Learners on the Doctoral Journey: Understanding and Managing Fear
by Lori Schroeder | November 18, 2009
While engaged in learning, individuals experience a wide range of emotions: joy, delight, interest, wonder, disappointment, frustration and fear. While all emotions need to be managed, fear may be the most significant barrier to adults realizing their full learning potential. In a series of blog posts, Lori shares information—and asks you to offer insights and strategies—to understanding and successfully managing fear that may occur throughout the doctoral journey. Acknowledging that fear exists is key to making peace with it. Her goal is to provide a medium for us to share our perspectives on learner fear and liberate ourselves in doing so.
This blog topic may be of interest to all learners who occasionally experience self-doubt and fear about their ability to achieve the doctoral degree.
By the end of this series of blog posts on learner fear, you will be able to:
• Identify at least one non-productive fear that you may be experiencing
• Know the impact of fear on your learning
• Understand the sources of learner fear
• Develop strategies for better managing fear so that goal achievement is more efficient and certain.
What is Fear?
Fear can be described as “an emotional state in the presence or anticipation of a dangerous or noxious stimulus and is usually characterized by an internal, subjective experience of extreme agitation, a desire to flee or to attack and by a variety of sympathetic reactions” (Reber, 1985, p. 271).
Do you relate to that definition? Do you ever feel a desire to leave your doctoral program? If you do, well, plenty of other doctoral learners welcome you to this emotional reality! You’re not alone.
IMPACT OF FEAR ON LEARNING
What impact does fear have on academic success? Some of the ways fear affects learning, such as the cognitive implications of fear, will be more fully examined in subsequent blogs. Here are a few effects of learner fear:
Affective Impact of Fear
• Our ability to trust ourselves, trust our mentor, and trust the process of teaching and learning, in general, may be impaired—Doubt can be pervasive and can manifest in counterproductive ways, such as not completing tasks in a timely way.
• When we’re in a state of fear and experiencing the fight or flight response, it may be difficult to take risks, to trust ourselves and our mentor, and trust the doctoral-journey in general.
• We may feel anger, apathy, and resentment—It is easy to understand how fear can evoke these sympathetic emotional reactions.
• We may feel defensive and readily look for others or circumstances to blame—We may feel closed to constructive feedback.
• Our perception of formal education, in general, may be affected—A cognitive explanation of the effects of fear suggests that fearful and anxious individuals might have a problem with misinterpretation in that they are more likely to misinterpret neutral or ambiguous situations as threatening, thus contributing to the maintenance of fear and anxiety. Thus, problems with selective attention, selective recall, and misinterpretation could, according to the cognitive perspective, lead to the erroneous beliefs or cognitions that can be the cause of an individual’s fear and anxiety states (Binder, 1999). Distrust may distract us from our course. If the mind focuses on looking for problems, and if we implement a wary vigilance, we could divert our energies to areas that may keep us from moving forward.
Cognitive Impact of Fear
• If our ability to cognitively process information is impaired, applying course content or completing the dissertation proposal may be difficult or overwhelming.
• We may experience lower scores on papers, exams, final course grades—If fear affects our cognitive abilities, it stands to reason that we may not perform optimally. Fear and anxiety may manifest in an individual’s thoughts, actions, and physiological responses that inhibit learning.
• We may experience challenges in our commitment to completing the journey—It is understandable why we would not want to continue doing something that is intellectually challenging and demanding.
However, not all fear carries a negative impact:
• Fear can lead to self-reflection and insight—You may be able to leverage your self-reflection to your advantage; you may find implications for your doctoral journey from these insights.
• Increased motivation—Fear can jump-start or sustain our motivation to write, research, and succeed.
Can you relate?
Can you add to this list? How does fear affect your academic success?
In December’s post, we’ll explore some of the sources of learner fear. Stay tuned!
References:
Binder, E. (1999). Fear and anxiety. Retrieved on November 16, 2009 from http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/students/anxiety.htm
Reber, A. S. (1985). The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology. New York: Penguin.
4 Responses to "Learners on the Doctoral Journey: Understanding and Managing Fear"
Kimberly Williams says:
This blog is timely and relevant. As a new on-line learner, and after 10 years of little or no study, starting a new program is very exciting, but also scary. Trying to balance the everyday family requirements also adds to the fear and frustration. I look forward to reading techniques about how to better manage the fear instead of succumbing to it.
Patty Bristow says:
I feel like I am going two steps forward and three steps back. I am frustrated and ready to end my journey
lschroeder3 says:
New doctoral learners often experience feelings of self-doubt. They also are concerned about balancing life responsiblities. I remember I took my first two doctoral-level classes as pass-fail, because I was not sure I had the “right stuff” to be a doctoral learner.
After five years of going to school part-time, I earned the PhD. It took pit-bull determination and commitment. I also didn’t have much of a social life. Embrace your fear – don’t fight it – because it likely will help you to be motivated, to wisely structure your time, and to do the best you can and submit your best work.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
lschroeder3 says:
The Doctoral Journey: Two Steps Forward – Three Steps Back
That sentiment resonates with many doctoral learners–especially in the dissertation process. The doctoral journey is not easy. That’s why only a portion of the population has a Ph.D. (I’m reminded of that TV commercial for the Marines but with a twist: “the few, the proud, the Ph.D.”)
The Ph.D. journey comprises a path riddled with bumps, barricades and detours. Yet, the learner also encounters times when the path is free from these points of delay. Staying the course, though, requires intentional commitment.
I’m reminded of the concert maestra, Antonia Brico, who led a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as early as 1930. She was determined to fulfill her destiny as a concert conductor in a male-dominated profession and often said to herself, “I will not be deflected from my course.”
It took me two years to write my dissertation–experiencing many steps forward and backward. Thus, is the nature of the process. I returned to Brico many times when I felt like ending my journey. Brico inspired me to not be deflected from my course.
I encourage anyone who feels like wanting to end the doctoral journey to reach out to your support systems—family, friends, colleagues, your mentor, and your doctoral advisor.