MA in Psychology

McKenna Murphy, 2026

Degree: MA in Psychology

I chose George Mason for the research opportunities and the amazing faculty in the psychology department, especially Professor Allison Jack.

I study applied developmental psychology with a focus on autism and factors related to diagnostic timing. I chose this area of study because autism is under-diagnosed in certain groups, and late diagnosis can significantly impact the quality of one’s life. Additionally, as a neurodivergent researcher myself, I would like to help shift autism research away from deficit-based approaches in favor of more strengths-based approaches to understanding autism. I think it is incredibly important to have more neurodivergent researchers in this field, as we can provide unique perspectives and insights into our community. That is why I have worked so hard to be where I am today, so that I can better research for the benefit of the autistic community.

My thesis was on the relationship between parental broad autism phenotype traits and the timing of a child’s autism diagnosis. There is a collection of autistic-like traits often found in biological relatives of autistic individuals, known as the broad autism phenotype (BAP). I hypothesized that higher levels of maternal BAP traits would be associated with later child autism diagnoses, as mothers who have high levels of autistic-like traits themselves may have a harder time recognizing their child’s traits as autism symptoms, since those traits may be normalized within that family. While I did not find evidence to support my initial hypotheses, my exploratory analyses of the fathers found that higher paternal BAP traits, particularly rigidity, were associated with later child diagnostic timing. I plan to expand this work in the future by including more qualitative measures to determine parental perspectives on their child’s autism and how the BAP may influence these perspectives.

Most impactful course:

The most impactful for me was Professor Allison Jack’s autism course. The class discussed many topics related to autism that I hadn’t learned about or considered previously. The class discussion helped open my mind and expand my understanding of autism and helped me identify areas that I am interested in researching further. Professor Jack is a great professor, and I learned so much about autism and research through her!

Favorite George Mason memory:

My favorite memory was meeting everyone in the JackLab for the first time. Everyone was so friendly and knowledgeable, and they helped me feel at home here at George Mason.

Advice for future George Mason graduate students:

Do your best and take care of yourself! Grad school is challenging, but your mental and physical health still matters. Remember it is always okay to take a break and rest if that is what your mind and body need. You got this!

Future plans:

I plan to continue at George Mason as a PhD student in the applied developmental psychology program.