Term of Award

Summer 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Nicolette Rickert

Committee Member 1

Cassandra Baldwin

Committee Member 2

Matthew Capriotti

Committee Member 3

Ryan Couillou

Abstract

Clinical psychology remains a predominantly White field, with more than four in five current clinical psychology academics and practitioners being White. Increased racial representation in the field could contribute to more culturally responsive treatment research and practice and improved treatment outcomes. Barriers to increasing racial representation exist across all levels of psychology education and careers. The current study focuses on a potential barrier to pursuing a clinical or counseling psychology doctorate for Black undergraduate psychology majors. Research on social identity theory, perceived identity compatibility theory, and social-cognitive career theory show students’ identities can influence career aspirations, educational experiences, and sense of belonging. Research has focused mostly on gender and medicine or STEM career aspirations, and there is limited research examining clinical psychology career aspirations, particularly for Black students. The current study examined the relation between Black and White students’ intent to pursue a clinical psychology doctorate and their perceptions of racial identity compatibility with clinical psychology and perceptions of the diversity in the field. This study recruited 569 undergraduate psychology and related majors to complete an anonymous online survey of intent to pursue doctoral study in clinical or counseling psychology, perceived racial identity compatibility with clinical psychology, perceived clinical psychology diversity, and demographics. Only 333 participants’ data was analyzed after removing inattentive responses and participants who did not identify as Black or White. Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant racial differences in intent to pursue, perceived racial identity compatibility, and perceptions of diversity in the field. Black students reported higher levels of intent to pursue a doctoral degree and White students reported higher scores on perceived racial identity compatibility and diversity in the field. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a statistically significant interaction between perceived clinical psychology diversity and race, such that Black students reported higher levels of intent to pursue when they perceived diversity as low and White students reported higher levels of intent to pursue when they perceived diversity as high. There were no statistically significant effects of hometown rurality on intent to pursue a doctoral degree.

OCLC Number

1519570103

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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