THE MUTUAL EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES IN THE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP ON PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT.
Item
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Title
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THE MUTUAL EFFECTS OF IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES IN THE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP ON PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT.
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Identifier
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AAI8508720
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identifier
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8508720
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Creator
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MOSS, DANIEL ADLEY.
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Contributor
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Laurence J. Gould
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Date
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1985
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical
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Abstract
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The concept of identification in the psychoanalytic literature is reviewed with particular attention to the contexts in which identification--the process of becoming like another person with whom one has a meaningful relationship--may enhance or inhibit identity formation. The empirical studies of the relationship between these two variables are also summarized.;The role that identification plays in the development of a professional identity of therapists in training is described. Identification processes with supervisors may facilitate learning the techniques and values of psychotherapy. Also, to the extent that they are undiscriminating, identifications may support a defensive avoidance of delineating a separate, professional identity. And there are those whose sense of identity is so tenuous that they feel compelled to resist identification, sacrificing opportunities for learning and change.;An empirical study was conducted, surveying 171 psychotherapists and psychoanalysts in training about their experience with one current supervisor. Hypotheses were supported concerning: (1) the positive relationship between a trainee's tendency to selectively identify with a supervisor and the presence of a more advanced professional identity; and (2) the negative relationship between a supervisee's tendency to resist identification and his or her achievement of a professional identity.;Where idenification with the supervisor was essentially imitative, there was no apparent association with professional identity development. The sense of adequacy in the clinical role is shown to affect these issues. Other factors, including the role of gender, are examined.;This study points to the importance of distinguishing two types of positive identification, imitative and selective. It is the quality rather than the quantity of identification processes that matters when considering the mutual effects of identification on professional identity development. Whether a supervisee is open to the influence of the supervisor, and how he or she is open, depends partly on the level of professional identity achieved. The implications for professional training and for personal development, particularly in the psychotherapy situation, are indicated.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
