Optimism, hope, and coping during practicum: predicting changes in perceived clinical competence

ABSTRACT

We examined the degree that optimism and hope predicted coping and perceived competence in counselling psychology practicum students. Masters students from a Northern California university (N = 74) completed surveys at four points during practicum year: (T1) baseline, (T2) one month, (T3) mid-year, and (T4) final month. Measures assessed dispositional optimism and hope, adaptive and maladaptive coping, and perceived clinical competence. Over time, self-reported competence increased. There was a T1 optimism X time Interaction predicting perceived competence, but no T1 hope X time interaction. This interaction continued to be significant when covarying adaptive and maladaptive coping and appeared driven by the fact that low-optimism trainees initially had worse perceived competence than high-optimism trainees. In the absence of previous counselling experience, there was a relationship between trainees’ levels of optimism and their perceived clinical competence. Specifically, low-optimism students saw themselves as less competent at baseline than high-optimism students, but this perceived competence subsequently increased over time, with both groups seeing themselves as similarly competent by end of year. Past authors theorized that individuals with high levels of positive expectancies initially overestimate their abilities in novel situations. This may explain why high-optimism students rated their competence as relatively great at baseline.

KEYWORDS:

• Optimism
• hope
• competence
• coping
• expectancy
• practicum

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Please note that, for the sake of caution, we also ran all subsequent analyses contained within this paper using the 9-item version of our scale of perceived clinical competence. All analyses yielded virtually identical results to analyses utilizing the 10-item version of the scale.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received for this research.

Notes on contributors

David B. Feldman

David B. Feldman, is professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. His work addresses hope and coping in a variety of contexts, particularly in educational and medical settings. In addition to numerous journal publications, he has authored or co-authored four books, including The Science and Application of Positive Psychology.

Meenakshi Balaraman

Meenakshi Balaraman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. She is a graduate of the M.A. in counseling psychology program at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. She also holds an M.S. in biological sciences (neurobiology) from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Ushta Cawasji

Ushta Cawasji received a bachelor’s degree in psychology, communications and media studies, and English from Christ University, Bangalore, India. She is currently working on her master’s degree in counseling psychology at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. Her research focuses on hope, relationships, and mental health and well-being.

Jean M. Riney-Niewiadomski

Jean M. Riney-Niewiadomski, LCSW, is lecturer and practicum director in the Department of Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. Her area of specialty is children’s mental health. Jean has assisted local and state agencies, including the Board of Commissioners for California Mental Health Services, in designing programs for children and families that are strength-based, needs-driven, culturally inclusive, and outcome-focused.