Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Psychology undergraduates gain various knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) from their curriculum as outlined in the American Psychological Association’s (2023) “Guidelines For the Undergraduate Psychology Major”, but what is preventing them from understanding and expressing these KSAs to employers? These KSAs acquired in the psychology curriculum are some of the most sought-after characteristics employers are looking for in candidates (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2016). This study will help illuminate the paradox of how psychology is one of the most popular fields of study among undergraduate students while yielding one of the highest underemployment rates in the country by exploring the potential disconnect between the perceived and actual competencies undergraduate psychology students gain over their college career. Methods To identify the specific areas in which this disconnect potentially occurs, this study will seek input from undergraduate psychology majors at Appalachian State University regarding their perceptions of career readiness. To collect this information, a self-administered online questionnaire employing Qualtrics will be utilized. The questionnaire will be designed to clarify the potential gap between a student’s perceived KSAs and the KSAs they actually obtain from their undergraduate curriculum. The main focus of the questions will be to identify students’ perceived KSAs followed by supplemental questions focused on measuring potential contributing factors such as students’ awareness of career development opportunities, awareness of careers in psychology outside of graduate school, and students’ commitment to their prospective career path. Expected Results & Implications The findings of this research will serve as a valuable resource for addressing and narrowing the perceived-versus-actual skills gap prevalent among psychology undergraduates. Once this gap is understood, psychology undergraduate students will be able to better understand and communicate their actual KSAs leading to more accurate marketability of skills and therefore more professionally fulfilling employment opportunities. These findings will also help employers to better understand the capabilities of psychology undergraduates. Additionally, universities and their professors can use these findings to curate their curriculums to better prepare psychology majors for the workforce.
Subject
Industrial and organizational psychology
Document Type
posters
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Included in
Perceived vs. Actual: Bridging the gap in the understanding of psychology majors’ skills
Abstract Introduction Psychology undergraduates gain various knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) from their curriculum as outlined in the American Psychological Association’s (2023) “Guidelines For the Undergraduate Psychology Major”, but what is preventing them from understanding and expressing these KSAs to employers? These KSAs acquired in the psychology curriculum are some of the most sought-after characteristics employers are looking for in candidates (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2016). This study will help illuminate the paradox of how psychology is one of the most popular fields of study among undergraduate students while yielding one of the highest underemployment rates in the country by exploring the potential disconnect between the perceived and actual competencies undergraduate psychology students gain over their college career. Methods To identify the specific areas in which this disconnect potentially occurs, this study will seek input from undergraduate psychology majors at Appalachian State University regarding their perceptions of career readiness. To collect this information, a self-administered online questionnaire employing Qualtrics will be utilized. The questionnaire will be designed to clarify the potential gap between a student’s perceived KSAs and the KSAs they actually obtain from their undergraduate curriculum. The main focus of the questions will be to identify students’ perceived KSAs followed by supplemental questions focused on measuring potential contributing factors such as students’ awareness of career development opportunities, awareness of careers in psychology outside of graduate school, and students’ commitment to their prospective career path. Expected Results & Implications The findings of this research will serve as a valuable resource for addressing and narrowing the perceived-versus-actual skills gap prevalent among psychology undergraduates. Once this gap is understood, psychology undergraduate students will be able to better understand and communicate their actual KSAs leading to more accurate marketability of skills and therefore more professionally fulfilling employment opportunities. These findings will also help employers to better understand the capabilities of psychology undergraduates. Additionally, universities and their professors can use these findings to curate their curriculums to better prepare psychology majors for the workforce.
Department
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Psychology