An Alternative to Formal Certification for Improving the Quality of Experiential Learning

摘要

Byrne et al. (2014) make a compelling case for enhancing the education and training of industrial–organizational (I–O) psychology students as a means of making them more competitive in today's changing employment marketplace. This commentary addresses their recommendation that "SIOP urge I–O programs to require certified internships for practice-aimed students." Enhanced training has the potential to elevate the profession and strengthen the I–O brand; however, requiring certification is not only infeasible, it will very likely have several negative unintended consequences. This commentary explores the potential pitfalls of certification and offers an alternative approach to improving the quality of internships. I leave to others with more experience the topic of certifying postdocs, but many of these comments could potentially apply to these programs as well.