DOCTORAL TRAINING IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING - 1993-1994 SURVEY RESULTS

The purpose of this study was to provide continuing documentation of o pportunities for doctoral training and specialization in. adult develo pment and aging and to compare the results with those of similar studi es conducted previously. True surveys of doctoral programs in. the psy chology of adult development and aging were conducted during the 1993- 1994 academic year. The first was sent to 444 programs in the United S tates and Canada, and the second was sent to 145 clinical psychology p rograms in the same locations. Results from the first survey indicate a slight decline in the number of responding programs that offer speci alization. in adult development and aging. Most programs offering such specialization are located within developmental psychology programs i n. general psychology and human development-family studies departments . A downward trend appeared in the number of specialization programs o ffering teaching assistantships specifically related to adult developm ent and aging (from 50% to 38%), whereas an. upward trend occurred in the percentage of specialization programs offering practicums or inter nships (from 52% to 67%). Results from the second survey indicate that 8% of responding clinical psychology programs offer specialization in clinical geropsychology. Finally, program specializations in. relatio n to the ''Standards and Guidelines for Gerontology Programs'' of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education were analyzed. The nee d for accelerated growth in doctoral programs offering specialization in adult development and aging and clinical geropsychology is discusse d.