THE CHANGING FACE OF PSYCHOLOGY: CAREER AND LEADERSHIP ASPIRATIONS OF FEMALE DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN COUNSELING AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

This study aimed to advance understanding of career-related experiences of female graduate students in counseling and clinical doctoral programs. Specifically, the study investigated achievement motivation, career role salience, consideration for future family and partner, and social support as predictors of leadership and career aspirations. Two hundred and two female graduate students in either counseling or clinical Ph.D. programs were sampled. Results indicated that achievement motivation, specifically the desire to work hard, was the most important predictor of career and leadership aspirations, and was the only consistent predictor across different types of aspirations. Additionally, work role salience contributed to the prediction of career-related aspirations. Last, differences emerged among women who were in the early years of their graduate program versus those in the later years of doctoral study. These findings could contribute to the literature on womens career decision making and have implications for practice and research.