| Abstract: | A theoretical and empirical study of professional education in the human service disciplines is described. Seven highly generalizable, cognitive, and affective skill domains are postulated as broad goals worthy of incorporating into such programs. Data are analyzed from several groups of helping professionals (N = 240). These persons perceive all the skill domains to be required for effective professional practice and to be relatively teachable. Excepting basic professional-technical skill areas, these persons are less sure that such competencies should be used as criteria for selection and evaluation of students and certain the skill areas are not presently used in this manner. The existence of this paradox bodes ill for efforts to establish affective curricular goals. |
