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The scientist-practitioner model is founded on the ideology that trained professional psychologists should be knowledgeable in both research and clinical practice. Emphasis should be placed on the successful integration of science and practice, where the relationship between the two variables is carefully considered. Education and training in either research or practice alone, or concurrently without integration, is viewed as not fulfilling the requirements of this model. Furthermore, there are three vital assumptions of the scientist-practitioner model. The first assumption is that professionals with knowledge and skills related to research will facilitate effective psychological services. The second assumption identified research as imperative to the development of a scientific database. Last, the creators of the scientist-practitioner model assumed that direct involvement in clinical practice by researchers will result in studies on important social issues. Each assumption incorporates the integration of science and practice.
Keywords: scientist; practitioner; foundations; assumptions
The scientist-practitioner model was developed within the realm of American clinical psychology. The term scientist-practitioner refers to a training model that was outlined in 1949 at the Conference on Graduate Education in Psychology that took place in Boulder, Colorado (Benjamin & Baker, 2000; Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology, 1947; O'Sullivan & Quevillon, 1992; Raimy, 1950). The creation of the scientist-practitioner model (sometimes referred to as the "Boulder model") was a response to the realization that research training should be incorporated into practical training and applications when preparing and educating future psychologists. The scientist-practitioner training model in psychology is an innovative approach that incorporates science and practice, whereby "each must continually inform the other" (Belar & Perry, 1992, p. 72). The purpose of this article is to outline the goals, foundations, and assumptions of the scientist-practitioner model.
Goals of the Scientist-Practitioner Model
Architects of the scientist-practitioner model were clear in their vision for training professional psychologists; they felt psychological education should be viewed as dynamic and experimental rather than fixed and prescribed (Baker, 2000). Therefore, the core goal of the scientist-practitioner model is to train psychologists who are capable of applying psychological knowledge to their work with patients as well as possessing the ability to move the field forward and generate fresh knowledge in the form of new empirical findings, new theories, or new treatment programs. A psychologist...