Recruitment practices and job search for academic positions in psychology.

This paper describes the faculty hiring process, applicants' job search process, and unsuccessful applicants' current employment based on surveys of 31 hired faculty members, 13 successful applicants who had declined job offers, 55 unsuccessful applicants, and 17 Canadian psychology departments with respect to full-time junior faculty openings advertised in 1993–94. Applicants in the clinical/counselling area were most likely to be successful. Significant predictors of success were number of courses taught, having children, citizenship or permanent residency, internship completion, number of books and book chapters published, and number of research grants awarded. There was a perceptual gap between departments and applicants in the importance of several selection criteria. Applicants were most critical about departments' lack of communication with and consideration for applicants. Nevertheless, over 90% of unsuccessful applicants were currently fairly happily employed in their profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practices in the recruitment and hiring of faculty for psychology departments in Canadian universities.

Investigated faculty recruitment and hiring practices of psychology departments in Canadian universities, as well as the job search experiences of recently hired male and female faculty. Questionnaires were sent to 61 departments and 105 faculty, and data from 38 completed department questionnaires and 64 faculty questionnaires were analyzed. Results indicate that the majority of psychology departments lacked complete affirmative action policies, and many lacked other specific requirements for ensuring participation by women. In spite of some deterrents to full equality, including a salary differential favoring men, it appears that women are being hired in proportion to their representation in the psychology labor force. Differences in male and female applicants that may favor the hiring of male faculty were found to be few. (French abstract) (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obtaining employment in academia: The hiring process and characteristics of successful applicants.

Little is known about (a) the criteria used by doctoral degree-granting psychology programs in the selection of new faculty, (b) characteristics and qualifications of successful applicants, or (c) differences between clinical and experimental specialties on these variables. The present study addresses these issues by surveying department heads (or search committees) or doctoral degree-granting psychology programs and newly hired faculty members in clinical and experimental programs. Responses were related to the faculty search, the hiring process, the variables that influenced faculty search committees' decisions, and demographic information and qualifications of newly hired faculty. Results indicate some trends in academic psychology and also point out several discrepancies in previous research. Differences between the 2 specialties are also elucidated. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exemplary efforts in psychology to recruit and retain graduate students of color.

Many psychology departments are striving for a greater representation of students of color within their graduate preparation programs with the aim of producing a more diverse pool of psychological service providers, scientists, and educators. To help improve the minority pipeline in psychology, the authors identify and describe recruitment and retention strategies used at 11 departments and programs considered to be making exemplary efforts to attract and retain minority students of color. The strategies most consistently used included engaging current minority faculty and students in recruitment activities, offering attractive financial aid packages, having faculty members make personal contacts with prospective students, creating linkages with historical institutions of color, having (or approached having) a critical mass of faculty and students of color, offering a diversity issues course, and engaging students in diversity issues research. Despite the similarities, the programs and departments were each distinctive and innovative in their overall approaches to student recruitment and retention. Highlighting the strategies used at successful institutions may help others develop plans for improving the minority pipeline within their own departments and programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Exemplary Efforts in Psychology to Recruit and Retain Graduate Students of Color": Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by Margaret R. Rogers and Ludwin E. Molina (American Psychologist, 2006, Vol.61, No. 2, pp.143-156). Two corrections should be made to Tables 1, 2, and 3. First, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale was incorrectly referred to as "University of Southern Illinois at Carbondale". Second, there are two clinical psychology programs at the University of Virginia. The program included in the sample for the study was the one located in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2006-01690-004). Many psychology departments are striving for a greater representation of students of color within their graduate preparation programs with the aim of producing a more diverse pool of psychological service providers, scientists, and educators. To help improve the minority pipeline in psychology, the authors identify and describe recruitment and retention strategies used at 11 departments and programs considered to be making exemplary efforts to attract and retain minority students of color. The strategies most consistently used included engaging current minority faculty and students in recruitment activities, offering attractive financial aid packages, having faculty members make personal contacts with prospective students, creating linkages with historical institutions of color, having (or approached having) a critical mass of faculty and students of color, offering a diversity issues course, and engaging students in diversity issues research. Despite the similarities, the programs and departments were each distinctive and innovative in their overall approaches to student recruitment and retention. Highlighting the strategies used at successful institutions may help others develop plans for improving the minority pipeline within their own departments and programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of gender, setting, and research productivity on intern and employment suitability ratings.

To examine possible associations between research activity and rated suitability of internship and employment, 72 counseling psychology faculty members and staff members at university counseling center intern training programs rated internship and employment suitability of applicants with differing degrees of research productivity. Three factors were studied: employment setting of raters, sex of applicant, and research productivity of applicant. Raters' perceptions of applicants' counseling performance, suitability for internship, and suitability for employment were all significantly associated with applicants' research productivity, in some instances negatively so, especially for females. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Central Office placement report: 1969.

Examined placement listings at 6 regional conventions, the American Psychological Association (APA) Regional Placement Bulletin, and the monthly APA Employment Bulletin (February through June, 1969). Overall, there were 1,931 unduplicated positions and 1,753 unduplicated applicants. Colleges and universities were the most frequent employment setting. Employers generally were successful in locating applicants with the desired educational requirements. For PhDs, there was a surplus of applicants for clinical/counseling positions, while there was a surplus in industrial psychology for those with less than a PhD. Salaries associated with different settings and educational backgrounds are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in Schools of Public Health: Current Status, Future Prospects, and Implications for Other Health Settings.

The deans and departmental chairs of the 22 schools of public health were asked in 1981 to list all psychologists holding full-time faculty appointments and the names of courses with a substantial behavioral/psychological content. Responses were received from 98% of the departments. The psychologists were then sent a survey concerning their backgrounds, job responsibilities, and satisfaction/dissatisfaction with their positions. There was an 80% response rate. Psychologists accounted for 5.7% of the approximately 1,300 full-time faculty in schools of public health. Psychologists represented a larger percentage of the faculty in departments of behavioral science than in departments of epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, and so forth. Public health psychologists were active researchers and publishers, with average totals of 2.5 articles and 26.9 citations for a three-year period. The primary advantages of employment in a school of public health had to do with an appreciation of the public health perspective, an interdisciplinary orientation, and research opportunities. The primary dissatisfactions cited were financial insecurity, isolation from psychology, and lack of appreciation among public health colleagues of the contribution of psychology to public health. (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)     

The psychological marketplace.

At a meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association "there were 206 applicants for 125 academic positions, 157 applicants for 467 clinical and counseling positions, and 163 applicants for 198 industrial and research positions." There are "more jobs available than there are psychologists to fill them in the total employment picture." While "the degree requirements are the lowest for the Industrial and Research area, the median starting salary is the highest. The converse is true for the academic positions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of the MMPI in the selection of hospital aides.

MMPIs were administered to 2700 applicants for the position of psychiatric aide in an institution for the mentally retarded. MMPI subscale scores of all persons hired and subsequently discharged were compared with groups of like sex who: (a) were hired in the same year but resigned for reasons not associated with the job, (b) stayed in the employment of the institution, or (c) were not hired. No single subscale differentiated between the groups. The few differences which were found between the groups when a variety of configurational analyses were used did not reappear in a cross-validation sample. Conclusion: the hypothesis that personality test scores are related to the competency of psychiatric aides was not supported. From Psyc Abstracts 36:05:5LD34B. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recruiting and hiring women in STEM fields.

The number of women earning advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has increased, yet women remain underrepresented at all ranks of the academic hierarchy in these fields. To help explain this pattern, we explored mechanisms in the recruitment and hiring process at the level of the department that hinder or promote the hiring of women into tenure-track positions. Using a unique data set of the entire pool of applicants to tenure-track STEM faculty positions over a 6-year period at a large public research university, we identified strategies that universities and academic departments can use to increase women's representation in tenure-track positions, including placing greater emphasis on increasing the number of women applicants and placing advertisements in venues that specifically target women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The expanding role of quantitative methodologists in advancing psychology.

Research designs in psychology have become increasingly complex; thus, the methods for analysing the data have also become more complex. It is unrealistic for departments of psychology to expect research psychologists to stay informed about all the advances in statistical methods that apply to their field of research; therefore, departments must improve the profile of quantitative methods to ensure that adequate statistical resources are available to faculty. In this article, we discuss the challenges involved in improving the profile of quantitative methods given the drastic decreases in quantitative methods faculty, students, and graduate programs over the past couple decades, and discuss the importance of reversing this trend through improving awareness of the field of quantitative methods in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in information sent to minority and nonminority prospective applicants to clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs.

Investigated whether doctoral-level professional psychology programs responded differently to initial requests for information from minority and nonminority applicants. A letter from a fictitious student was sent to 257 programs. Programs were randomly assigned to an ethnic condition (White, Black, or Hispanic). The minority students were more likely to receive a response than were nonminority students, and minority students received more personal forms of communication than did the nonminority student. However, the overall amount of minority recruitment information shared with applicants was the same for both minority and nonminority students. The findings suggest that few programs are using materials sent to prospective minority applicants as a method for implementing their affirmative action policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate Study in Psychology: 1971-2004.

This article traces the evolution of graduate study in psychology in the United States and Canada during the past 3 decades. The authors summarize the 2003-2004 characteristics of graduate programs and departments in psychology and compare these data to those obtained in 1970-1971, 1979-1980, and 1992-1993. The most recent data were obtained from the 2005 edition of Graduate Study in Psychology and were based on 495 institutions, 601 departments, and 1,970 graduate programs. Information is presented for both entire departments (e.g., faculty characteristics, student profiles, admission criteria, Graduate Record Examination and grade point averages, tuition costs, financial assistance) and individual graduate programs (e.g., areas of study, number of applicants, acceptance rates, enrollment statistics, retention rates). Particular attention is devoted to the emergence of PsyD programs in professional psychology, the ascendancy of neuroscience programs in academic psychology, and the steady rise in acceptance rates across programs over the past 33 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of solo status, academic rank, and perceived distinctiveness to job satisfaction of racial/ethnic minorities.

The relationships among solo status of racial/ethnic minorities in psychology departments, job satisfaction, and subjective feelings of distinctiveness were examined. Distinctiveness was defined as stigmatizing feelings associated with token status of racial/ethnic minorities in academia. It was hypothesized that minorities in positions of solo (relative to nonsolo) status within their departments, members of more stigmatized groups, and minorities occupying lower academic ranks would feel more distinctive and less satisfied with their jobs and that perceptions of distinctiveness would mediate job satisfaction. The data partially supported these hypotheses, most notably for African Americans. The implications of situational salience and the importance of recognizing differences among and between minority groups are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employment test validation for minority and nonminority clerks with work sample criteria.

10 tests of intellectual ability and perceptual speed and accuracy were validated against specially developed clerical work samples of telephone company employees, using a newly hired sample of 143 Blacks, 74 Spanish-surnamed, and 195 Whites. Most validity coefficients were statistically significant, and in only 2 out of 36 comparisons were ethnic sample validity coefficients significantly different. A combination of 4 tests was significantly predictive of clerical proficiency for each ethnic sample and for the total combined sample. Comparisons of ethnic sample regression equations indicated that the slopes were essentially the same but that the intercepts differed significantly. The total sample regression equation did not underpredict prospective proficiency levels for minority clerks. A composite predictor found to be appropriate for minority and nonminority applicants for clerical jobs is recommended for employment office use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Animal facilities survey.

Surveyed 207 heads of graduate psychology departments (PDs) to examine changes, problems, and trends in maintaining facilities for animal research. 197 Ss indicated that, at some point, their PD had maintained animals for research, but only 168 currently had animals. The most often cited reason for closing animal facilities (or serious discussion of closure) involved changes in faculty research interests. The second most common reason was the prohibitive costs of complying with existing codes and regulations. Most PDs have undertaken or plan to undertake renovations of their animal facilities, thus reaffirming their long-term commitment to animal research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selecting a doctoral program in professional psychology: Some comparisons among PhD counseling, PhD clinical, and PsyD clinical psychology programs.

Directors of American Psychological Association-accredited doctoral programs in counseling psychology (95% response) and clinical psychology (99% response) provided data regarding number of applications, credentials of incoming students, rates of acceptance, and the theoretical orientations and research areas of the faculty. The acceptance rates of PhD clinical and PhD counseling psychology programs were comparable (6% vs. 8%), despite the higher number of applications (270 vs. 130) to clinical programs. Compared with clinical students, counseling students were more likely to represent ethnic minorities and have master's degrees, but were otherwise similar in academic credentials. Clinical faculty were more likely to be involved in research with pathological populations and associated with medical settings, whereas counseling faculty were more involved in research concerning career processes, human diversity, and professional issues. These results should alert applicants and their advisors to robust differences across these specializations and should enhance matching between programs and students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)