Psychology in India: A Survey of Doctoral Students

Abstract

IndiaThis study examines profile, research area, research activities, perception of psychology, self-image and profession-related satisfaction doctoral students of psychology in India. Seventy-seven participants responded to a mailed questionnaire. It has subsections related to self-image as researcher, student-supervisor relationship, research process, profession-related satisfaction, and status of psychology in India. It was observed that most participants belonged to urban background, middle class, and nuclear family. They perceived job opportunities in various fields and aspired most for teaching and research. Further, gender and financial assistance did not influence self-image and student-supervisor relationship. However, financial assistance influenced satisfaction with different aspects of profession. Imbtications of the findings are discussed in tight of doctoral training of psychology in India apd reorientation of psychology as a profession.With the rapid expansion of psychology, concern for professionalization and doctoral training has been repeatedly voiced. In numerical terms, India has the largest number of doctoral students among all the developing countries. In 1980-81, 96 students were awarded a doctoral degree (UGC Report 1982), with an enrolment of 515 students in 57 Indian universities. De Meuse (1987) found that quality of doctoral programs had a strong relation with research productivity. Systematic research on doctoral students has been conducted in the Western countries (Roose and Anderson 1970). However, our knowledge about doctoral students of psychology in India is meager. This study is an attempt to examine demographic profile, self-image satisfaction, perception of psychology, and student-supervisor relationship of doctoral Requests for reprints should be sent to A.K. Singh, L423 Union Drive, Dept. of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1346, USA.526 A.K. Singh. A X Dalal / Psychology in India students of psychology doing research in various Indian universities and institutes.A few studies report psycho-social characteristics of doctoral students Dharmangadhan 1984, 1986;Pratab, Seth and Gupta 1983). Joseph and Dharmangadhan (1984) developed a Research Stress Scale for doctoral students. The major stressors were, such as possible unemployment after securing the Ph.D. degree, wast of time, financial problems, inadequate facilities, tedious nature of the work, and lack of recognition by academia. They, however, did not find any difference on stress scale across gender and work faculties. In another study, Pratab, Seth and Gupta (1983) reported that doctoral students had greater anxiety compared to graduate and post-graduate students. These studies are useful for understanding doctoral students in general. But they provide little insight for the problems, aspirations, and satisfaction of doctoral students of psychology because each discipline demands specific aptitude and activities as well as provides unique job opportunities and work avenues. In addition, different...

Psychology in India: Perceptions and Perspectives

“…In recent years there has been growing realisation that the discipline of psychology in India as an academic venture and as a professional intervention needs serious rethinking. It has been indicated by researchers, students (Krishnamohan, 1999;Misra & Verma, 1995; Singh & Dalal, 1988;Sinha & Prakash, 1993) as well as consumers of the manpower trained in this discipline that the teaching programmes in psychology do not adequately address the requirements of different sectors (UGC, 1968(UGC, , 1982. At the same time, there has been growing discomfort among researchers about the current models and methods being inadequate to help understand important issues.…”