Date of Graduation

Fall 2013

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

David Lutz

Abstract

In 2006, the American Psychological Association (APA) changed the Model Licensing Act to allow for supervised practicum hours accrued during predoctoral training or those from postdoctoral training to fulfill one of the two years of supervised experience needed for licensure. However, only some states have incorporated this licensure change into law, creating an inconsistent language of the requirements for professional practice. This study assessed the perceptions and impacts of the licensure change by asking various stakeholders, specifically, state psychology associations, state psychology boards, and the faculty and students of doctoral training programs, to report their perceptions on various aspects of the postdoctoral training year. Results of the study revealed that participants are generally not well-informed about the APA Model Act. Participants who were more informed about the current state of the requirement were more likely to be favorable towards the eliminating the requirement. Although there was a strong desire for national consistency, there were strong advocates for and against the postdoctoral training requirement.

Keywords

postdoctoral training, licensure requirement, model licensure act, psychologist, perception

Subject Categories

Psychology

Copyright

© Austin Thomas Boon

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