The Professionalization of Psychology in Europe

Abstract

Over the past 100 years psychology has become increasingly professionalized. Emerging from a scientific discipline at the beginning of the century, it has rapidly became a professional field with psychologists working in health, education, and organizational settings as practitioners. A number of measures of this increased professionalization are discussed: increased length of education and training, greater specialization and specialist training, pressures for regulation and laws for psychologists, the development of ethical codes, and a greater institutionalization of psychology. Professional organizations for psychologists play a key role in the professionalization of the discipline. However, the path followed is the traditional path of the traditional professions, and questions are raised about the appropriateness of this for the next century.