DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 408 523
CG 027 767
AUTHOR
Kopala, Mary; And Others
TITLE
Dissertation Research in Counseling Psychology: Topics,
Methods, and Qualitative Training.
PUB DATE [96]
NOTE
15p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Psychological Association (104th, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
August 9-13, 1996).
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Reports
Research (143)
Speeches/Meeting Papers (150)
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DESCRIPTORS
*Counseling Psychology; *Counselor Training; *Doctoral
Dissertations; Graduate Students; Higher Education;
Professional Education; *Qualitative Research; Research
Design; *Research Methodology; Research Tools; Social
Science Research
ABSTRACT
Findings from a survey that examined the vast scope of
research training in counseling psychology programs and topical areas that
are addressed in dissertation research are presented in this paper. The
questionnaire included both open- and closed-ended questions and were
completed by 166 recent graduates of doctoral programs in counseling
psychology. Results indicate that correlational, survey, and experimental
methods were frequently used. The use of qualitative methods in counseling
psychology training seemed to be growing in popularity, although training in
qualitative methods remains uneven, with 62% of respondents reporting that
qualitative methods were covered in their training program. Findings also
indicate that the profession of counseling psychology is shifting away from
its roots in career counseling and developmental needs of individuals and is
embracing other areas. This has given rise to an increasingly diverse range
of topics of research, including specific populations, psychopathology,
career issues, professional issues, instrument development, outcome studies,
counseling process, and ethical issues.
(RJM)
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Dissertation Research in Counseling Psychology:
oo
°ter
Topics, Methods, and Qualitative Training
Mary Kopala
Hunter College, City University of New York
Lisa Suzuki
New York University
Leo Goldman
New York, New York
Lisa Galdi
Fordham University
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Abstract
A national survey of counseling psychology graduates examined the research methods
and topics addressed in dissertation research. Results indicate that the most
frequently used research method was correlational (45%), followed by survey methods
(31%). Sixty-two percent of the respondents reported that qualitative methods were
covered in their training program. Doctoral students are investigating a diverse range
of topics including specific populations, psychopathology, career issues, professional
issues, instrument development, outcome studies, counseling process, and ethical
issues.
3
3
Dissertation Research in Counseling Psychology:
Topics, Methods, and Qualitative Training
The field of counseling psychology represents one of the most diverse
disciplines addressing the study of human behavior. From its roots in vocational
counseling and its emphasis on developmental issues, the field has expanded to
include health counseling and multicultural counseling, among other areas of study.
With the addition of new areas of counseling, new research questions must be asked
and studies designed to answer them. The types of designs used to answer these
studies must be commensurate with the sophistication of the area of investigation
(Cesari, 1986). Consequently, there is a place for additional ways to answer research
questions other than the traditional methods employed by the science of psychology.
While the areas that make up counseling psychology have expanded, it seems
that there appears to be a blurring of lines between those research questions posed by
counseling psychologists and clinical, experimental, and educational psychologists
(e.g., Keeley, Shemberg, & Zaynor, 1988).
This article highlights findings from a survey that examined the scope of
research training in counseling psychology programs and topical areas addressed in
dissertation research conducted by recent doctoral candidates. The survey provided
information regarding the status of current research training in quantitative and
qualitative research methods in counseling psychology doctoral programs.
4
Method
Survey
A survey of dissertation research methods was developed for this study. The
questionnaire included both open- and close- ended questions. Participants were
requested to provide the title of their dissertation, research methods used, and
information regarding methods included in their research training. Several questions
focused on the recent graduate's experience with qualitative research and the degree
to which these methodologies are incorporated and supported by their respective
faculties and programs.
Participants
A list of recent graduates from doctoral programs in counseling psychology was
obtained from Division 17 of the American Psychological Association. Questionnaires
were sent to 428 graduates of counseling psychology programs from 1991 to 1992,
along with a letter of introduction and a request for participation. Follow-up letters and
questionnaires were sent to nonrespondents. A total of 77 (17%) were returned as
undeliverable (e.g., wrong address, etc.) and a total of 181 useable surveys were
returned, for a return rate of 52%. Of those, 166 or 92% reported their dissertation
titles. Graduates from over 43 counseling psychology programs were represented in
the respondent pool.
Procedure
A qualitative theme analysis of dissertation titles was done to determine topics
researched by counseling psychology graduates. First, all members of the research
5
team independently identified categories represented by the titles. Team members
then met and compared the categories. After discussion, only those categories that all
members agreed upon were considered to be representative of the topical areas or
research themes. Ten thematic categories emerged from the data. Twenty seven titles
gave so little information that it was not possible to identify the topic of the dissertation.
They were placed in a special category designated as "not classifiable." The remaining
titles were then reexamined by the team and categorized according to these themes.
Titles were placed in up to two of these categories. Finally, one member of the team
served as an auditor and reexamined all the titles to ensure that they had been
reasonably categorized.
Qualitative and Quantitative Results
Table 1 presents information regarding the research methods used in
conducting dissertation research. The most frequently used method was correlational
with a total of approximately 45% using this in their dissertation research. This was
followed next by survey methods (31%). Experimental between-groups designs was
next with approximately 30% of respondents indicating this as their primary descriptor
of methodology for their dissertation research.
Sixty-two percent of the respondents indicated that qualitative research methods
were included in their program. Forty-nine percent indicated that qualitative methods
were taught as a part of other research methods courses, while 31% indicated that a
separate course was offered on qualitative methods. Forty-one percent reported that
the qualitative courses were offered by professors in their program. Thirteen percent
6
6
reported that they learned about qualitative methods in courses in other departments.
Approximately 9% of participants reported that students in their program were
not permitted to use qualitative methods in their dissertations, but 44% indicated that
they were encouraged to use qualitative methods in research. Twenty-two percent of
the respondents indicated that there were no faculty who could serve as resources on
qualitative research methods in their program. Thirty-three percent of the respondents
reported that they did not know of any faculty in their respective programs who did
qualitative research.
Asked how they learned qualitative research methods, 24% said by assisting
faculty on qualitative research projects, 11% by assisting faculty in other departments
on such projects, 18% by obtaining consultation from people outside of counseling
psychology, while 15% indicated that they taught themselves the qualitative research
process. Twenty-five percent of the respondents reported that they did not know
anything about qualitative research methods.
Participants were also asked to indicate the status of their dissertations in terms
of eventual publication. Twenty-three percent indicated that they had submitted an
article based upon their dissertation to refereed journals. Sixteen percent indicated
that they had received feedback on their manuscripts from journal editors. Forty-four
percent reported that they planned to submit their dissertation research to a journal in
the future.
An analysis was conducted to examine the topical areas covered by dissertation
research in this pool of recent doctoral graduates. Dissertations could be identified
7
with up to two categories. Table 2 lists the frequencies by topical area and
percentages based upon total number of categorizations. Sixty-six of the studies
focused on specific populations such as women, men, adult children of alcoholics,
college students, veterinarians, athletes, homosexuals, members of religious
communities, nurses, Cuban-Americans, Brazilian immigrants, and others.
It is of
interest that only 10 of the studies dealt with college students. Topics varied in breadth;
some were very broad, such as elderly men and women while others were very
specific, such as dual career gay male couples and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints blended families.
The second largest group (f=28) focused on psychopathology including such
topics as post traumatic stress disorder, somatoform disorder, attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, sexual aggression, eating disorder, childhood depression, and
personality disorders.
Career issues continue to be a focal point of counseling psychology
dissertations; 26 dealt with such aspects as job satisfaction, factors influencing career
choice, and career self-efficacy.
Twenty-three dissertations dealt with professional issues, one-third of which
focused on training or supervision topics. Other topics in this category were
psychologists' anger toward clients, therapists' psychological profiles in reactions to
personal experiences that affect their functioning, adjustment, and decisions to seek
therapy, premature termination form therapy, factors that influence client satisfaction
and preference for counselor, counselors' approaches to hypothesis testing about
8
8
clients, and methods used in psychological research.
Instrument development was the next most frequent category, accounting for 18
studies. In some instances, there was an adaptation of an already existing instrument
to a population or problem other than the one for which the instrument had originally
been developed.
Only 12 studies focused on the outcome or effectiveness of an intervention.
Specific topics included alcoholism treatment, counselor-client relationship as a
treatment factor, and the impact of social skills training on adult males. Family and
couple relationship issues were the topics of 12 dissertations. Ten studies focused on
physical health issues, including disease (e.g., cancer, Alzheimer, AIDS), weight loss
and maintenance, and pain management.
The last two categories, counseling process and ethical issues, each accounted
for 4 dissertations out of the total. The ethics category included studies that focused on
ethical decision making, moral development, and ethical issues encountered in the
supervisory relationship. Counselor process included those studies focusing on
therapeutic interactions and interpersonal process.
Discussion
The current study of counseling psychology graduates found that correlational,
survey,and experimental methods were frequently used. This result is commensurate
with some findings in clinical psychology (Keeley, Shemberg, & Zaynor, 1988); clinical
psychology dissertations primarily employed traditional research methods, with fewer
than 10% utilizing nontraditional methods including survey and qualitative approaches.
9
9
The use of qualitative methods in counseling psychology training may be
growing in popularity (e.g., Kopala & Suzuki, 1995). Of the doctoral students who
responded that qualitative methods were taught, about one-half reported that they were
routinely trained in these methodologies and a little less than one third were given the
opportunity to take a separate course.
Despite the encouraging results of this study, training in qualitative methods
remains uneven with some programs prohibiting the use of qualitative methods and
others encouraging their use but without faculty mentors. Qualitative methodology is
complex and requires extensive training. The usage of qualitative methods without
adequate training could lead to lengthier completion time for dissertations, costly
errors, and may result in the imposition of a quantitative framework on qualitative
questions and research.
The profession continues to be concerned about the lack of research
productivity of counseling psychologists (see Phillips & Russell, 1994). In fact, when
examining the research training practices of APA Counseling Psychology, nonAPA
Counseling Psychology, and Counselor Educational doctoral programs, Galassi, Stoltz,
Brooks, and Trexler (1987) found that only 13.9% of students per each type of
counseling program published research. The present study indicates that 23% had
submitted their research promptly after having completed their doctoral dissertations,
and an additional 44% planned to submit sometime in the future. While it is unknown
how many manuscripts eventually were published, clearly new graduates are
submitting work for review.
10
11
References
Cesari, J. P. (1986). Research training: More questions than answers. The
Counseling Psychologist. 14. 153-157.
Galassi, J. P., Stoltz, R. F., Brooks, L., & Trexler, K. A. (1987). Improving
research training in doctoral counseling programs. Journal of Counseling and
Development. 66. 40-44.
Heppner, P. P., Kivlinghan, Jr., D. M., & Wampold, B. E. (1992). Research
design in counseling. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Keeley, S. M., Shemberg, K. M., & Zaynor, L. (1988). Dissertation research in
clinical psychology: Beyond positivism? Professional Psycholoay Research and
Practice. 19. 216-222.
Kopala, M. & Suzuki, L. A.
,
Cochairs (1995, August). Here's the Beef: A
Showcase of Multicultural Qualitative Studies. Symposia conducted at the annual
meeting of the American Psychological Association, New York, NY.
Phillips, J. C., & Russell, R. K. (1994). Research self-efficacy, the research
training environment, and research productivity among graduate students in counseling
psychology. The Counseling Psychologist. 22. 628-641.
12
Table 1
Percentages of Research Methods Used
Method
Percentage Used
Correlational
46
Survey
31
Experimental between Groups
30
Quasi-Experimental
24
Qualitative Interview
15
Other Research Methods
10
Qualitative Case Study
05
Historical
05
Experimental N=1
02
Qualitative Ethnographic
02
Qualitative Participant Observation
01
Note: Respondents could indicate more than one method to describe their
dissertation methodology.
13
12
13
Table 2
Topics of Dissertations
Topic
OA
Specific Populations
66 29
Psychopathology
28 12
Career Related
26 11
Professional Issues
23 10
Instrument Development
18
08
Outcome Studies/ Treatment 12 05
Effectiveness
Families/Couples 12 05
Physical Health 10 04
Counseling Issues 04 02
Ethics
04
02
Not Classifiable
27 12
Note: Dissertations could be placed in up to two categories, therefore, frequencies
exceed the total number of respondents. Percentages are based upon number of
classifications.
'4
14
Authors' Notes
Mary Kopala, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at Hunter College of the City University of
New York, Educational Foundations and Counseling. Lisa Suzuki, Ph.D. was an
assistant professor at Fordham University at the time the study was conducted and
currently is an assistant professor at New York University, Department of Applied
Psychology. Leo Goldman, Ph.D. was adjunct professor at Hunter College of the City
University of New York, Educational Foundations and Counseling, at the time the study
was conducted and is currently an adjunct professor at New York University,
Departmeht of Applied Psychology. Lisa Galdi is a doctoral student at Fordham
University, Department of Psychological and Educational Services.
15
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