Christianity versus Humanism: The Influence of Values on the Nonclinical Professional Decisions of Veterans Administration Psychologists

Abstract

The literature concerning personal values and professional practice is briefly reviewed. This project explored the relationship of values to nonclinical professional decisions in a nationwide survey of doctoral level psychologists. Respondents were sent a set of three vignettes (a Veterans Administration inservice summary, a state society presentation summary, and a publication abstract) and were asked to rate their approval of the vignette activities. The two sets were alike, except that one included statements inserted to reflect Christian values and the other included statements reflecting Humanist values. Humanist vignettes received significantly greater approval for all questions for all vignettes than did Christian vignettes. Overall, the publication abstract was rated as most approved and the inservice as least approved. Differential response patterns were much more apparent in the Christian vignettes and among several self-labeled groups. Methodological issues, the separation of church and state issue, the slippery slope hypothesis, as well as several specific professional implications are discussed. A structural pluralism is encouraged to avoid the apparent nontheistic basis in the nonclinical, professional decisions of psychologists.