Ethical Training in Sport Psychology Programs: Current Training Standards

Ethical training in graduate programs is an important part of the professional development process. Such training has taken a position of prominence in both counseling and clinical psychology but seems to be lagging behind in the field of sport psychology. A debate exists about whether such training is necessary and, if so, how it should be provided. An important step in better understanding these issues is to identify how such training is currently taking place. This study surveyed the program directors of sport psychology programs listed in the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology (Burke, Sachs, & Schrader, 2002) about the ethical training that takes place in their programs and their perceptions of the preparedness of the students in their programs. Of those contacted, 54% (n = 47) responded to the e-mail based survey. The results from these respondents indicated that 64.4% of programs require training in ethics and that the training was most commonly integrated into other nonethics courses. Overall, respondents did not feel as if students were completely prepared for either the ethical or legal issues that they will face in their professional careers. The importance of ethical training and suggestions for improving ethical training are discussed.     

Ethical considerations in the supervision of applied sport psychology graduate students

Abstract

Some of the most important relationships that a sport psychologist experiences in his or her career are between the supervisor and supervisee in applied practica and internships. These relationships may become models for future professional and ethical behavior with colleagues, students, and clients, and thus deserve careful examination. Ethics form a foundation for practice, and while classroom discussions of ethical issues help educate graduate students, the supervisor-supervisee relationship may provide a hands-on experience of ethical dilemmas and ethical problem solving. Ethics in supervisor-supervisee relationships cover at least two broad areas. First, there is the supervisor's monitoring and mentoring of ethical considerations in the supervisee's relationship with the athlete-client. Second, ethical questions arise in the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. The present paper includes discussion of general supervisory issues (e.g., modeling ethical behavior, helping develop counseling skills) and explores the specific ethical problems of referring for counseling, intimacy, and exploitation. Also, three case examples illustrate ethical concerns that may appear in the process of applied sport psychology supervision. Broadening education in ethical issues in supervision for both psychology and exercise science graduate programs may help future practitioners better serve their clients.     

When Sport psychology consultants and graduate students are impaired: Ethical and legal issues in training and supervision

Abstract

Impaired sport psychology consultants, that is, professionals and graduate students whose behavior, inadequate training, personal situations, or psychopathology are having a negative influence on the delivery of services, have the potential to do harm to athlete-clients, damage their own professional standing, and bring disrepute to the field. The applied sport psychology literature is replete with guidelines and suggestions for referring athletes for counseling or psychotherapy when appropriate (e.g., Heyman & Andersen, 1998), but the ethical, legal, and procedural problems associated with sport psychology consultants whose training or mental conditions suggest the need for remediation, rehabilitation, or psychotherapy, and possible removal from seeing clients, has not been addressed. We describe a variety of situations where student and professional functioning might be impaired, discuss the possible ramifications (legal, ethical) of impairment, and provide suggestions for ways to proceed when sport psychology consultants are in psychological difficulty.     

Teaching Psychological Assessment: Training issues and Teaching Approaches

Clinical psychology graduate programs need to pay attention to important issues involved in teaching psychological assessment, if graduate students are to be adequately prepared. Recent studies have suggested a gap between academic training in psychological assessment and internship expectations. Graduate students are not as well prepared as many internship settings would like. In addition to learning the fundamentals, students need help in dealing with issues of categorizing individuals, using tests in helpful ways, taking responsibility for decision-making, and developing a balance between critical evaluation of tests and appreciation of their usefulness. Teaching approaches for dealing with these issues are discussed. The importance of academic and clinical agencies working together is stressed. Goals for graduate training in assessment are suggested.     

Teaching psychological assessment: training issues and teaching approaches

Clinical psychology graduate programs need to pay attention to important issues involved in teaching psychological assessment, if graduate students are to be adequately prepared. Recent studies have suggested a gap between academic training in psychological assessment and internship expectations. Graduate students are not as well prepared as many internship settings would like. In addition to learning the fundamentals, students need help in dealing with issues of categorizing individuals, using tests in helpful ways, taking responsibility for decision-making, and developing a balance between critical evaluation of tests and appreciation of their usefulness. Teaching approaches for dealing with these issues are discussed. The importance of academic and clinical agencies working together is stressed. Goals for graduate training in assessment are suggested.     

Continuity and Change in Role Definitions and Training Models of School Psychologists in Israel

Abstract

In accordance with one of the major challenges of psychology research and practice worldwide, school psychology in Israel has setas its aim the promotion of the emotional well-being of students. These aims are achieved through psychological evaluation and intervention, at the systemic and individual-student level. School psychology emerged in Israel in the 1930s, as a relatively narrow field, focused mainly on the placement of students in special education settings. Over the decades, major changes occurred in Israeli society, including waves of immigration, coping with security situations and additional socio-political challenges. In light of these transformations, the discipline grew and broadened, encompassing additional areas of professional practice. The training of school psychologists evolved in relation to these processes. From unsystematic training procedures, mostly embedded in child-clinical psychology and relying on on-the-job training, to a well-established system of graduate school programs producing dozens of school psychologists every year. Academic pre-service training is followed by a post-graduate internship in the public-school system. The developments in the field of school psychology brought about a host of challenges and dilemmas. These issues are discussed in relation to the broad aim of school psychology in Israel: the promotion of the emotional well-being of all students.     

Putting the accreditation cart before the aaasp horse: A reply to silva,conroy and zizzi

Abstract

While Silva et al. (1999) must be congratulated for leading a discussion of accreditation of graduate programs in applied sport psychology, the authors appear to have “put the cart before the horse.” They have adopted an extreme one-sided position that suggests that accreditation of programs is the only viable solution for some of the training and employment problems that currently exist in the applied sport psychology profession. This response questions some of their assumptions and conclusions and offers several alternative solutions to these problems in a more balanced analysis of the current situation. It is hoped that these articles will stimulate further discussion at AAASP meetings and among practicing professionals.     

Great Expectations: Career Planning and Training Experiences of Graduate Students in Sport and Exercise Psychology

The success of upcoming professionals in the field of sport and exercise psychology is critical for its growth. A history of limited applied opportunities may lead to retention issues among trainees interested in applied careers. The current study investigated the career goals and perceptions of training among current graduate students. Results found that many master's- and doctoral-level students were seeking a career that involved applied work, and the majority of these students desired to work with collegiate athletes. These findings can be used to prepare students for the existing market conditions and offer insight for future professionals.     

Sport Psychology Foundations,Organizations, and Related Resources

SUMMARY

The purpose of this article is to introduce psychologists and counselors who work in schools to the field of applied sport psychology. We begin with a brief history of how applied sport psychology developed in North America and other parts of the world. Landmark events such as the development of conferences, professional organizations and scholarly publications are described. This is followed by a discussion of the breadth of services that are typically provided by sport psychologists. The third section examines some of the current issues related to the training of sport psychologists. The final section introduces the reader to organizations, journals, texts, and on-line resources so they may learn more about the theory, research, and practice of Sport psychology.     

Exploring the life skills needs of British adolescent athletes

ObjectivesYouth sport programs have been designed to facilitate positive development of young sports people by teaching life skills. It is unclear which life skills are needed by adolescent athletes and which life skills should be included in youth sport programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how life skills are defined, which life skills British adolescent athletes need, and which life skills are the most important.Design and methodNineteen adolescent athletes, 10 coaches, 4 experts in sport psychology (pilot group) and 5 graduate students (pilot group) participated in a series of focus groups. An inductive analysis revealed how life skills are defined, which life skills British adolescent athletes need, and of these skills which are the most important.ResultsLife skills were defined as ranges of transferable skills needed for everyday life, by everybody, that help people thrive. Participants described the need for interpersonal skills including social skills, respect, leadership, family interactions, and communication. Personal skills including self-organization, discipline, self-reliance, goal setting, managing performance outcomes, and motivation, were also reported. Social skills were identified as the most important life skills.ConclusionsIn conclusion, findings add support to existing positive youth development research while adding an insight into which life skills should be built into youth sport programs in the United Kingdom.     

2020 Reflections from a Mid-Career Academic Psychologist: Select Tips for Prospective Graduate Psychology Students

Abstract

This paper provides some personal and academic reflections from a mid-career academic psychologist. In doing so, several select tips and suggestions are offered to prospective graduate psychology students, in particular. This paper strikes to encourage such students to seriously and thoughtfully consider why they wish to attend graduate school and some of the realistic possible negative consequences of doing so. Several select additional suggestions are noted for those students who ultimately decide to attend graduate school with a particular emphasis on the value and importance of forging a productive and collegial relationship with one’s graduate mentor.     

A School Psychologist's Self-Study Guide to Sport Psychology

SUMMARY

School psychologists may find the field of sport psychology beneficial to them in extending their skills and effectiveness. As trained psychologists, they are likely to already have some of the knowledge and skills necessary for working in the area of sport psychology. However, without additional training, this may not be sufficient for ethical and effective practice. This article enumerates the necessary knowledge and skills for working in sport psychology according to APA's recent proficiency standards. It then details a plethora of available resources and methods for entering into the domain of sport psychology. The article emphasizes self-study while continuing to practice ethically within the ‘boundaries of one's competence.’     

Trends in Graduate Training in Social Psychology: Training Social Psychology's Trainers

We examine social psychology graduate training in the United States by analyzing the faculty members in doctoral degree-granting programs, using archival sources. About 500 full-time faculty work in the 105 social psychology doctoral programs in the United States. These faculty hold Ph.D.'s from 74 different U.S. (and 11 non-U.S.) social psychology programs, with a median degree receipt date of 1983. Increasing numbers of women faculty attain positions in doctoral programs in social psychology; in our sample, 48% of women received Ph.D.'s after 1990, compared to 30% for men. We examine 29 programs that provided 2 or more training faculty, from 1950–1990 and 1991–2004. The data demonstrate both stability and change in graduate training—programs that produced the majority of graduate trainers during the post-WWII period continue to produce new graduate trainers (ρ = .40, p < .05), though the creation of graduate trainers currently spreads across a larger array of programs. Average GRE scores of a training program's students does not predict a given program's likelihood of placing students in training positions.     

Multicultural training practices in community psychology programs

Surveyed the directors of 56 community psychology graduate programs to assess multicultural training practices and attitudes. Although most program directors agreed that multicultural training is important in their mission to educate students, less than half the programs (48%) required their students to take any relevant course work and only half of the programs surveyed had any faculty who were members of an ethnic minority group and one third had only one such faculty member. Furthermore, less than half the programs had a combination of training opportunities in place to integrate classroom, research, and field experiences relevant to multicultural issues. Finally, only 23% of program directors believed their training programs were successful for most students, suggesting the need to improve training.     

The Enhancement of Performance Excellence Among Performing Artists

With the maturation of the practice of applied sport psychology has come recognition of the ways in which knowledge of performance excellence can address performance issues among other populations. The present article addresses applications to performing artists. Four issues that may affect performing artists, and that have direct parallels within sport, are performance enhancement and psychological skills training, developmental issues, injury and retirement, and eating disorders. Performing artists' preferences and concerns about consultation are discussed, noting parallels and differences with applications to athletes. Both practical and ethical considerations of developing such a practice are reviewed.     

Multicultural Training in University Counseling Center Predoctoral Psychology Internship Programs: A Survey

Research indicates that graduate programs in counseling and clinical psychology are beginning to include more courses on multicultural issues. Little data is available, however, concerning the inclusion of training in multicultural issues in predoctoral psychology internship training programs. This study examined the amount and type of such training actually occurring at predoctoral psychology internship training programs in university counseling centers.     

Athletes' and coaches' perceptions of sport psychology services offered by graduate students at one NCAA Division I university

In recent years, there have been increasing calls for graduate programs in sport psychology to include supervised practicum experiences. While supervision and applied experience is vital to the professional growth of graduate students, periodic evaluations are also needed to determine students' effectiveness in providing sport psychology services. This study represented an initial attempt to assess athletes' and coaches' perceptions of services provided by graduate students at one NCAA Division I university. Analyses showed 118 participants' ratings of consultants' effectiveness were comparable to those provided by U.S. Olympic athletes for professional consultants in earlier research by Gould, Murphy, Tammen, and May.     

The ecology of physical activity and sport: Merging science and practice

Abstract

A focus on the ecology of physical activity and sport will merge science and practice within the field of sport psychology. To support this contention, this paper identifies shortcomings of prominent theories within sport psychology by grouping them into meta-theoretical categories labeled dispositional-biological, cognitive behavioral, cognitive-phenomenological, and social-comtructionist. The solution to these shortcomings is an ecological meta-theory that definer the field of sport psychology as the study of how individuals encounter their physical activity and sport environments. Analysis and intervention of this targeted subject matter can be at the physiological, interpersonal, interpersonal, community, and/or institutional and public policy level. A meta-theory that defines ecological information within physical activity in sport as the primary subject matter of study and intervention will develop an autonomous field of study and practice.     

Is the Role of the School Psychologist in Early Childhood Truly Expanding? A National Survey Examining School Psychologists' Practices and Training Experiences

Historically, the role of school psychologists in early childhood settings has been limited to the identification and evaluation of children who may be in need of special education services under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It has been suggested that the role should reflect a more proactive model; specifically, it should continue to expand to include involvement in school readiness and early intervention for all students. The purpose of this study was to examine the present role of school psychologists in early childhood settings and investigate the graduate-level training provided to school psychology graduate students. Results of the survey found that a significant percentage of school psychologist practitioners continue to spend a substantial portion of their professional time completing special education evaluations. Furthermore, respondents reported minimal to moderate graduate training in the area of early childhood populations. Implications for school psychology practitioners and school psychology graduate training programs are discussed.