The Development of Professional Role Commitment Among Graduate Students

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Abstract
This paper focuses on one aspect of the socialization process in graduate and professional schools. Specifically, it examines salient aspects of the socialization experience fostering or inhibiting the development of professional role commitment. The study is based on two indices of professional role commitment, a productivity index and a self-concept index. The results suggest that the frequency and nature of contact with faculty members is significantly related to the amount of professional role commitment. Surprisingly, contact with graduate students in one's discipline does not affect a student's level of professional role commitment. The length of time in graduate school, academic discipline, and prestige of the institution do not alter the relationships suggested. Furthermore, the relationships reported remain and some additional findings are suggested when the influence of sex is examined.