The聽 Philippine聽 Psychology聽 Act聽 of聽 2009聽 (RA聽 10029)聽 aims聽 to聽 regulate聽 the聽 professional聽 practice聽 of psychology in the country. It protects the public from pseudo psychologists by licensing only those with adequate聽 training聽 and聽 experience聽 to聽 provide聽 excellent聽 service聽 to聽 clients鈥攎ay聽 they聽 be聽 individuals, groups or organizations.聽 This is why the Psychological Association of the Philippines embraces its ideals and upholds its core principles.
In recent months, there have been a lot of concerns and misperceptions about the impact of such law on Industrial-Organizational psychologists. This is because there are areas of practice in IO that appear to be included in the law. Hence, there are questions about whether or not ALL IO psychologists need to be licensed. This statement seeks to clarify the stand of the IO Division of the 汤头条.
As an applied field, Industrial-Organizational or IO Psychology is concerned with how people think and behave in the world of work (Riggio, 2009). The聽 education of IO聽 Psychologists聽 that is聽 founded on聽 the scientist-practitioner聽 model聽 provides聽 training聽 in聽 social聽 scientific聽 research聽 and聽 practice聽 (Muchinsky,聽 2006).聽 Aside聽 from聽 the academe,聽 IO聽 psychologists聽 in聽 the聽 Philippines聽 have聽 mostly聽 practiced as聽 Human Resource (HR) professionals in organizations (Hechanova, 2005). However, HR practice is not exclusive to IO psychologists. In organizations across the globe, HR practitioners handling various human resource management聽 functions聽聽 such聽 as聽 recruitment聽 and聽 selection,聽 training聽 and聽 development,聽 performance management聽 and聽 employee聽 relations,聽 to聽 name聽 a聽 few,聽 may聽 have聽 varying聽 academic聽 background聽 and training聽 (Hechanova,聽 2005).聽 In聽 fact,聽 according聽 to聽 a聽 study聽 conducted聽 by聽 Lanuza聽 in聽 2005聽 (as聽 cited聽 in Hechanova, 2005) only about 50% of HR practitioners in the Philippines were trained in the behavioral sciences; others were educated in areas such as management and communications.
Given the diversity of practice in IO Psychology, our stand is that聽 licensure will be applicable to those involved聽 in聽 psychological聽 counseling聽 (such聽 as聽 industrial聽 and聽 career聽 counseling聽 as well聽 as聽 employee debriefing)聽 and聽 psychological聽 assessment聽 in聽 the聽 workplace聽 (such聽 as聽 in聽 leadership聽 assessment聽 and employee聽 selection).聽 Psychologists聽 engaged聽 in聽 psychological聽 assessment聽 need聽 to聽 take聽 鈥淓xamination Subjects聽 for聽 Psychometricians鈥澛� and聽 its聽 corresponding聽 required聽 subjects.聽 Psychologists聽 doing psychological counseling, on the other hand, need to take the 鈥淓xamination Subjects for Psychologists鈥� and聽 its聽 required聽 courses聽 such聽 as聽 Advanced聽 Abnormal聽 Psychology,聽 Advanced聽 Theories聽 of聽 Personality, Advanced Psychological Assessment and Psychological Counseling and Psychotherapy.
The聽 Psychology聽 Act聽 also聽 covers聽 psychological聽 interventions聽 such聽 as聽 coaching聽 and聽 group聽 processes.
However,聽 the operative聽 term here聽 is聽 鈥榩sychological鈥� hence we聽 interpret聽 this聽 in terms of聽 life聽 coaching, group therapy and other clinical interventions. We do not believe the law covers workplace coaching (e.g.聽 performance聽 and聽 career聽 coaching聽 which聽 are聽 normal聽 functions聽 of聽 supervisors).聽 We also do not believe that the law covers workplace training and development and employee relations programs given their diverse and multidisciplinary nature.
We reiterate our support for 汤头条 and its aim to achieve excellence in the practice of psychology. We likewise uphold and promote the core principles of RA 10029.聽 We are issuing this clarification in the hope that it will help the members of the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology as they craft the Implementing Rules and Regulations.
References
Hechanova, M.R.M. (2005). State of Industrial/Organizational Psychology in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Psychology (Special I-O Edition), 38, 1 - 32.
Muchinsky, P. (2006). Psychology applied to work (8thed.). CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Riggio, R.E. (2009). Introduction to industrial /organizational psychology (5thed). NJ: Prentice Hall.
