Preliminary Examination and Measurement of the Internship Research Training Environment.

Abstract

Consistent with C. J. Gelso's (1979, 1993, 1997) research training environment theory, the authors hypothesized that research training environments exist in predoctoral internships. The Internship Research Training Environment Scale (IRTES) was developed to assess research training environments found in predoctoral psychology internships. Preliminary reliability and validity data are reported for scores on the IRTES using a sample of 84 former counseling center interns. Factor analysis of the final 23-item scale indicated a 4-factor solution accounting for 65% of the variance with distinct, but related factors. Internal consistency estimates were moderate to high. Hypothesized relationships with other variables were examined and also provide initial support for construct and predictive validity. Implications for theory, training, and future research are discussed.