25: Marie Helweg-Larsen, PhD – Professor of Psychology and Optimistic Bias Expert Shares Insightful Advice for Students

Masters in Psychology Podcast

Dr. Marie Helweg-Larsen grew up in Denmark and had the opportunity to study abroad at Slippery Rock University in PA even though she wasn’t enrolled at a Danish university. In hindsight, she admits that it was an “amazing culture shock” moving to rural Pennsylvania for a year. She recalls sitting with her Danish-English Dictionary having to “slog through a college level textbook” to understand the language and the assignments. She said that “it was also really fun and really opened up my world.” One class, in particular, that she found fascinating was a class in human sexuality which was taught by a psychology professor. She was able to teach this class many times later in her career and actually taught it to American students who were studying abroad in Copenhagen so she was able to incorporate Danish perspectives on sexuality into the course. Throughout this podcast interview, Dr. Helweg-Larsen shares her academic and professional journey while providing insightful advice to those interested in the field of psychology. When sharing the reasons why she attended UCLA for her graduate degrees in social psychology, she also suggests other things to consider when selecting a graduate school. When reminiscing about her experiences at UCLA, she reminds the listener to enjoy all of the other activities a major university has to offer such as attending a Bruins game, playing softball with fellow graduate students, and she pointed out that UCLA had an award-winning flag football team which was coached by a previous Master’s in Psychology Podcast guest (Bob Bjork). The recurring theme of “opportunity” seemed to emerge during our discussion and Dr. Helweg-Larsen was more than willing to share the backstory to many of the opportunities she experienced in her life. From having the opportunity to be a Visiting Professor at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark to her first experience as Department Chair at Transylvania University to Health Studies Chair at Dickinson College to Director of the Dickinson Science Program in England then the next year in Denmark. Dr. Helweg-Larsen also emphasized the importance of undergraduate and graduate students taking advantage of any opportunity they can whether it be getting involved in a lab, attending conferences, connecting with other students to discuss each other’s work, and creating opportunities for yourself by getting to know your professors and other colleagues. She states “you just have to be brave and seek out opportunities and that doesn’t mean you’re going to be successful, but it can lead to other opportunities.” She explains that sometimes not getting something gives you other opportunities. She then provided a couple of examples where she wasn’t selected for an opportunity or position, but it led to other amazing opportunities. You can hear more about these approximately 32 minutes into the interview. Connect with Dr. Helweg-Larsen: Linkedin | Facebook | Faculty PageConnect with the Show: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn https://vimeo.com/713130261 Interests and Specializations Dr. Marie Helweg-Larsen has conducted research in social psychology, health psychology, and cross-cultural psychology. Recently, she has focused on the causes, consequences, and correlates of optimistic bias as it relates to our ability to assess risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also examined the effects of stigmatization and the willingness to quit smoking in the U.S. and Denmark. Education Bachelor of Science (B.A.), Psychology (1989); California State University, Northridge, CA.Master of Arts (M.A.), Social Psychology (1990); University of California, Los Angeles, CA.Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Social Psychology (1994); University of California, Los Angeles, CA. Other Sources and Links of Interest Dr. Marie Helweg-Larsen: Google ScholarDr. Marie Helweg-Larsen: Why We’re Not Good at Risk Assessment (video)Dr.