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

Abstract

Graduate students in American professional psychology programs (N ϭ 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.

Career interests of students in psychology specialties degrees: psychometric evidence and correlations with the RIASEC dimensions

“…When comparing psychology students with students from other courses, a study developed by Leong, Zachar, Conant, & Tolliver (2007) showed that psychology students were more active and enthusiastic entrepreneurs than geography students (higher openness scores) and more inhibited than physical education students (lower extraversion scores). Other authors argued that different forms of cognition that characterize psychology students, namely creativity, appear to be directly linked to innovation and the search for new solutions (e.g., Cassin et al, 2007;Jones & Allen, 2012;Wicherts & Vorst, 2010). Wicherts & Vorst (2010) suggested that the interests, personality, and cognitive abilities of individuals vary systematically between the various specialty degrees in psychology.…”

“…The questions evaluating interest were based on a review of the literature (e.g., Armstrong, Allison, & Rounds, 2008;Cassin et al, 2007;Rodrigues, Ferreira, & Bártolo-Ribeiro, 2013). The development of the questionnaire began by defining the constructs that were distributed over the three dimensions that are important in European psychology: clinical psychology, I-O psychology, and educational psychology.…”

“…Nonetheless, research has revealed concerns regarding the few initiatives that have been made to focus on the career choices made by students already in higher education (Cassin, Singer, Dobson, & Altmaier, 2007). There are few studies that focus on professional guidance and the interests of students transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies in higher education and in particular, in areas such as medicine or psychology (Borges et al, 2004;Hartung & Leong, 2005;Zachar & Leong, 1997).…”

“…These students need guidance in choosing a specialty area. In the specific case of psychology students, two factors are particularly relevant in career decision making, namely, the area of expertise and the type of degree or course of study (Cassin et al, 2007;Hartung & Leong, 2005;Leong, Zachar, Conant, & Tolliver, 2007). Furthermore, psychology students seem to have distinct interests and motivations for specific areas within psychology, which interfere with their career choices for the future (Bueno, Lemos, & Tomé, 2004).…”

The Impact of Theoretical Orientation and Training on Preference for Diagnostic Models of Personality Pathology

“…Of primary relevance to the current study is a consistent difference in theoretical orientation. Both students and faculty at PsyD programs are more likely to endorse utilizing a psychodynamic orientation, while students and faculty at PhD programs are more likely to endorse utilizing a cognitivebehavioral orientation [23,24] . This being the case, it would be useful to consider doctoral level training degrees as another potential variable that could affect diagnostic preferences.…”