Practices and needs in psychological training: A survey of 28 countries

Abstract

In 1988, the Executive Committee of the International Union of Psychological Science resolved to survey training practices in member countries. Of the 47 member countries, 28 responded by completing a questionnaire, and several added other material. The training programs described in this report demand a minimum of four years' study of psychology, although most require additional academic work or practical training under supervision, or both. Respondents agreed fairly well on the academic topics of a training program, and on desirable characteristics of practical training. The names given to qualifications varied considerably; this may cause some international confusions. Psychological training takes place at both undergraduate and graduate levels. In five of the European countries which responded, in the U.S.A., Egypt, Pakistan, and the Philippines, all psychological training is at graduate level. In most other responding countries, a combination of undergraduate and graduate study is required. Psychology's professional status appears uncertain. Although training is primarily supported by government finance, by no means all countries have instituted either accreditation of training programs (externally to the training institutions), or certification, licensing, or registration of persons who wish to practise psychology. Psychology may, in a number of countries, be regarded as a purely academic discipline, or as a useful adjunct to such professional fields as education and medicine. Yet, in a number of countries, even where resources are very limited, psychology appears to have shown its social utility as well as its educational value. Restrictions and demands on the training and practice of psychology arise from both cultural-historical and economic forces. The report argues that training needs to recognise personal individual differences, cultural diversity, and socioeconomic differences, so that the psychology of a region not only incorporates international scholarship but also accurately reflects the human characteristics and needs of that region, and responds adequately to them.