Mentoring women graduate students: A model for professional psychology.

There is much discussion about the importance of mentoring women graduate students but not an equal amount of practical research-based guidance about how best to do this. This article summarizes a mentoring model that was developed using a pilot survey of 55 women graduate students throughout the United States, followed by grounded theory research by conducting qualitative interviews with 8 eminent women psychologists. It augments current research on mentoring to provide an integrated set of hypotheses about the theory and practice of mentoring; an operational definition of mentor and mentoring; overarching assumptions about mentoring; strategies for forming, structuring, managing, and maintaining mentoring relationships; and the roles and functions of the mentor, the mentee, and the relationship. It describes examples of mentoring practices specifically for use with women mentees and discusses how mentoring relationships may end or change as they mature. While the mentoring model was developed based on research with women, many of the tenants can be applied to both men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional interests and career aspirations of graduate students in professional psychology: An exploratory survey.

Graduate students in American professional psychology programs (N = 498) were surveyed to examine differences between specialty area (clinical vs. counseling), degree type (PhD vs. PsyD), and gender with respect to demographics, training models, theoretical orientations, career aspirations and reasons for choices, research productivity, and expected salaries. Clinical and counseling students differed with respect to training models, theoretical orientations, career aspirations, and expected salaries, whereas PhD and PsyD students differed with respect to training models, theoretical orientations, career aspirations, and research emphasis. The changing gender composition in professional psychology is unlikely to have a dramatic effect given their professional similarities. (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 graduate course in experimental psychology.

The course at the University of Buffalo is described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The professional option: An alternative to graduate work in psychology.

Discusses the organization of a 4-yr preprofessional curriculum for psychology majors, to offer undergraduate training and help students obtain full-time employment after graduation. Curriculum planning was based on 2 surveys of local business and social service organizations. Results indicate that a BA in psychology was of little help in obtaining work unless field experience supplemented classroom instruction. Specific skills and theoretical knowledge were considered less desirable in prospective employees than facility in personal relations. These findings were of central importance in making recommendations for restructuring the undergraduate curriculum. Suggestions for APA action in this area are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing psychology graduate students for the professoriate.

Two interrelated stories are presented, the first about the author's struggles to become an effective teacher, the second about the University of New Hampshire's graduate program in psychology with its emphasis on research and teaching. The author's development as a teacher is described in the context of works by Skinner and Rogers. The program's 2-semester Seminar and Practicum in the Teaching of Psychology is detailed in relation to 5 instructional principles: readiness, structure, discovery, excitement, and individuality. Data pertaining to the success of the program are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of heterosexual bias in professional psychology programs: A survey of graduate students.

64 professional psychology student members of the American Psychological Association's Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian and Gay Issues) were surveyed regarding experiences of perceived heterosexual bias and discrimination in their graduate programs. Instances of bias, discrimination, or both were reported in the following areas: (a) textbooks and other course materials, (b) instructor comments, (c) research supervision, (d) clinical practica and internships, (e) interactions with program administrators and other faculty, (f) teaching assistantships, and (g) course content. Specific examples are detailed, and educational reforms are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA/APAGS award for distinguished graduate student in professional psychology.

The APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. The 2008 recipient for this award is Maryam M. Jernigan. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA/APAGS award for distinguished graduate student in professional psychology.

The American Psychological Association 2010 APA/APAGS Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology is awarded on an annual basis by the APA Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) to a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding practice and application of psychology. A qualified candidate must demonstrate exemplary performance in working with an underserved population in an applied setting or have developed an innovative method for delivering health services to an underserved population. The 2010 recipient is William Q. Hua. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Current enrollment characteristics of graduate students in psychology.

Presents some perspective on the general characteristics of graduate training in psychology provided by an assessment of data collected from the chairmen of 296 graduate programs by the American Psychological Association Educational Affairs Office as of October 1970. Almost 3/4 of the 23,859 students were enrolled in psychology departments proper and most of the others were in educational psychology programs. Size of programs varied considerably: 8 reported enrollment ranging above 300 (to a high of 924 students), whereas 46 programs enrolled 20 or fewer students. Most graduate psychology training took place in institutions that were public, large (10,000 or more students), and at middle levels of selectivity. Students were generally well dispersed regionally, although almost 1/2 of those in educational psychology were concentrated in the midwest. 60% of all programs reported some parttime enrollment. However, only 24% of the student population was on parttime study. 40% of all students were women, 4% were black, and 3% were from other backgrounds (Oriental and Spanish-American, primarily). Students in educational psychology (21% of the total enrollment) were somewhat distinctive in that larger proportion were women, nonwhite, or parttime students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A basic psychology course for engineering students.

Describes a course in Psychology of Human Relations required of all junior engineering students. The course is problem-centered with attention to the kind of problems apt to be met by professional engineers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training graduate students to be clinical supervisors: A survey of Canadian professional psychology programmes.

Recognising the need for training in clinical supervision, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) requires that accredited professional psychology programmes offer graduate students training in supervision. To fill a gap in the existing supervision literature, we surveyed training directors (or designates) of CPA accredited clinical and counselling programmes to understand how this training standard is currently being met in the area of clinical supervision. Responses were obtained from 20 of 28 programmes (71.4% response rate). Approximately 50% of respondents indicated that their programmes required some coursework related to clinical supervision, with wide variability, however, in the number of hours of coursework provided to students (range 3 to 39). Most courses included lectures and group discussion, but also often provided students with practical experience in clinical supervision provision. Only 25% of programmes required a practicum in which students gained experience in clinically supervising other students, although an additional 40% of programmes offered an elective practicum in which students gained some training in clinical supervision. Most programmes (~71%) identified strategies for improving training in clinical supervision (e.g., improving course work, requiring practical experience), but also identified challenges to offering clinical supervision training (e.g., availability of skilled supervisors, insufficient time to devote to supervision, student competency). Based on the findings, we offer some recommendations for how training in clinical supervision could be improved in Canadian professional psychology programmes as well as describe some important directions for future research in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining multicultural counseling competencies of graduate students in psychology.

This investigation examined the multicultural counseling competencies of graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology programs. A national sample of 344 students participated. The participants completed the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (G. R. Sodowsky, R. C. Taffe, T. B. Gutkin, & S. L. Wise, 1994) and a demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that counseling psychology students rated themselves as more multiculturally competent than clinical psychology students in three of the four multicultural competency areas. Different educational and clinical variables were predictive of multicultural counseling competencies for the two groups. Findings are discussed in terms of education and training in graduate psychology programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recruitment of minority students into graduate programs in psychology.

Discusses the continued underrepresentation of minority groups in psychology and describes a program at Ohio State University that has been useful in increasing minority enrollment. Recruitment and retention were the major problems encountered in developing the program; major issues involved increasing the number of minority applicants and enrollments, financial aid, and the incorporation of the preferences of minority students in research and courses. It is suggested that any program must be tailored to the strengths and needs of a given department. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Faculty and students in departments with graduate programs in psychology.

An analysis of data from a questionnaire sent to institutions offering graduate training in psychology in terms of the number and status of faculty members and students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exploratory examination of the sexual intervention self-efficacy of clinical psychology graduate students.

The current study investigated clinical psychology graduate students' self-efficacy regarding addressing clients' sexual concerns and problems. Students with more sexually liberal attitudes had higher self-efficacy beliefs. Sexuality-specific training experiences but not sexual attitudes or anxiety predicted the amount of sex therapy experience gained during graduate school. Students with more didactic education related to sexuality, more sex therapy experience, and more experience observing a clinician conducting sex therapy, had stronger sexual intervention self-efficacy beliefs. These educational experiences contributed to students' self-efficacy over and above general psychology training. The results speak to the importance of direct training to deal with clients' sexual concerns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching clinical psychology graduate students about traumatic stress studies.

Although clinical psychology graduate seminars in traumatic stress are needed, teaching these courses carries unique challenges and opportunities. This paper describes the rationale, purpose, and process of developing a specialized course in traumatic stress. This course is used as a model for discussing implementation considerations that could be applied in other graduate programs. Course construction, teaching challenges, and potential solutions are presented. In particular, a process for addressing the affective and intellectual integration of material is emphasized. Attempts to assess the quality and outcomes of teaching activities are provided to illustrate future directions for improving trauma-related pedagogy and research that evaluates such pedagogy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating psychology and philosophy in teaching a graduate course in ethics.

Recent surveys of doctoral and master's programs in clinical psychology suggest that there are major gaps in the frequency and quality of ethical training. After describing a model of the ethical decision-making process, we present a thorough and formal course in ethical issues that integrates the perspectives of psychology and philosophy. The course was team taught by a philosopher and a psychologist to 10 second-year master's-level students in clinical psychology. The first section of the class addressed underlying philosophical issues, including ethical frameworks and principles; the second portion focused on a series of issues that had important value dimensions, including "health and disease," virtue, and several key ethical principles; and the final section focused on applications of these basic concepts to situations typically encountered by psychologists. A follow-up survey of those students engaged in clinical practice 3 months after the completion of the course revealed that they perceived the course to have had a positive impact both attitudinally and behaviorally. Suggestions for others planning to teach such courses are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of professional identity in Black clinical psychology students.

Professional identity was conceived and explored via a sample of Black clinical psychology students. Theoretical perspective, values, and career goals were identified as the central aspects of professional identity. Sociopolitical professional identity (SPI) was of special interest; it was defined as a pattern of interdependence between sociopolitical values and other aspects of professional identity. SPI, which develops during the process of professional socialization (i.e., training), was predicted to occur more frequently in programs with a greater number of program resources relevant to work with culturally diverse populations. There was some evidence that significant and meaningful interdependent relations existed among the SPI variables, but there was no convincing evidence of an association between resource use and SPI. Nonetheless, the students used and apparently valued program resources such as Black faculty and culturally diverse training experiences. Other findings indicated that students were shaped by their training experiences, often in a way that reflected the dominant perspectives in clinical psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)