Doctoral Students' Disciplinary Identity Development: The Role of Motivation and Stress

• In Event: Hearing Their Voices: Learning From Graduate Students

Abstract

Doctoral education is often understood as a socialization process that leads to the development of a disciplinary identity that allows students to become independent scholars in their fields. In this paper, we examine potential gaps within socialization frameworks that neglect to account for the role of motivation and well-being in the development of disciplinary identity. We propose and test a conceptual model that incorporates concepts from self-determination theory (SDT) as additional components of the socialization framework. Using a unique longitudinal survey of doctoral student experiences, our preliminary results suggest that disciplinary identity development is influenced directly and indirectly (through stress) by the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs proposed by SDT. It is also directly influenced by stress.

Authors

• Paula Clasing-Manquian, P. Universidad Catolica de Chile
  Presenting Author

• Heeyun Kim, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author

• John Gonzalez, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author