Psychology Doctoral Programs Research Articles

Roger Kirk (1930-2023).

Roger Kirk, renowned for his many contributions to psychological research methods, passed away on December 30, 2023, in Waco, Texas, at the age of 93. Born in Indiana on February 23, 1930, Roger spent most of his childhood in Kentucky and Ohio. He developed an interest in the trombone as a teenager, so planned a musical career when he enrolled at The Ohio State University. After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in music, however, he came to realize he was "just an average trombone player." Some vocational guidance led him to Ohio State's experimental psychology doctoral program, which he started in 1952. Roger summed up his substantial career change as follows: "God gives all of us talents, it just took me longer than most people to find mine." Roger's doctoral research focused on psychoacoustics, so after completing his dissertation in 1955, he took a job as a psychoacoustical engineer at the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company. Roger was an accomplished author and received a multitude of accolades during his career; including Baylor's highest teaching designation (Master Teacher, 1993) and highest scholarship designation (Distinguished Professor, 1995). Roger is survived by "the love of my life," Jane Abbott-Kirk, whom he married in 1983. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Graduate student perspectives on training and clinical experiences with antagonism treatment.

The objective of this preregistered study was to gather evidence on training and clinical experiences offered by clinical psychology doctoral programs on the treatment of antagonism-a construct from the personality and psychopathology literature that captures individual differences in aggressiveness, callousness, grandiosity, domineering, and manipulativeness. We surveyed current graduate students (N = 376) in APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs (Mage = 28.4; 83.2% female; 65.2% White) about their experiences in training and treatment of antagonistic patients (ANT-patients) as well as experiences with patients with predominant negative affect (NA; e.g., anxious and depressed). Students reported significantly less training to treat antagonism compared to NA (|ds| = 0.43-2.88), as well as lower rates of direct clinical experience, generally poorer treatment experiences, and stronger countertransference reactions (|ds| = 0.53-1.40). These discrepancies were especially large for adult-focused students compared to child/adolescent-focused students. In fact, adult-focused students reported a mean competency rating of M = 1.71, between the scalar points not competent at all (1) and a little bit competent (2). Overall, these results indicate a lack of training and competence to treat antagonism among current graduate students, especially adult-focused students. We believe the crux of this issue is a field-wide lack of robust empirical work on antagonism treatments (for adults). Moving forward, we implore researchers and funding agencies to help address this substantial gap, which is both an ethical and practical imperative. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Trends and considerations in teaching introductory quantitative coursework in psychology doctoral programs.

Trends and considerations in teaching introductory quantitative coursework in psychology doctoral programs.

Supplemental Material for Trends and Considerations in Teaching Introductory Quantitative Coursework in Psychology Doctoral Programs

Supplemental Material for Trends and Considerations in Teaching Introductory Quantitative Coursework in Psychology Doctoral Programs

Exploring trainee perspectives on barriers and facilitators in serious mental illness doctoral training.

Although there have been momentous and critical advancements in serious mental illness (SMI) psychology doctoral training models and competencies, there is still much systemic change needed to increase access to evidence-based SMI training for psychologists. In the last decade, there has been little to no growth or expansion of SMI training opportunities in clinical psychology doctoral programs in the United States, and psychologists are underrepresented in serving clients with SMI. As trainees and trainers committed to careers in SMI, the contributors aimed to identify barriers and facilitators throughout each stage of the SMI doctoral training pathway, including pregraduate school, graduate school, and internship to reflect critically on systemic issues that have impeded trainees from accessing the appropriate tools for SMI training. This conceptual article reviews the existing literature on barriers and facilitators to accessing SMI training. In centering trainee perspectives, the contributors also reflect on their own experiences through brief narratives illustrating the barriers and facilitators they have faced across training stages with existing empirical research. Recommendations made by the contributors include increasing access to financial support and mechanisms, diversifying departments and practicum sites to include SMI-focused training, and people in positions of power advocating for and centering trainee voices in departmental training decisions and development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of an accelerated curriculum for clinical psychology doctoral students in substance use disorders and integrated care.

Recently, a significant increase in the population with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) has been documented. This scenario is a complex one that adversely impacts disadvantaged populations and health systems in Puerto Rico. Similarly, limited access to adequate health services for the population with SUD/OUD has been studied. In addition, there is a need for trained behavioral health professionals with the right competencies to offer evidence-based services to people with SUD/OUD. This scenario points out the need for clinical psychology doctoral programs with specialized curriculum in SUD/OUD and integrated care at a reasonable time that allows for expanding the base of competent professionals in these services. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to discuss the results of developing and validating a curriculum for evidence-based behavioral health clinical training in SUD/OUD and integrated care in one (1) year. METHOD: A specialized SUD/OUD and integrated care curriculum were developed to achieve the objective. The curriculum developed was evaluated by a panel of experts. The recommendations were integrated into the final version of the curriculum. RESULTS: The curriculum revised in its final version contains thirty-three (33) training distributed in the following areas of focus: 1) SUD; 2) OUD; 3) Primary Care; 4) Integrated Care; 5) Tele-Psychology. The thematic areas of the training are distributed in three levels of complexity: basic, intermediate, and advanced. DISCUSSION: The accelerated curriculum for clinical training in SUD/OUD and integrated care developed offers a crucial opportunity to train professionals at the doctoral level with the necessary competencies to work with people affected by SUD and OUD. In addition, it offers a unique opportunity to integrate theory and practice in one (1) year, increasing the base of trained professionals. This program is a crucial opportunity to continue strengthening access to specialized and integrated services for SUD and OUD and close the disparity gaps that impact the population affected by SUD and OUD.

Using Participatory Research Methods to Foster an Anti-Racist Graduate Learning Environment

Only within the last few years has the American Psychological Association (APA) acknowledged the impact that the racist history of psychology training, research, and practice has had on people of color (APA, October 2021). As the primary governing organization of psychology, the field looks to the APA to model the possibility of an anti-racist approach to psychology. Training competencies, such as “professionalism,” have persisted as a core foundational skill, yet there is no consensus regarding the definition or essential elements of the competency (Elman et al., 2005; Grus et al., 2018). The lack of clarity in definition and essential elements has left supervising health service psychologists to form more subjective assessments that may be rooted within the field’s racist history. It is therefore unsurprising that professionalism is a concept that has long been weaponized against Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) in medical and educational settings (Marom, 2019). To address this problem in a School Psychology doctoral program, participatory action research (PAR) methods were utilized to take action towards the creation of an equitable, inclusive, experiential definition of professionalism to reduce opportunities for racist and other discriminatory evaluation. Students and faculty were involved in every phase of the project, from the inception through multiple rounds of analysis and member checking. The result was a programmatic Essence Statement of professionalism, core beliefs about professionalism, and a table of professionalism competencies with definitions and behavioral exemplars, all of which are now codified in the School Psychology Program Handbook and available to all current and prospective students and faculty. The outlined methods can be implemented by professionals across disciplines and systems to actively reduce inequalities in settings where individuals with diverse and intersection identities evaluated by these systems have traditionally been excluded from the processes that impact them.

Exploring the Experiences of Students of Color in United States Counseling Psychology Doctoral Programs: A Qualitative Investigation

The current study utilizes a qualitative inquiry to examine the experiences of a sample of students of Color in counseling psychology doctoral programs within the United States (US). Although the counseling psychology field has been successful in recruiting and retaining students of Color, less is known about the experiences of these students within their doctoral programs. Participants were 49 students of Color (81.6% female), identifying as Black (34.7%), Asian (30.6%), Latinx (22.4%), Arab or Middle Eastern (6.1%), and Multiracial (6.1%). Students’ open-ended descriptions of their experiences were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research – Modified. Six categories emerged from responses: support, racial discrimination, marginalization, lack of representation, hypocrisy, and positive changes/attempts. The results demonstrate that these students’ experiences range from feeling supported and seeing positive changes made in their program, to feeling isolated and discriminated against within them. Considerations for ongoing support of doctoral students of Color in counseling psychology programs are discussed, and approaches to developing anti-racist program culture are presented.

Barriers to LGBQ- and TGNB-affirmative clinical training in psychology doctoral programs.

Barriers to LGBQ- and TGNB-affirmative clinical training in psychology doctoral programs.

Comprehensive and qualifying examinations: A qualitative review of APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs.

Comprehensive and qualifying examinations: A qualitative review of APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs.

The invisible work of persisting: BIWOC students in school psychology doctoral programs.

There are growing calls to diversify the ranks of school psychology practitioners, graduate educators, and researchers by recruiting more students of color in school psychology doctoral programs. Past research on retention across many fields in higher education indicates that Black, Indigenous, and women of color (BIWOC) students entering doctoral programs encounter isolation, lack of support, and microaggressions. Although this literature has illuminated how doctoral programs can push out BIWOC students, it has been critiqued for overlooking the creative and strategic means they use to stay in their programs. We analyzed 12 focus group interviews conducted with 15 BIWOC students in school psychology doctoral programs across the United States. Using the analytical construct of agency, we coded the transcripts to identify agentic actions of BIWOC that went beyond standard graduate school demands. We identified six types of actions that BIWOC carried out to combat the systemic barriers they encountered: teaching, protecting others, self-advocating, organizing, searching for community, and self-editing. Given that these actions were in addition to the basic program requirements, we argue that they are instances of the invisible work that BIWOC students did to persist in their doctoral programs. We discuss the implications of this invisible work and provide various recommendations for school psychology doctoral programs to reduce the burden of invisible work on BIWOC students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Geropsychology training at the doctoral level: a program evaluation case example

ABSTRACT While the older adult population continues to grow, psychologists specializing in geropsychology remain a small fraction of the workforce. Facing this reality, it is essential for training programs to better monitor whether their students receive adequate training to serve older adults. The current study describes a brief, logistically feasible, and cost-effective program evaluation conducted within one APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral program. The evaluation consisted of an online survey of doctoral students (n = 99) that explored their field training experiences with older adults, coursework related to aging, and their overall interest in working with older adults. Students reported significantly less coursework and significantly less field work focused on serving older adults when compared to other age groups. However, students reported a high level of interest in learning about aging, with a total of 73.74% of participants (n = 73) reporting at least some current interest. A number of institutional actions resulted from this evaluation, which demonstrate how a brief evaluation can yield data that is practically useful. This case example provides a useful model for others to follow, and may support other institutions’ efforts to evaluate, monitor, and make potential improvements to aging-related training in their own programs.

Career-enhancing research competencies: Student perceptions of research training in clinical psychology doctoral programs.

Career-enhancing research competencies: Student perceptions of research training in clinical psychology doctoral programs.

Correction: Interprofessional Education in Psychology Doctoral Programs, Internships, and Postdoctoral Training: A Survey of Training Directors

Correction: Interprofessional Education in Psychology Doctoral Programs, Internships, and Postdoctoral Training: A Survey of Training Directors

Experiences of Black Male Doctoral Students in Psychology: A Focus on Protective Factors

Black male doctoral students in psychology face unique challenges that impact their learning environment and experience, especially with issues like race-related stress. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand their lived experience as well as the specific sociocultural factors that helped to foster their resiliency. It suggests a strengths-focused approach to understanding proactive measures that can positively impact Black male students’ success in doctoral psychology programs and their subsequent positive consequences for the profession. A phenomenological study was conducted, interviewing five Black men in clinical and counseling psychology doctoral programs. A thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was utilized to analyze the interview responses. The findings suggest a community of support (family, mentors, peers, faculty, and relationships at professional conferences) helps, to foster awareness (educational, self-awareness, and contextual awareness) which, in turn, leads to the students engaging in meaningful action (representation, giving back, and self-care), returning to serve as members who make up the community of support for others within their community.

Interprofessional Education in Psychology Doctoral Programs, Internships, and Postdoctoral Training: A Survey of Training Directors.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is intended to prepare health professionals for teambased care. Little is known about IPE offerings for psychology trainees. The article reports on a survey of training directors (263) from graduate school, internship, and fellowship programs about IPE in a 39-item survey. Most programs have IPE activities across 17 types (e.g., classroom didactics, IP team care, Grand Rounds, simulations, etc.), though 34% reported no or poorly coordinated IPE. Barriers included limited funding/protected time and conflicting student schedules. Resources needed for implementing IPE included incorporating IPE into clinical settings, curricular materials, and evaluation tools. Only 15% felt institutional leadership considered IPE a high priority. Training directors need leadership engagement and support, protected time, and administrative support as well as faculty development for event design and facilitation skills. This study is an exploratory first step, more granular investigation of quality and quantity of IPE from training directors' perspectives is needed.

New Versions of the MMPI and Rorschach: How Have Training Programs Responded?

In this brief article, we update the training of newer versions of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and Rorschach and compare to a 2015 assessment training survey of American Psychological Association accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs. The survey sample sizes for 2015, 2021, and 2022 were 83, 81, and 88, respectively. By 2015, of the programs teaching any adult MMPI version, almost all (94%) were still teaching the MMPI-2, and 68% had started teaching the MMPI-2-RF. In 2021 and 2022, respectively, almost all programs (96% and 94%) had started teaching the MMPI-2-RF or MMPI-3, although most were still teaching the MMPI-2 (77% and 66%). By 2015, of the programs teaching the Rorschach, 85% were still teaching the Comprehensive System (CS) and 60% had started teaching the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS). In 2021 and 2022, respectively, most programs had started teaching R-PAS (77% and 77%) although many (65% and 50%) were still teaching the CS. Therefore, doctoral programs are indeed switching to newer versions of the MMPI and Rorschach, although more slowly than one might expect. We recommend that APA provide more guidance in selecting test versions for training programs, practitioners, and researchers.

Evaluating training needs in clinical psychology doctoral programs.

Advances in clinical psychology must be accompanied by advances in training. This study assessed training content, quality, and needs during clinical psychology doctoral programs among current or past doctoral students. Current or past clinical psychology doctoral students (N = 343) completed an anonymous survey assessing training experiences and needs. A descriptive-focused exploratory factor analysis (EFA)also examined whether common subgroups of academic interests emerged. Most participants reported that they sought training beyond required coursework, primarily in clinical training, cultural competency, and professional development, and reported having taken one or more unhelpful course, including discipline-specific knowledge requirements. Descriptive results from the EFA demonstrated common training areas of interest: diversity topics, biological sciences, clinical practice, and research methods. This study demonstrates that trainees and early career psychologists are aware of their nuanced and in some cases, unmet training needs. This work foregrounds the need to adapt extant training opportunities to support the next generation of clinical psychologists.

Real Change or Performative Anti-Racism? Clinical Psychology Programs’ Efforts to Recruit and Retain BIPOC Scholars

ABSTRACT Objective This study assessed perceptions of Clinical Psychology doctoral programs’ efforts to recruit and retain faculty and graduate students of color, as well as differences in perceptions based on participants’ position within their program (i.e. graduate student versus faculty) and race. Method Participants (n = 297; 35% people of color; 79% female; mean age: 32) were graduate students and faculty from Clinical Psychology doctoral programs who completed an anonymous online survey about their programs’ efforts to recruit and retain graduate students and faculty of color; sense of belonging and perceptions of racial discrimination within programs; and experiences of cultural taxation and racism within programs. Results Faculty (n = 95) reported significantly greater perceptions of recruitment and retention efforts and fewer perceptions of racial discrimination than did graduate students (n = 202). Asian (n = 31), Black (n = 25), and Latinx (n = 35) participants reported significantly fewer perceptions of recruitment and retention efforts, less sense of belonging, and greater perceptions of racial discrimination than did White participants (n = 192). Cultural taxation was common among participants of color, and approximately half (47%) reported they have considered leaving academia – and approximately one third (31%) have considered leaving their program – due to experiences of racism in their program or field. Conclusions Cultural taxation and racial discrimination were common among scholars of color in this sample. Whether intentional or not, these experiences contribute to racially-toxic environments and negatively impact the racial diversity of the mental health workforce.

Gender disparities in authorship of invited submissions in high-impact psychology journals.

Women comprise the majority of graduates from psychology doctoral programs, but equity is yet to be achieved in the professoriate. Publication drives career advancement, underscoring the need to investigate publication-based metrics of eminence. To our knowledge, authorship of invited submissions-a proxy of research esteem-has not been the focus of any psychology studies. In this cross-sectional study, authorship of invited submission(s) in five elite psychology journals (2015-2019) was investigated: Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Annual Review of Psychology, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, and Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. We hypothesized that women would be underrepresented. Author gender was classified using publicly available details (e.g., pronouns on professional websites). Primary outcomes were the proportion of women solo-, first-, or likely invited authors, relative to the proportion of women full and associate professors in psychology at R1 institutions (42.3%). Of 1,828 authorship positions (713 articles), 35.6% were occupied by women. Relative to the nominated base rate, women were disproportionately underrepresented. When the likely invited author on a multi-author publication was a woman, the first author was a woman on 51.0% of papers; when the likely invited author was a man, the first author was a woman on 34.1% of papers. These findings align with prior studies and extend the research by demonstrating that the gender publication gap in psychology is exacerbated in invited submissions and driven by particular subfields. Continued efforts are needed to redress gender disparities in authorship of invited submissions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).