Graduate Student Self-Efficacy during the Psychology Practicum Experience

There has been limited attention as to whether effective clinical supervisors help to build self-efficacy in clinical trainees by focusing on positive instances of their behavior during practicum. Trainees\u27 may enter practicum with lower self-efficacy regarding their skills and having a supervisor that provides an experience that was positive would be expected to lead to higher self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine whether a relationship existed between self-efficacy and graduate students\u27 experience in practicum training as measured by the role conflict subscale of the role conflict and role ambiguity inventory); working alliance inventory-supervisee; supervision evaluation questionnaire; and self-efficacy inventory. The study drew on Bandura\u27s social cognitive theory to understand self-efficacy and make predictions about it based the working alliance, role conflict, and role ambiguity from the perspective of the trainee. It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between graduate students\u27 self-efficacy and supervision during practicum. Data collection included survey responses from 64 doctoral-level trainee in clinical psychology programs recruited through Facebook and Survey Monkey. Results from the quantitative, correlation study revealed a significant positive correlation between role ambiguity and self-efficacy. The remaining research questions did not yield significant results. Future recommendations include larger sample sizes and perhaps mixed methods approach to the research. The positive social change implications of this research indicated that when building positive relationships with trainees the more likely they would experience higher self-efficacy