Ethical discrimination ability of intern psychologists: A function of training in ethics.

Predicted that psychology interns who had completed a formal course in ethics would be able to discriminate the ethical problems or considerations in clinical practice at a rate significantly higher than interns who had received no formal training in ethics. Ss were 234 interns in clinical and counseling psychology programs. Results suggest that Ss who have completed formal training in ethics score significantly higher on the Ethical Discrimination Inventory than Ss who have received no formal training in ethics. Results appear to support the efficacy of teaching professional ethics in graduate training programs. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Master's programs in industrial/organizational psychology: Current status and a call for action.

Reviews published and unpublished sources to describe characteristics of terminal master's programs in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology and argues that systematic attention should be paid to issues of education, employment, and professional identity for these master's graduates. The 55 or more programs represent a 3-fold increase in listings in less than a decade. In psycholoy departments, programs enrolled 59% of new I/O graduate students and awarded 67% of terminal graduate degrees during a 1-yr period. Important characteristics include length (about 2.5 yrs), many part-time and employed students, applied focus, emphasis on both industrial and organizational topics, but emphasis on either "psychology core" or technical I/O training. Most graduates find private sector employment, apparently moving away from organized I/O psychology. Implications for the profession are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future for industrial and organizational psychology: Oblivion or millennium?

Deplores the decline of industrial psychology programs in graduate schools in the face of a growing need for help in solving intensifying human problems in industry. Although there has been an explosive growth in related graduate training programs in business schools in the last decade, graduates of such programs have not had much exposure to fundamental areas of psychology. It is suggested that masters degree programs in psychology be revived to train practitioners, and programs be initiated to train psychologists at the doctoral level for applied roles in industry. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training and employment experiences of community psychologists.

We surveyed the graduate training and employment experiences of 177 current students and 152 recent graduates from 39 psychology programs. Of interest were differences among applied social, community and community-clinical programs. Results suggested that these training programs represented a continuum of research, community, and clinical interests. Applied social and community programs had a stronger community and research emphasis, whereas community-clinical programs had a stronger orientation toward clinical skills. Similarly, the job skills used by recent graduates suggested that persons from applied social programs went into administrative and organizational consulting jobs, graduates of community-clinical programs were employed in areas demanding more human services skills, and community graduates found jobs requiring the use of research skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Where have all the students gone? Positions of psychologists trained in clinical/services programs.

This article presents a variety of findings derived from two outcome studies of psychologists who received their doctorates from clinical/services training programs supported by the National Institute of Mental Health in the years 1968-1980. Comparative data are presented regarding the initial positions and geographical distribution of graduates during this period. Despite some erosion in the market for academic faculty positions, the results show a consistent and extraordinary degree of employment consonant with training and virtually no unemployment. Two thirds of the graduates have jobs in a range of organized settings for service, and over 22% of the remainder are in academic or research positions. The most recent study enables analyses of certain factors influencing the initial location of graduates. Particular attention is paid to three topics of national concern. Criteria are developed for designating rural/small town service providers, and evidence is presented showing that programmatic implementation of this priority in training yields results. The issue of clinical research is discussed; the scope of such research and the extent to which students may be engaged in it are examined. Data are provided on the recruitment of minority students, and factors affecting minority student retention and completion of training are discussed. Outcomes of master's-level training programs are presented separately, and characteristics of training at that level are contrasted with those in doctoral programs. In a concluding section, the findings are discussed in the context of changes in psychology graduate education during the past generation, some current value dilemmas that affect education are explored, and certain implications of the revised national policies for support of clinical training in mental health are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is there life after graduate school? Coping with the transition to postdoctoral employment.

Suggests that graduate programs in psychology typically do not provide their students with anticipatory socialization concerning entry into a professional setting, the role demands of professional life, and the personal adjustments needed for professional development. The process of adjustment for recent graduates of doctoral programs in psychology, coping strategies for individuals, and possible methods of intervention via training programs and employment settings are discussed. Suggestions are provided that may be helpful to training program directors and to new professionals, their supervisors, and their colleagues. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional ethics for graduate students in psychology.

Results of 2 independent questionnaires concerning the availability of courses on ethics for graduate students in psychology sent to various schools offering graduate work in psychology are combined. "Very few departments offer a course solely on professional ethics in psychology though several expressed plans for one in the future." "Ethics is handled best on a graduate level, in a seminar or colloquium, preferably on a required basis for all students, and definitely so for clinical students." "The APA code of professional ethics and journals are preferred sources of reference." "Professional training in ethics is a recent phenomenon coinciding with the APA research in this area and with the rise of clinical psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The current state of sexual ethics training in clinical psychology: Issues of quantity, quality, and effectiveness.

Given the harm caused to clients and the psychology profession by therapist sexual misconduct, sexual ethics training should be given high priority in graduate training programs. The present study surveyed sexual ethics training and student understanding of sexual ethics in clinical psychology doctoral programs from the perspectives of 84 training directors and 451 students. Ninety-four percent of the students had received sexual ethics training; programs provided an average of 6 hr of training. Still, students showed significant deficits in knowledge of sexual ethics principles. Students who had discussed a client attraction with a supervisor showed the best understanding of sexual ethics. Suggestions for ensuring adequate sexual ethics training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Twenty years of practitioner training in psychology.

Reviews the history of the professional school movement since the 1960's. It is suggested that major research universities are unlikely to establish practitioner programs in psychology and that education of most practitioners in psychology will take place in professional schools and small departments. It is noted that the doctoral degree granted upon completion of graduate study depends on the administrative location of the program in which graduate study is done. Graduates of scientist–practitioner programs and graduates of practitioner programs perform about equally well, and the curricula of professional schools and scientist–professional programs are more alike than different. It is concluded that the main differences between practitioner programs and scientist–professional programs lie in the attitudes and interests of faculty and students and that under some conditions the cultures of science and practice can be blended. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training practices in consultation: A national survey of clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, and school psychology faculty.

Faculty who educate and train psychology students in consulting from clinical, counseling, school, and industrial/organizational graduate programs were identified via mail from department chairs and program directors. Of 197 faculty members identified, 89 (46.9% response rate) completed a detailed survey questionnaire about demographics and professional consulting activities, including teaching practices in consulting in their graduate program. Results were somewhat encouraging within industrial/organizational and school psychology programs and least positive in counseling/clinical programs, especially clinical programs. Detailed results are presented along with some implications for future graduate training in consulting psychology. A call is made for convening a national conference on educational standards in consulting psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenges to Professional Psychology Education in the 21st Century: Response to Peterson.

Professional psychology education faces many critical challenges brought about by the major changes occurring in the health care arena. This article shows that professional schools and programs have a good record of responding to these challenges and of taking proactive steps sponding to prepare their graduates for new health care roles and delivery systems. Data on admissions to psychology doctoral training programs demonstrate little support for the toral concerns raised by Donald R. Peterson (2003, this issue) about the preparation of students for graduate training in professional programs. Although quality concerns are important to investigate, such examination best resides with portant the American Psychological Association's Committee on Accreditation, which has the promotion of quality and excellence in professional psychology education and training as its major goal and responsibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selected outcomes of accredited programs.

For a representative sample of 149 accredited doctoral programs, 3 types of outcomes are reported: activities of students, time to degree, and employment settings of graduates. Comparisons of activities on the basis of program specialty area yielded a difference only for the activity of providing professional services (with clinical?>?counseling?>?school). Comparisons on the basis of degree type (PhD, PsyD) yielded differences for all activities except providing professional services, with PhD students and faculty reporting higher median levels of involvement. Students in PhD programs require significantly longer (approximately 1.5 years) to complete their degrees than do PsyD program students. Graduates' employment settings tend to be consistent with the specialty area of their doctoral programs with interesting shifts from initial to subsequent employment. Recommendations are made for expanding outcome assessment of graduate education and training in professional psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The perceived effectiveness of Christian and secular graduate training programs in preparing Christian psychologists to deal with experiences of sexual attraction.

Most psychologists experience feelings of sexual attraction toward clients, and for some Christian therapists this situation can be further complicated by their tendency to deny such sexual attraction. How effective are graduate training programs in teaching Christian psychologists to manage feelings of sexual attraction in professional contexts? In this survey, 258 Christian psychologists answered questions regarding their graduate training. A positive training environment was related to healthy coping responses in managing feelings of sexual attraction, and graduates of explicitly Christian training programs reported greater satisfaction with training conditions than graduates of secular programs. Those involved in training professional psychologists should consider the general training environment in addition to specific course work about managing feelings of sexual attraction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health care psychology and graduate education.

Contends that health care (HC) psychology should be more strongly emphasized in graduate clinical psychology training programs so that clinical psychologists can better meet demands for services that come from society, the HC field, clinical psychology itself, practicing clinical psychologists, and clinical psychology graduate students. The relationship of clinical psychology to HC psychology and the efficacy of training in HC psychology to meet those sources of demand are described. Various means of implementing graduate programs that stress or include HC psychology are discussed. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethics training at the master's level: A national survey.

Conducted a national survey of 289 terminal master's programs in psychology to assess the nature and extent of training in ethics. Directors of programs listed in the American Psychological Association's Graduate Study in Psychology: 1982–1983 completed questionnaires. Results show that 87% of the programs had some format for teaching ethics, 29% had formal courses, and 47% taught ethics as part of a course. Master's programs were less inclined than were doctoral programs to see a formal course in ethics as necessary. It is concluded that ethical thinking may need to be regarded as a skill, which can and should be taught in formal courses. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ambiguous nature of clinical training and its impact on the development of student clinicians.

This article, written from the perspective of a graduate-level clinician, examines the ambiguous nature of clinical work with particular focus on the anxiety it creates for psychology graduate students and the role it plays in fostering the development of critical thinking skills and confidence in clinical decision making. This article also addresses the ambiguous nature of clinical psychology training programs, in general, especially during the first year of training. Experiences that increased and decreased the level of ambiguity in the author's own training program are described as well as suggestions for making the process of becoming a professional psychologist one that is clearer and easier to handle. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate neuropsychology training: A later look.

Surveyed 113 American Psychological Association (APA)-approved clinical programs to determine (a) the nature and extent of graduate neuropsychology training; (b) the extent that existing training programs meet the requirements of training models proposed to APA by the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Task Force; (c) whether current training was required of clinical graduate students; (d) how much time was devoted to theory, research, and practice during training; (d) and the extent that the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) and the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test (HRNT) Battery were included in such training. Questionnaires returned by 65% of the schools revealed neuropsychology training in 88% of them. The structure of such training is generally not geared to the training models proposed by the INS Task Force, mostly because schools that offer neuropsychology training only require clinical graduate students to take a course or seminar in about 20% of those schools. Time devoted to theory, research, and practice varied widely, as did the types of training that schools planned to add to their programs. The LNNB was taught in 54% of the schools, and the HRNT was taught in 88%. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training for managed care: A national survey of psychology and social work programs.

Although there is much discussion within the professional literature about the training needs of graduate students in response to managed care, little empirical research exists that assesses the extent to which graduate programs provide training opportunities in this field. The present study surveyed graduate program training directors in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and social work about the training opportunities available for their graduate students. Almost 60% of the respondents indicated that they provide some type of training related to managed care. Implications and applications of these results are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The questionable value of a master's degree for a PhD-pursuing student.

Results of a survey of 153 institutions with graduate programs in psychology indicates the majority of schools with PhD programs do not offer a separate master's degree. Few colleges, and none of the top-ranking universities, expressed great interest in PhD applicants with master's degrees from other institutions. Most respondents stated these transfer students would be credited with a limited amount of course work or treated as if they had a BA degree. It is concluded that the master's degree may slow the progress of students seriously considering a PhD in psychology, and may actually be a limiting factor for acceptance in doctoral programs, particularly in prestigious schools. Universities should deemphasize the master's degree as part of doctoral training and provide terminal master's programs which prepare students for immediate professional or subprofessional employment. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The current state of brief therapy training in American Psychological Association-accredited graduate and internship programs.

Did your graduate education include training in the types of therapy most in demand today? The present study surveyed training directors at graduate and internship sites accredited by the American Psychological Association to ascertain if their programs offered training in brief therapy. With response rates of 87% and 78%, respectively, the authors found that almost all internship sites and a simple majority of graduate schools provide some brief therapy training. The brief therapy teachers and supervisors in these settings were also surveyed with regard to course content, educational methods, amount of supervision, and problematic training issues. It is the authors' position that given the nature of the emerging marketplace, clinical training programs should include brief therapy as part of their curricula. Specific recommendations for increasing trainees' and professionals' knowledge base in this area are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)