Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Evidence-based medicine; Psychology students--Attitudes;

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in psychology requires use of clinical judgement to apply the best evidence to each client’s case (APA Presidential Taskforce on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006), but practitioners may not fully engage in EBP given low usage of evidence-based treatments or manuals (Becker et al., 2013; Johnson et al., 2016; Steir, Lasota, & Christensen, 2007). Some practitioners and students misunderstand EBP (Luebbe, Radcliffe, Callands, Green, & Thorn, 2007; Wilson et al., 2009). Cultivating students’ positive attitudes toward EBP during graduate education may increase the likelihood of future engagement in EBP. This study investigated how interactivity of academic programs, program emphasis on practice or research, exposure to EBP, and misunderstanding about EBP might be associated with students’ attitudes toward EBP.

This study also compared students’ attitudes toward EBP based on reported theoretical orientation of themselves and their professors and their degree. Participants identifying their or their professors’ theoretical orientation as CBT/Evidence-based had more favorable attitudes toward EBP than those identifying with another theoretical orientation. Participants who were in a Clinical PhD or PsyD program had more favorable attitudes toward EBP than those in a Counseling PhD or PsyD program. Participants’ more favorable attitude toward EBP was associated with greater interactivity and more emphasis on research in programs, more exposure to EBP, and less misunderstanding about EBP. Promoting students’ favorable attitudes toward EBP through interactive education could improve future psychological practice. Doctoral psychology programs may benefit from evaluating students’ perceptions of program interactivity and comprehensiveness of EBP curriculum to benefit these future psychologists.

Year of Submission

2020

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Psychology

First Advisor

Seth Brown, Chair

Date Original

2020

Object Description

1 PDF file (x, 188 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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