The affirmation of the scientist-practitioner: A look back at Boulder.

Abstract

In the aftermath of World War II, several influences were paramount in forcing academic psychology to recognize, albeit reluctantly, the coming professionalization of psychology. The federal government, wishing to avoid a repeat of blunders following World War I that led to significant dissatisfaction among veterans, took proactive steps to ensure that mental health needs of the new veterans would be met. The USPHS and the VA were mandated to expand significantly the pool of mental health practitioners, a direction that led not only to the funding of the Boulder conference but also to the development of APA's accreditation program, funded practical and internship arrangements with the VA, and the USPHS grants to academic departments for clinical training. The GI Bill, amended to include payment for graduate education, created tremendous interest in graduate programs in psychology. As a result, psychology programs were inundated with funded applicants, most of whom were interested in the application of psychology to clinical and other applied fields. Graduate psychology departments were mixed in their views of this "blessing." The reality of a separate curriculum for professional training in psychology was a bitter pill for some academic psychologists to swallow. Graduate departments feared that control of their programs would be taken over by external forces and that they would lose their right to determine their own curriculum. Further, they feared the domination of clinical training within their own departments and the effects of such educational emphasis on their traditional experimental programs. The Boulder conference brought together these disparate needs and concerns, although one can argue about how well some points of view were represented with respect to others. It was a time of high anticipation and fear. The conference could easily have ended in failure, with such diverse interests being unable to reach any consensus. There are many letters in the correspondence of committee members that suggest disagreements serious enough to prevent the development of any single model of training. Instead, by most yardsticks that one could apply, the conference succeeded, perhaps beyond the dreams of many of those in attendance who were most invested in a model for professional training. In evaluating the legacy of Boulder, several points are apparent. First, the conference succeeded because 73 individuals were able to agree to some 70 resolutions in 15 days, creating the scientist-practitioner model of professional training. Such consensus was arguably a remarkable achievement. The endorsement of the model by academic units followed with little evident resistance, although it is clear that some Boulder-model programs were developed that bore little resemblance to the model's insistence on significant training in both research and practice. Second, as a response to social and political needs, the conference was clearly a success. The cooperation of the APA, the USPHS, and the VA benefited all three entities. Clinica...

Using blended and guided technologies in a university course for scientist-practitioners

“…As early as 1949, doctoral training standards for 'scientist-practitioners' were suggested in an attempt to integrate psychological research and practice (Baker and Benjamin, 2000;Horn et al, 2007). As the concept of the scientist-practitioner developed, an 'attitude of science' was promoted that encouraged 'skepticism, curiosity and inquiry', combined with the art of clinical practice (Striker, 2000, p. 254).…”

Licensure requirements: Have we raised the bar too far?

“…Following the war, the USPHS expressed concern over widely disparate variation in theory and practice and again partnered with APA to further structure a framework for training clinical psychologists (Baker & Benjamin, 2000). With government support, the Boulder Conference on Graduate Education in Clinical Psychology was held in 1949 on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder.…”

“…World War II provided the unprecedented momentum that launched psychology as a recognized practice profession within a relatively short time. Recognizing the immediate mental health needs of returned veterans and the shortage of mental health providers, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the Veteran's Administration (VA) partnered with the American Psychological Association (APA) to assist in detailing how more psychologists could be trained (Baker & Benjamin, 2000). With strong government support, leaders in psychology developed a more defined program of doctoral training as well as accredited doctoral internships.…”

Deltakerbaner i psykologutdanningen – en femårs oppfølging av psykologistudenter

“…Psykologutdanningene i Norge følger alle en SPmodell som innebaerer å skolere studentene i bå de forskning og anvendt psykologi, og der psykologene etter endt utdanning skal vaere i stand til bå de å utføre vitenskapelig arbeid og å ha en god klinisk kompetanse. Et sentralt prinsipp er at den vitenskapelige kunnskapsbasen i psykologi skal komme først og utgjøre et fundament som forsker-og praktikerutdanningen bygger på (Frank, 1984;Baker & Benjamin, 2000;Belar & Perry, 1992). Modellen danner grunnlaget for en rekke psykologutdanninger internasjonalt og er gjenstand for bå de diskusjon og til dels motstand.…”