Psychology students’ beliefs about the nature of their future work

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate psychology students’ beliefs about the nature of their future work, how these beliefs change at different stages of their University education, as well as to identify the relationship between those beliefs and the acquired knowledge regarding their future work. It was found that upper year students attach a greater importance to knowledge, skills and abilities (i. e. the cognitive component of the image of work) that are required to successfully master their profession and are more deeply aware of their vocation (i. e. the axiological component of the image of work). First-year students believe that the key aspect of their future work is communication and interaction with people in the professional setting (i. e. the communicative component of the image of work). The image of future work activities combines a number of semantic aspects: “Communicative Creativity in Psychological Work,” “Emotional and Volitional Self-Regulation in Psychological Work” and “Skills and Abilities Facilitating Professional Self-Realisation in Psychological Work”; these aspects differ depending on the year of study. Students of all years of study generally attach the same importance to emotional and volitional regulation and view their future work as emotionally stressful. Fourth-year students studying Psychology at the Human Psychology Department see the “Communicative Creativity in Psychological Work” as the most important aspect of psychological work. Fifth-year students studying Workplace Psychology at the Psychology of Work-Related Activities Department and Clinical Psychology at the Clinical Psychology and Psychological Aid Department assign primary importance to the “Skills and Abilities Facilitating Professional Self-Realisation in Psychological Work” aspect. The research has demonstrated that upper-year students have a better understanding of their future profession. However, there were no differences in the extent of knowledge that students of different years of study have in regards to the work conditions of, professional requirements of or barriers to working as a psychologist. Another area there no notable differences were identified was the volume of professional vocabulary, which might indicate a poor level of professional vocabulary attainment in upper-year students. Only one aspect of the image of work demonstrated significant correlation with student’s knowledge about their future work, namely the “Skills and Abilities Facilitating Professional Self-Realisation in Psychological Work.”