How unpopular are we? Reassessing psychologists' public image with different measures of favourability

Abstract

Psychologists in Australia have tended to survey their public image with specific questions, such as how useful psychologists are, or how willing people are to consult them. While responses to these questions have generally implied an unfavourable public impression of psychologists, research in the United States has shown that psychologists are perceived less favourably on direct measures of favourability (e.g., specific questions), than on indirect indicators (e.g., overall favourability ratings). To reassess the public perception of psychologists in Australia, a representative sample of 178 adults from South Australian metropolitan and rural areas was surveyed, with respondents required to appraise psychologists on both indirect and direct measures of favourability. As hypothesised, the public impression of psychologists was more favourable on the indirect measure. Regression analyses were also performed to identify the personal and attitudinal variables associated with responses on the measures of favourability. Findings are presented and discussed, together with implications for the future promotion of Australian psychology.