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"My supervisor's research interest was the primary factor in my decision to come to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. Another factor of great importance was the university's position in the global and Psychology rankings, being one of the best universities in this field."
Adriana Britto
Psychology master's student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
I was born and raised in Brazil, where I completed my bachelor's degree (Hons) in Law and my Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Psychology. Between these two undergrad degrees I spent two years abroad as an exchange student in the U.S. I am now a first year Masters student in HQT (History, Quantitative & Theoretical) Psychology at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. I have started this program in January 2021 (remotely from Brazil) and have moved to Canada this Summer. Over the past few years I have been very dedicated to pursuing my academic career and moving to this country, so this journey has been one of my priorities.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?
My supervisor's research interest was the primary factor in my decision to come to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. Another factor of great importance was the university's position in the global and Psychology rankings, being one of the best universities in this field. Secondarily, I also loved the location of ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, as I had already fallen in love with this Vancouver area, even before coming here.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?
My program is focused on research. In my case, I use the evolutionary approach, which basically means that I seek to understand some mental processes through evolution. By better understanding how we evolved (over millions of years), we can better understand how our mind works. I use this theoretical angle to investigate psychological universals, cognitive biases, and other processes. I am especially interested in certain kinds of supernatural beliefs.
WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?
I am particularly loving the support and guidance I am receiving from my supervisor (Dr. Tim Racine). And I am also loving the magnitude of the library and how the university structure favors our learning and our journey to become better students and professionals. Above all, I am loving the freedom to be able to pursue my research interests without being tied to any pre-defined projects or limitations.
HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR-FUNDED AWARDS? IF SO, PLEASE TELL US WHICH ONES AND A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE AWARDS HAVE IMPACTED YOUR STUDIES AND/OR RESEARCH.
I received a Special Graduate Entrance Scholarship in 2020, and I am grateful for being one of the recipients of this award.
Contact : acd6@sfu.ca