What is it about?
We found that Latino students did not present research at a psychology conference at the same rate as non-Latino students from the same universities. We make the argument that research activity among students is essential for continuing on to graduate school in psychology, so an underrepresentation of a group of students on this one metric could lead to a leaky pipeline in which Latino are also underrepresented as professors and practitioners in psychology.
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Why is it important?
Being a psychologist, either as a researcher or a practitioner (e.g., therapist, counselor), requires doing a Masters or Doctoral degree. Admittance into competitive graduate programs typically requires research experience. Our research indicates that Latino students are not getting these experiences at the same rate as non-Latino students which could be a reason that Latino students are underrepresented as professors and practitioners.
Perspectives
This research shows that departments need to be mindful of who is engaging in research at their institutions. Standardizing research assistant recruitment, using course-based research opportunities, tracking the career goals of the student body, and educating students about career tracks into social work or related fields, can help close underrepresentation gaps in psychology.
Scott Frankowski
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The underrepresentation of Latinx students in the professional dissemination of psychology research., Journal of Latinx Psychology, June 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/lat0000230.
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