On Hope and Possibility: Does Continuing Professional Development Contribute to Ongoing Professional Competence?

What kinds of professional development activities do psychologists participate in and to what extent do these activities contribute to ongoing professional competence? A conceptual framework for understanding the diverse array of continuing professional development (CPD) activities is followed by a review of the outcomes associated with these activities and a survey of 1,606 licensed psychologists concerning their CPD participation and perceptions. Results indicated that respondents participated in a diverse range of CPD activities, marked by considerable variation in both the extent and the nature of those activities. CPD activities such as self-directed learning, peer consultation, and formal continuing education were perceived as contributing highly to ongoing professional competence, while serving on professional boards, conducting client assessments, and taking graduate courses were perceived as contributing relatively little. These and other findings are interpreted in relation to the continuing competency movement within professional psychology, leading to some provisional recommendations, and further challenges, for the field of professional psychology.