Stereotype Threat and Me

So my second experiment has come to a close... and the data is crap.

I was really thinking we would find a significant effect but alas.. science can be fickle. I can take solace in the fact that the world is the way it is.. I am just trying to measure it. Therefore, since there was no significant effect.. it isn't really my fault per say - it is just the way the world is.

I am now trying to write it up and make sense of all the numbers on my screen. Problem is that Julian is putting more stuff on my plate before I have even finished consolidating all the stuff from this study! This morning while I was still running ANOVAs and writing my methods section I get an e-mail from him containing a load of articles on social competence. While I do appreciate that he took the time to find some literature for me, it also made me feel slightly incompetent as he stated in his e-mail that he did a brief search and found loads of things. Whereas a few days ago, when I was in a meeting with him, I told him I did a brief search and all I could find was studies done with children. Which is true.. but I digress..

In this e-mail he also mentions that in addition to the data analysis that I am doing, and the writing up of the study I am doing, I should start reading the social competence literature and start developing a study around social competence. Now.. I agree with this statement.. however I wasn't planning on actually thinking about that until I had finished steps 1 and 2 - i.e. data analysis and writing up the study.

I guess I am just feeling the pressure of my PhD right now.. not only do I have to tie everything up on my second study (which will take some time as I have to actually sit with my data and the literature and decide what my crap non-significant results mean... which has to be more than just saying "my hypothesis wasn't supported), I have to start reading about and developing another study, AND work on my literature review.. which I have about 5 weeks to finish.

/sigh.

Maybe a cookie will make me feel better..