Women Gaining Ground in Psychology Careers

by Alex A. Kecskes

According to the National Research Council, in 1970, 20 percent of PhD psychologists were women. In 2005, the last year for which data are available, nearly 72 percent of new PhD and PsyDs entering psychology were women. That same year, graduate enrollment in psychology, including master's degree candidates, were almost 75 percent female.

Part of this growth can be attributed to the rising demand for psychological services and the greater access today's women have in both training and job openings in psychology. Industry observers note a critical need for women psychologists to ensure that the pay and prestige afforded to psychologists continues to rise.

In the 1970s, some women were discouraged from pursuing PhD degrees for fear that they would start a family and abandon the program. Today, women have moved into some positions of power and find it easier to enter graduate programs while raising a family. Yet disparity remains. Women in psychology earn about 9 percent less than men on average and there are still fewer women in psychology subfields.

In institutions of higher learning, roughly a quarter of full professors in graduate psychology departments are women. In 2005, fewer than 38 percent of editors and associate editors of APA journals were women. In addition, of the APA's past 115 presidents, only 11 have been women.

Reasons for this disparity vary. Some industry observers suggest that structures and systems established decades ago still hamper women. That said, efforts are underway at some institutions to accommodate the specific needs of women bound for careers in psychology. In 2005, Princeton University introduced several family-friendly policies and programs for faculty. One policy grants an automatic one-year tenure clock extension for each child to assistant professors who become parents by birth or adoption.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that psychologists, regardless of gender, meet clients' needs. And that clients have the option of choosing the gender of psychologist they feel best meets their personal needs.

For an additional perspective, check out this video:

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