Doctoral Students' Integration of Psychology and Christianity: Perspectives via Attachment Theory and Multidimensional Scaling

Abstract

Although doctoral programs in clinical psychology seeking to integrate the perspectives of Christian faith have existed for over 30 years, and newer integrative programs continue to proliferate in recent years, no empirical study has examined how such integration actually occurs in these programs, according to the students themselves. Multidimensional scaling of 48 doctoral students' perceptions of 19 full- and part-time faculty members at an APA-approved program in clinical psychology yielded 3 latent dimensions, 2 of which correlated with students' assessment of how exemplary and helpful the faculty were (p <.05). Recent confluence of contemporary psychoanalysis and attachment theory indicates that attachments need not be renounced in the name of maturity, and serve vital developmental needs throughout adulthood. Canonical correlation of the 3 latent dimensions with attachment-related criterion variables suggests that students may use faculty as subsidiary attachment figures or transitional objects, particularly the professor's own ongoing life of faith, to facilitate students' integrative pilgrimage.