PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATE-STUDENTS AS RESEARCH MENTORS OF UNDERGRADUATES - A NATIONAL SURVEY

A survey of graduate chairpersons in psychology about the prevalence a nd value of mentoring relationships between psychology graduate and un dergraduate students was conducted. Surveys were mailed to 235 chairpe rsons at colleges and universities, with 130 (55%) surveys returned. T he results indicate that formal mentoring programs were rare (6%); how ever, a substantial percentage of respondents (75%) reported that grad uate students interact informally with undergraduates on research proj ects. In addition, respondents estimated that a large percentage of ps ychology graduate students (49%) and faculty members (66%) would favor interactions in which graduate students serve as mentors to undergrad uate students. Finally, possible advantages and disadvantages of such interactions are presented. Over-all, respondents endorsed significant ly more advantages than disadvantages associated with this type of men toring relationship for both graduate (48% vs 35%) and undergraduate s tudents (54% vs 19%).