Lifelong learning and the structure of professionals' thinking, on the example of case conceptualisation
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
ISSN: 1755-6228
Article publication date: 29 April 2020
Issue publication date: 12 May 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the elements of psychotherapists’ informal education and features of concept maps reflecting the properties of thinking structure.
Design/methodology/approach
To study the structure of professional thinking, a complex diagnostic task (computer-aided conceptual mapping task) was used. The diagnostic task consisted of categorising the client’s statements, presenting relations between the categories and concept maps accounting for problems reported by the client and contributing factors and links between them.
Findings
The obtained results showed that self-education, through participation in scientific conferences and attending training courses, was significantly associated with the number of perceived causal relationships between categories and the number of perceived reciprocal links between conceptual categories.
Originality/value
This research show factors which may contribute to more reliable case conceptualisation in psychotherapy. The method used to measure integrative complexity was original.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The research presented here was done by authors as part of the project funded by the National Science Centre in Poland granted according to decision UMO-2013/11/B/HS6/01567.
Citation
Słysz, A., Haładziński, P. and Kaczmarek, P. (2020), "Lifelong learning and the structure of professionals' thinking, on the example of case conceptualisation", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 181-190. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-12-2019-0066
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited