r/psychologyresearch

Hi, I am applying to clinical psych PhD programs this cycle. What do you think is a good number of labs to work in?

I have 2 years of clinical research experience in a lab, including recruitment, data management, and behavioral coding, and I have publications in the works and three conference presentations.

I also have 3 years of clinical experience working in ABA as an RBT. I am stressing about getting a full-time RA position now for the summer to have another lab under my belt. How critical do people think it is to get into another lab?

I've been wondering if anyone else experiences this kind of thinking style.

Since childhood I've noticed I naturally pick up a lot of small details without trying. I can sometimes recognize people from far away using things like walking style, posture, clothing style, hair, context, route they're taking, who they're with etc. I don't consciously go through a checklist, it just happens automatically.

I also seem to build mental maps of situations. In groups I often notice dynamics like who noticed something, who wants to say something but doesn't, awkwardness, repeated teasing crossing a line, etc. Sometimes I end up trying to balance situations with jokes or changing topics.

I learn things through context too. For example while learning Marathi, I remember many words by remembering the exact situation or person from which I learned them rather than memorizing definitions.

I also relate to things like:

noticing unusual details in noisy places

using context to understand what people mean

mentally simulating future situations (viva questions, conversations)liking difficult challenges more than the final reward itself sometimes feeling affected by unfairness or group dynamics

I function normally and this doesn't negatively affect my life. I'm not trying to self-diagnose anything. I'm just curious:

Does anyone else think/process information like this? Is there a name for this style of thinking or do some people naturally process the world this way?

Any reddit where i can find people like me?