Presentation Title
Location
Fenn Tower Ballroom
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Start Date
4-12-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
4-12-2014 4:20 PM
Abstract
We sought to the test the robustness of a past meta-analysis (Spengler et al., 2009) covering literature from 1970 to 1996 finding a small effect of d = .12 for the relation between clinical and educational experience and the accuracy of clinical decisions and judgments. Culling more recent literature from 1997 to 2010 assessing the decision made by 6,685 clinicians we found nearly the same reliable effect of d = .16 (CI = .05 to .26). These combined findings suggest that counseling and other psychologists do not improve much in their decision-making regardless of more education or clinical experience. Ridley (2009) called these earlier findings "sobering" and challenged the field of counseling psychology to act. Implications for clinical judgment research, training and practice are addressed.
Experience in Clincal Judgment: Do we get Better or Worse?
Fenn Tower Ballroom
We sought to the test the robustness of a past meta-analysis (Spengler et al., 2009) covering literature from 1970 to 1996 finding a small effect of d = .12 for the relation between clinical and educational experience and the accuracy of clinical decisions and judgments. Culling more recent literature from 1997 to 2010 assessing the decision made by 6,685 clinicians we found nearly the same reliable effect of d = .16 (CI = .05 to .26). These combined findings suggest that counseling and other psychologists do not improve much in their decision-making regardless of more education or clinical experience. Ridley (2009) called these earlier findings "sobering" and challenged the field of counseling psychology to act. Implications for clinical judgment research, training and practice are addressed.
