gelles
Diagnostic Criteria for: Watson's Syndrome*
A. A continuing and persistent avoidance of engaging in the actual writing and completion of one's:
- Dissertation.
- Peer reviewed publications.
- Grant proposals.
B. Engaging in what appear to be important activities that take the place of completing one's:
- Dissertation.
- Peer reviewed publications.
- Grant proposals
* Watson's Syndrome is almost always confined to men and women in the latter stages of studying for a doctoral degree or among men and women holding untenured positions in colleges or universities. Often found among high ability/high achievement-oriented individuals.
I first encountered Watson's Syndrome as a second-year master's student at a prestigious university in the Northeast. The syndrome is named after the first person I observed exhibiting pronounced symptoms of what is now referred to clinically as "Watson's Syndrome." The "Watson" case illustrates the progression to a full blown syndrome:
Mr. Watson was an ABD (All But Dissertation -- see "ABD" for a fuller description of this clinical condition) from a social science doctoral program in the West. He had accepted his first tenure-track position having completed his data collection and needing only to write up the results of his research into a final dissertation. The press of teaching two courses each semester, committee assignments, and relocating his young family to a new city precluded his undertaking the writing of the dissertation during the academic year, so Watson decided to do the final writing in the three months of summer. In September, when asked whether he had completed the dissertation, Mr. Watson said that he had not.
As it turned out, there was no appropriate work-space in his new home, so he spent the summer renovating a spare room into an office. Unfortunately, this task consumed nearly all of his time, so the dissertation was not yet complete. The dissertation writing moved to the back burner during the second academic year as the press of teaching, advising, and committee work consumed Mr. Watson's time again. In addition, Mr. Watson, wishing not to lose ground in his quest for tenure, prepared two papers for presentation at professional meetings. The summer would be the time to tackle the unfinished dissertation. The following September (actually, most people waited until October to ask), Watson was again gently queried about the dissertation.
Unfortunately, the summer was unusually hot and the office was without proper ventilation. Watson decided that the best way to address this deficiency was to install central air-conditioning. He saved money by doing the ductwork himself, but this consumed all of the 92 days of summer, and alas the dissertation was still not complete. The third summer Watson spent packing his home, as his appointment was not renewed because he had not received his doctoral degree.
I thought this was perhaps an idiosyncratic and isolated case, but in the subsequent four decades of my academic career I have found numerous manifestations of Watson's Syndrome -- some odd, some difficult to diagnose, and some truly pathological. The following examples illustrate the various manifestations of thesyndrome.
The Never Ending Literature Review. This manifestation is perhaps the most difficult to diagnose and is typically found among the most talented and motivated graduate students. Dissertation proposals are delayed for months and years as the afflicted person reviews every conceivable article, book, and fugitive publication. Just when it appears something will actually be written, a new book or journal is published, yet again delaying writing.
The Never Ending Data Analysis. Akin to the "never ending literature review." This manifestation is also found among highly motivated and able doctoral students. This manifestation eschews "Word" for "SAS" or "SPSS."
The Ever Changing Proposal. Slightly easier to detect, this version of Watson's Syndrome would not be harmful if a graduate student could simply substitute multiple proposals for an actual dissertation. See "Commitaphobe" for additional diagnostic information.
The Anything but Writing Symptom. A junior faculty member at a New England state university once spent his summer planting and replanting ornamental bushes in his back yard (for more information, see Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). While the physical fitness aspect of this behavior should not be ignored, it led to no publications in the social sciences, or for that matter, in horticulture. (NB: This symptom may also be manifested in training for marathons or triathlons; any attempt to break a world record; cleaning one's room, apartment, or house; rearranging one's books or journals -- by height, color, or subject area; cleaning or rearranging files; or aligning the fringe on an oriental carpet).
The Self-Inflicted Injury. The most dangerous symptom is the self-inflicted injury. A colleague of mine had decided to devote Christmas vacation to writing journal articles based on his dissertation. But first he decided to take on some household repairs he had put off. A nasty four-stitch cut to his right (writing) hand thumb and his preference to hand-write his papers ended any plans for a productive Christmas break. His academic career ended two years later and he is now an industry consultant.
Like many psychological issues, Watson's Syndrome is almost never self-identified. I hope that by alerting dissertation advisors and faculty mentors of this phenomenon and putting a name to it, I can aid those in academe in identifying and applying appropriate interventions for this insidious disorder. (Now it is time for me to get back to the book I am supposed to be working on.)
- Humanities
Comments on Watson's Syndrome
I suppose we have all had our bouts of Watson's at one time or another. The end of graduate school is certainly a vulnerable time. Fortunately, as you have pointed out, prior to tenure the condition is self-terminating: soon enough the powers-that-be will arrange for there to be no call for the victim to write anything at all, and s/he may go on to a happy and productive life in some other sphere of life. If it strikes after tenure, however, the pain and suffering can go on for decades. Then again, s/he might achieve, in exchange, a fully renovated house. :-)
Gelles' article on Watson Syndrome should be required reading for all doctoral students, especially ABDs! He has exposed a unrecognized clinical syndrome that could be characterized as a 'silent epidemic' among Ph.D. students. The cure is proactive mentoring on the part of major professors, in lieu of a 'hand-off' approach to academic guidance.
I agree with Bruce. During my long dissertation process, I avoided converstations with people who might have asked how the writing was going. But solid mentorship, schedules, feedback - things I now push on my students - would have helped tremendously. Pre-tenure faculty need more than the threat of termination. Helpful colleagues and time to write are key.
Watson's Syndrome is a paranoiacally realistic diagnosis for a swath of hopeful patients in ABD or tenure stretch beds at the brink of academic suicide.
Unfortunately, the syndrome is not prescriptive in its recuperative potential. A list of psychological coping mechanisms based in the literature would have been useful. Consult Peters's _Getting What you Came For_ and you'll see that many have already recovered from similar syndromes.
Returning to complete my doctorate in my late 40's brought an urgency to my quest for a completed dissertation. A supportive spouse and children, enabled me to not collect guilt along the way. A supportive committee, and chair made a swift completion possible. Yet, there were times when I questioned why I was doing this tortuous task. In the end, I had not attained a tenure rack position, but had the satifaction of seeing the dissertation through to completion, but it would not have been possioble without the support of many.
There is a valuable website called dissertation coach, written by a psychologist, named Dean. An ABD can received the column free of charge in the form of email.
BTDT - stuff happens and life goes on: got a great job offer abd in 1973 and spent the next 8 yrs from brilliant Ph.D. research project to threat from ISU major prof Dick Manatt to get it done or bail; so, quit my abd professorship @ OSU in 1979 & went back to ISU for a semester to write the piece; had to sell the sports car to make it happen; did my didssertation defense in fog of my brother's death in Jan '80 helicopter crash - a valid Watson intervention methinks; then put the Ph.D. in my back pocket until 1985 when a professor job came open & I was "in-between" work. Since then I've done $9M in grants and credit all my success to both Dick Manatt & Dick Wright who taught me to write.
This syndrome I think also affects Master's graduate students. Although not as often, I have seen it and currently I am living it. I moved half way across the country to obtain my master's degree. I was a single parent so took less classes and was on the "three year plan" and now it is five years since I began and I am a few papers from finishing. yeah, had another child in that time but did the same thing by saying "i'll write it in the summer months" with plans to actually write this Saturday. Whether it is a true syndrome or not, I don't know, but I am living it!!
Ok- I have a mild ( I Hope) Case and I have self diagnosed. I am sure fellow sufferers have said as I am now doing--It's all very clear in my head, I can talk well about it--BUT getting it as clear and straightforward ON PAPER is another thing.
I think extended time on task it very imporatnat and am taking Annual leave to do that.
Also I have a wonderful husband and son who did that lovely airconditioned office for me! I have no excuse but my procrastination.
I am completing the final steps of proposal which here we have to defend as well.
With much hope for that successful defense by the end of the month! And in hope too of not suffering the same fate for the actual rest of the dissertation!
I so far remain ABD. But only one month behind the original schedule!
This is helpful. I'm mid way through a PhD progam in what appears to be a Watson sufferers' colony: people never leave, taking 6, 8, 10 years to finish. I'm generaly quite motivated, but (and?) I could see myself falling into one of the Never Endings or perhaps the Ever Changing. Is Watson's contagious? What can one do to prevent catching it? If I'm right that I have a predisposition to Watson's and if it is contagious then I may need to know what treatments exist. Any advice?
My first job was offered to me when I was ABD, and was essentially this: $36k starting salary, $29k for setting up a lab, moving expenses, and a six-year, tenure track position as assistant professor -- *if* the dissertation was complete when I arrived. If not, $10k for one year.
That was a pretty good motivator. Good or not, it got done before I showed up for that job.
I was on the cusp of Watson's Syndrome: I had received several fellowships which paid my way for a few years and was just enjoying compiling my research/review of literature. All of a sudden two things conspired to force me out of complacency: I had pregnant; I got a job offer. It was a race between gestation and dissertation.
Luckily the stress of needing to finish helped me to see the dissertation for what it was: the only thing I really could control at that time.
My opinion is that Watson's depends stems from one or more of the following beliefs/ personality features:
1. It is better to be perfect than done.
2. Failure is humiliating and should be avoided at all costs.
3. You have all the time in the world.
Instead, people should internalize the following ideas:
1. It is better to be done than perfect.
2. Failure is not humiliating, it is an opportunity to learn and improve. There is no shame in a rejected paper. The real shame is in never sending your paper out for review.
3. Time is scarce. Treat it like money - make sure you spend it in the right way. Spend time with your family and when baby is asleep, get back to your work immediately.
Basically, if you drop the first three attitudes and adopt the next three, you will surprisingly get a lot of work done.
At the beginning of my Ph.D. program in statistics, my advisor (he was 23 years old; I was 33) and I planned my dissertation strategy as follows: I would write five related papers for publication and, when through, patch them together very cleverly for a comprehensive attack on the problem at hand. So, two years later I had four published or accepted papers, a fifth already submitted, and a job in hand. Now all I had to do was patch the damned things together.
I can’t tell you how difficult that was. I mean the theorems were proved (it was in applied probability), the papers didn’t even require revision, and my research had opened the way to more interesting problems just begging for our attention. Finishing it up had to be the most boring, lifeless task of my life up to that point.
I procrastinated through my first year of teaching while writing two other papers, blew the summer away teaching a workshop at another university, playing tennis, and pursing a romance (man, that's even more time consuming than remodeling a house), and I spent the next academic year writing another paper and learning lots of new stuff. Finally, everyone was on my case to such an extent it was embarrassing to say the least. So I swapped houses with a friend who lived in the mountains of West Virginia, and knocked it out in less than four weeks.
I’ll add another “explanation” for the Watson syndrome to Dean Gelles’ list. Although I’m not inclined to explain much of anything in terms of psychological crutches, I think I have seen in more than a few individuals -- myself included -- a reluctance to wrap up the end of a process that, difficult as it may have been, is mostly pleasurable. I mean, who wants to walk away from the joy of spending years and years studying and learning at a time and place as comfortable and enjoyable as graduate school?
Then again, maybe not.
I have been accepted to UT-Austin and start my program in August...I am already scared to death that I will never finish...I appreciate Mr. Rojas' advice and will attempt to follow it to a "T."
The name I gave for this constellation of symptoms (including the ubiquitous Academic Distraction Disorder, Google Subtype) is Dissertation Avoidance Syndrome. I have an assessment by this name on my website. Probably one of the most frequently checked items is "If another person asks how the dissertation is going, I'll shoot them." I hope the syndrome doesn't lead to criminal behavior -- I believe it hasn't so far.
Many time the delay is caused by the student him/her self, but some times the delay comes because of the constant changes "suggested" by the advisor committe. I think this could be one of the root cause of the Watson Syndrome.
Putting this in other way: How the institution, or the committee, facilitate the dissertation process to students? May be this should be inlcuded as part of the watson syndrome investigation.
Rojas' advice is on point where applicable, but I did not suffer from this syndrome until much later in life. I got stuck in my writing because I did not believe, and could no longer find the strength to pretend I believed, but did not have the confidence to refute, some misreadings of primary sources which had become so classic in my field as to be unquestioned. I got unstuck by admitting what it was that I really wanted to write.
In my field, I reviewed the story of a young man, apparently suffering from Watson's Syndrome, whose inability to complete his dissertation led him to a mental institution-or perhaps mental instability led to the incompletion. It is good W.S. has been recognized.
I experience such mild behavior when completing final reports in my field; it is frustrating and embarassing. Kudos to Fabio Rojas. I've printed his recommendations for daily review. Thank you.
As a ABD when my house burned up with it; raising twins;Multi-media tv & radio productions perhaps should have been even more acceptable but was not....returning to get that piece of paper...I am told"Sorry your credits are too old now....Do I need to spend 10G's more for this piece of paper???
Somewhere there is a joke to us all.I was also a former GS9/11 before my twins and started the first child care center...not until I had the children would they believe that this was a feasible monetary factor here.I do watch all my students on the tube or award shows using my techniques.