The competencies movement: Origins, limitations, and future directions

Background: The “competency movement” has become increasingly prominent

in the education, training and supervision of professional psychologists.

Method: This article reviews the origins of that movement.

Results: With its roots in behaviourism, the WWII aviation industry and the

vocational training sector, the limitations of the approach for application to

professional psychology, where practitioners must demonstrate proficiency in

a wide array of clinical and often “higher-order” skills, are discussed.

Conclusions: Although the competency movement is taking firm hold in an

Australian context, the review of the literature highlights potential difficulties

associated with uncritical acceptance of the approach and discuss directions

for future development. Irrespective of the directions ultimately taken, the

education, training and supervision of professional psychologists must be

based in the availability of psychometrically sound and ecologically valid

competence assessment tools.