CLINICAL-PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF AN ACADEMIC CLIMATE FOR CARING

There is a general consensus that caring is an important personal attr ibute of helping professionals. One way for educational institutions t o develop a caring attitude in students is to provide an academic clim ate for caring. A total of 45 doctoral students in a clinical psycholo gy program were asked to list specific faculty-student and student-stu dent interactions which they believed reflected a caring attitude towa rds others. Components of this student-perceived climate for caring in clude mutual respect and support, personal interest, and informal soci alization.