This study examined the relative roles of status variables and social cognitive variables in explaining dissertation completion status in doctoral level Counselor Education programs. The specific status variables investigated were emotional support, financial security, structural demands, satisfaction with the dissertation, and time limit related to doctoral dissertation completion. Social cognitive variables included self-efficacy, locus of control, and self-handicapping. The sample (N =243) was comprised of 111 doctoral dissertation completers and 132 doctoral dissertation non-completers from CACREP accredited Counselor Education programs nationwide. The data were collected through a web-based survey.
The status variables of emotional support, financial security, structural demands, satisfaction with the dissertation, and time limit accounted for 35% of the variance in time to degree (TTD) completion. Specifically, lower levels of emotional support, financial concerns, feeling overwhelmed with the structural demands (e.g., literature review, data collection, etc.) involved in completing a dissertation, and feeling dissatisfied with the dissertation were related to delays in dissertation completion or increasing the TTD completion.
When the research variables of self-efficacy, locus of control, and self-handicapping were examined to ascertain their role above and beyond the status variables, self-efficacy and locus of control accounted for statistically significant variance in explaining TTD completion (7%). As expected, higher levels of self-efficacy and internal locus of control were related to a decrease in TTD completion. Conversely, lower levels of self-efficacy and external locus of control were related to an increase in TTD completion.
Furthermore, results of this study indicated that there were statistically significant differences between dissertation completers and dissertation non-completers on self-efficacy and self-handicapping, but not locus of control. Results indicated that completers possessed higher levels of self-efficacy and lower levels of self-handicapping, whereas non-completers possessed lower levels of self-efficacy and higher levels of self-handicapping. Recommendations for future research and practice are also provided.