Assessing the Relationship between Competence and Job Role and Identity among Direct Service Counseling Psychologists

The relationship between competence and identity and job roles/activities of direct service counseling psychologists was investigated by assessing differences in job role and identity among two groups of eminent psychologists (American Board of Professional Psychology [ABPP] diplomates and a peer-nominated Exemplary group) and a group of general psychologists (Rank and File). The three groups ( N = 189) were compared using the Counseling Psychology Task Inventory (CPTI)—a 73-item instrument measuring eight broad work areas (Counseling, Research, Supervision and Training, Teaching and Training, Administration, Consultation, Writing and Editing, and Professional Development) across three dependent variables: task importance, relevance to professional identity, and relative amount of time spent in each task. The Exemplary group differed significantly from the Rank and File group only in the amount of time spent in Professional Development ( p < .0 1). No significant differences were found between the two eminent groups or the ABPP and Rank and File groups. Follow-up analyses led to two additional conclusions. First, when divided into groups by percent of time spent in Counseling in seven of eight work areas, significant differences were noted. For each of the 20 significant comparisons (p < .01), an inverse relationship was noted between the mean values within work areas and percentage of time spent in Counseling. That is, those who spent relatively more time in Counseling yielded lower task importance, relevance to professional identity, and time on task scores for the areas of Research, Supervision and Training, Teaching and Training, Administration, Consultation, Writing and Editing, and Professional Development. Second, when mean values were rank ordered, a consistent pattern of three work areas was prioritized by respondents to comprise a nucleus of tasks consistent with the “life span development” ethos of counseling psychology. These work areas were Supervision and Training, Counseling, and Professional Development.