PhDs, PsyDs, and Real-World Constraints on Scholarly Activity: Another Look at the Boulder Model

We report the results of a random sample survey of the scholarly activities of PhD and PsyD-trained clinical psychologists. Like past researchers, we found that practicing clinicians produce few publications, although they are active in research in many other ways and are active consumers of research. The best predictors of scholarly activity are measures of the resources and incentives available in the worksite for engaging in such activities, but a positive attitude toward research was also a good predictor. In general, PhDs report more scholarly involvement than do PsyDs. But this difference diminishes in settings where fewer resources and incentives are available, to the point at which no differences in scholarly activity exist between PhDs and PsyDs in private practice or in settings where no paid hours are allowed to be devoted to research.