Do Continuing Education Mandates Matter? An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between CE Regulations and Disciplinary Actions

Do CE mandates reduce professional misconduct? A nationwide study compared the disciplinary action rates of 92,478 psychologists in jurisdictions that were operating under (a) general CE mandates, (b) specific ethics mandates, and (c) no CE mandates. Results indicated that, although CE mandates were clearly being enforced, neither the presence of mandates nor the number of CE credits that were mandated were associated with disciplinary action rates. Possible interpretations and qualifications of these findings are discussed, and directions for future research are outlined in support of the field's continuing movements in relation to professional competence and accountability.