How effective is continuing education (CE) for maintaining professional competencies, how should its effects be measured, and should it be mandated for licensure renewal? These and other questions were addressed in a review of the existing literature and a survey of 6,095 professional psychologists regarding their CE experiences, perceptions, and preferences. The substantial majority of respondents reported their CE experiences to be good to excellent. Overall, they reported learning a great deal that frequently translated into their practices and contributed to their more effective and ethical practice. Most also supported the idea of mandated CE, although they preferred the use of participant satisfaction ratings to knowledge or skills assessments as mechanisms for evaluating their learning. Significant differences were found between psychologists who were operating with CE mandates and those operating without mandates; mandated psychologists completed significantly more CE credits than nonmandated psychologists and were stronger supporters of CE mandates. Findings are discussed in relation to critical issues that confront the field of professional psychology and its continuing commitment to the development and documentation of professional competencies.

How will the accelerating profusion of knowledge affect the durability of knowledge within the various specialties and proficiencies in the field of professional psychology? A Delphi Poll was conducted to examine the current and future "half-life" of professional knowledge, regarded as the time it would take, in the absence of any new leaming, for someone to become roughly half as knowledgeable as a function of the development of new knowledge in a given field. Results of the current study indicated that the overall half-life of knowledge in professional psychology was expected to decrease within the next decade from nearly 9 years to just over 7 years, with substantial variability across various specialties and proficiencies. The anticipated half-life of knowledge varied from as much as 19 years (in the specialty of Psychoanalytic Psychology) to as little as 3.3 years (in the proficiency of Psychopharmacology). The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the continuing movements toward professional specialization, on the one hand, and the maintenance of competence on the other.

How much continuing education (CE) do professional psychologists complete each year, and how do they perceive it as affecting their competencies and practices? In a national survey, 1,146 licensed psychologists reported on their patterns of CE participation and their perceived outcomes in relation to those experiences. Overall, psychologists reported highly favorable perceptions of their CE experiences and outcomes, both in relation to the amount that they learned and the translation of that learning into more effective practice. Significant differences were found between psychologists from CE-mandating and nonmandating states, however, in relation to the format of the CE they participated in (e.g., on-site, online) and, especially, in relation to their levels of CE participation. Overall, nonmandated psychologists reported completing one-third fewer CE credits per year and were less supportive of CE mandates, as well. These and other results are discussed in relation to the developing empirical literatures on CE and professional competencies in psychology.

What kinds of professional development activities do psychologists participate in and to what extent do these activities contribute to ongoing professional competence? A conceptual framework for understanding the diverse array of continuing professional development (CPD) activities is followed by a review of the outcomes associated with these activities and a survey of 1,606 licensed psychologists concerning their CPD participation and perceptions. Results indicated that respondents participated in a diverse range of CPD activities, marked by considerable variation in both the extent and the nature of those activities. CPD activities such as self-directed learning, peer consultation, and formal continuing education were perceived as contributing highly to ongoing professional competence, while serving on professional boards, conducting client assessments, and taking graduate courses were perceived as contributing relatively little. These and other fmdings are interpreted in relation to the continuing competency movement within professional psychology, leading to some provisional recommendations, and further challenges, for the field of professional psychology.

Using a Delphi polling methodology and a small sample of identified experts in the field, recent research has noted the widely variable, and rapidly diminishing, half-life of knowledge across a range of specialties within professional psychology (Neimeyer, Taylor, & Rozensky, 2012). The current article provides methodological triangulation in relation to this previous work by surveying a large number (N ϭ 402) of board-certified psychologists across the full range of specialties recognized by the American Psychological Association and the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Results again supported a wide range of perceived half-lives across the various specialties and a consistent trend toward the diminishing durability of knowledge in these fields over time. Current perceived half-lives varied from a high of 18.37 years (in the area of Psychoanalysis) to a low of 7.58 years (in the area of Clinical Health Psychology), with the overall durability of knowledge across all areas being 8.68 years. The future half-lives of knowledge were expected to shrink in every area of specialization to as little as 5.61 years (in Clinical Health Psychology) within a decade from now. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the field's continuing commitment to the maintenance and demonstration of professional competence and its ongoing movement toward increased specialization.