Understanding Psychological Contract Breach in Clinical Psychology Internships: A Thematic Analysis

Aims: The supervisor-supervisee relationship, especially in the context of clinical supervision of postgraduate interns, brings complexity to the gatekeeping functions of the clinical supervisor. In Industrial and Organizational Psychology, supervisor-supervisee relationships and exchange have been investigated through the lens of psychological contract (PC) and psychological contract breach (PCB), which are concepts associated with the formation of workplace expectations and those instances when expectations go unmet and lead to frustration. To date, there are no qualitative studies that specifically investigate clinical psychology interns’ experiences of psychological contract formation (PCF), psychological contract (PC), and psychological contract breach (PCB). More so, there is a perceived inadequacy in clinical supervision research in the field of clinical psychology and counseling psychology in the Philippines. There is a gap in determining to what extent are the expectations of clinical psychology interns being met by their clinical supervisors during internships. This qualitative research investigated the meaning Filipino postgraduate clinical psychology interns ascribed to their experiences of PC and PCB. Specifically, it answers the research questions: 1) how a psychological contract is formed and, 2) how a psychological contract breach occurs.

Study Design: A Qualitative Design was primarily chosen given that research on PC and PCB often investigated these phenomena using quantitative approaches. In addition, a qualitative design makes it possible for the clinical psychology interns to fully describe and clarify experiences related to PCF, PC, and PCB.

Methodology: Specifically, in-depth Interviews were carried out with 6 research participants (2 females and 4 males with age range from 24-52 years old) from different parts of the Philippines. 3 participants are from Metro Manila, and the other 3 are based in Davao.

Data Analysis: Theoretical Thematic Analysis was carried out wherein the themes and categories used for the coding were theorized based on the literature on PCF, PC, and PCB.

Results and Conclusion: This qualitative research found that psychological contract formation evolves over time depending on the interplay of between obligations and expectations. Experiences of psychological contract breach are based on perceived inadequate training, inadequate supervision, neglecting responsibilities, and not ideal internship set-up. The study highlights how clinical supervisors are expected to provide more adequate training, mentoring, and coaching instead of just passing on their and an organization’s workload to the interns. Obligations and expectations checks in clinical supervision should be approached as a reiterative process.