Social Psychology Student Spotlight: Amanda Gentili

Amanda Gentili is in their fourth year of the Honours Social Psychology program. Here’s what Amanda had to say about choosing a degree in Social Psychology.

What led you to choose the Honours Social Psychology program at McMaster? What is your ideal future path with this degree?

I chose the Honours Social Psychology program at McMaster because of how diverse the program was in terms of the courses available. Within this program, I was able to select from a large variety of courses in different disciplines (e.g., psychology, social psychology, health science) to cultivate requirements for a variety of different graduate school options. This program allowed me to keep my interests and options open without being pigeonhole to social psychology only. With this degree, I will pursue an MSc and PhD in psychology or a related interdisciplinary program to further explore my research interests!

What is one aspect about the Honours Social Psychology program that you love?

The faculty! Special shout-out to Dr. Maxwell and Dr. Marshall. The professors within the Honours Social Psychology program are personable, knowledgeable, engaging, and dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals. Within my four years, it has honestly been a pleasure to learn from and work alongside these professors.

As part of the Honours Social Psychology program, students complete a capstone group research project. Can you give a brief description of your capstone research project?

My capstone research project explores whether religiosity moderates the relationship between conscientiousness and relationship satisfaction. Through this research, we hope to develop a deeper understanding of how personality traits and religious beliefs interact to influence romantic relationships.

What would you like to say to prospective students thinking of an Honours BA in Social Psychology?

I would like to say that being a part of this program for the past four years has been an extremely positive and rewarding experience. Through being a student within the Honours Social Psychology program, I have been given the opportunity to learn from and engage with leading professionals in my field. Allowing me to gain top education and create meaningful professional connections. McMaster sets high academic expectations of their students, and due to continuous support from all faculty members within the social psychology department, many of my peers and I have been able to live up to these standards. Being a part of this program can be academically challenging; however, the difficulties have never outweighed the rewards!! All in all, I am sad to leave.