Developmental Trajectories During Doctoral Study: Identifying Heterogeneity in Psychosocial Factor’s Development

Paula Clasing-Manquian, Heeyun Kim, Nabih Haddad, John Gonzalez

Key Findings

We identify six distinct developmental trajectories of PhD students based on their perceptions of their autonomy, competence, relatedness, knowledge, and recognition over their first two years of study. Students’ experiences are heterogeneous, with some maintaining stable trajectories while others experience declines in their psychosocial factors. Sociodemographic characteristics, family income, and anticipatory socialization experiences (e.g., prior research involvement) were found to influence trajectories. Students with stronger and more stable psychosocial factors develop a stronger disciplinary identity and exhibit lower intentions to quit.