Research Mentoring and Women in Clinical Psychology

The main question explored in this study is whether a woman's choice to do research during her career as a clinical psychologist is associated with having had a research mentor. A sample of 616 women, all members of the American Psychological Association holding a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, completed a survey about their experience with a research mentor. The data show that research mentoring is positively related to a woman in clinical psychology doing research and whether she, in turn, becomes a research mentor for others. The responses of the participants suggest that a model of mentoring that involves relevant training and practical experience in research may increase the likelihood that female clinical psychologists will choose to do research as part of their careers.