| Abstract: | Surveyed various aspects of 1,314 5th–22th grade children's perceptions concerning what psychologists do and their attraction to the field of psychology. It was found that children strongly conceive of psychology as a therapeutic enterprise, with a minority of Ss citing the research roles of the psychologist. A factor analysis of attraction ratings also revealed this clinical emphasis. Grade trends were found on a number of informational questions, and sex differences were obtained on responses to more evaluative questions. It is argued that psychologists should critically evaluate how they present themselves to children in clinical and research settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
