professor Julie Aitken Schermer, PhD, who is a senior researcher at the University of Western Ontario. Professor Aitken Schermer is the Coordinating Editor at Personality and Individual Differences (PAID) journal, and we are thrilled that she joins us today to talk about her research and academic pursuits in advance of International Women’s Day 2024.

Could you share a brief overview of your professional journey and your current role within the research organisation?

Prof Aitken Schermer: I was hired in 2003 as an assistant professor in an undergraduate business program. The agreement was that as long as I taught what was required, I could continue researching what I was interested in investigating. I was awarded tenure in 2006 and granted full professor status in 2014.

Finally, in 2021 I was successful in obtaining a joint appointment with the psychology department and can now teach personality psychology.

What inspired you to pursue a career in your specific field of research?

Prof Aitken Schermer: I have wanted to be a personality psychology researcher since I was a child and tried to read Jerry S. Wiggin's (1973) text, "Personality and prediction: Principles of Personality Assessment". Although I didn't understand most of the book, what I did understand then stirred my interest which has stayed with me since.

In what ways do you contribute to fostering diversity and inclusion within your research environment?

Prof Aitken Schermer: I try to remain as international in my collaborations with others as possible. Psychologists around the world are doing really interesting work!

What are some of the ethical considerations you need to take into account in your research?

Prof Aitken Schermer: I serve on the university research ethics board and in addition to informed consent, it is important, in my opinion, to imagine what the participant will experience.

What do you believe are the emerging trends or future directions within your area of research?

Prof Aitken Schermer: Great question. Looking at the most recent issue of Personality and Individual Differences, the topics are diverse. The Dark Triad/Tetrad will probably remain popular, but I also see positive psychology, emotions, and attitudes becoming more prevalent in the submissions received.

Have you conducted any interdisciplinary research? If so, what other disciplines were involved? If not, in what ways could you imagine your research being interdisciplinary?

Prof Aitken Schermer: Yes. Working with people in other fields is a lot of fun! I have collaborated with sociologists, political scientists, medical researchers, and researchers from the health sciences. Each field has a unique perspective about people.

Can you share an example of a failure or setback in your career and what you learned from it?

Prof Aitken Schermer: There are too many to count! From not receiving funding to having a manuscript rejected, an academic life is filled with failures and setbacks. The key is to brush yourself off and continue.

For example, I recently published a paper on trying to understand who wants to drive cars with loud exhaust systems. I was rejected by six journals until I finally found reviewers who found the topic as interesting as I do (and by the way, those who like the loud cars tend to score higher on psychoticism and sadism).

Looking back, what is one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your career?

Prof Aitken Schermer: When I started as a graduate student, computers were just starting to be introduced. I wish I had learned more about them then as they tend to baffle me now

What are the key skills or attributes you believe are essential for success in the research industry, and how can newcomers develop them?

Prof Aitken Schermer: Knowledge of statistics is key. In terms of personality characteristics, I would suggest high conscientiousness is essential.

Why study individual differences?

Prof Aitken Schermer: Basically, people are really interesting! You never get bored studying people.