Students often underestimate their skills - a critical analysis!

Students often underestimate their skills - a critical analysis!

On May 28, 2025, the University of Mannheim will publish a groundbreaking study on the self-assessment of therapeutic skills among prospective psychotherapists. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Georg W. Alpers examined how master's students in clinical psychology and psychotherapy assess their skills during a conversation management internship. The results of the study, which are published in the journal “Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Medical Psychology”, show striking differences between self-assessments and those of others.

To demonstrate therapeutic skills, 39 master's students conducted anamnesis interviews with trained simulation patients. The students assessed their own skills using the Cognitive Therapy Scale and compared them with the assessments of an expert. The analysis revealed a low level of agreement between self-assessments and external assessments (ICC=0.25), indicating systematic biases in self-perception. Students with above-average ability tend to underestimate their abilities, while around a third of less able participants overestimate their skills.

The role of self-efficacy

A central aspect of the study is the examination of therapeutic self-efficacy. Studies show that students with a higher sense of self-efficacy rate their skills more positively, regardless of their actual performance. The connection between self-efficacy and self-evaluation could play an important role in improving one's assessment of psychotherapeutic skills. The results indicate that self-assessment depends heavily on person-specific factors and is less influenced by the difficulty of the respective conversation situation. This is in line with the discussion that self-reflection is essential in clinical psychology training, but can also be susceptible to distortions, as the study shows.

Additionally, recommendations were made to correct these biases. Implementing an acting patient program could help to give students the opportunity to practice and reflect on difficult conversation situations. The initiative is also supported by a new program from the Ministry of Science as part of the “Successful Study in Baden-Württemberg Fund”.

Conclusions and outlook

The study highlights the need for targeted feedback and training for aspiring psychotherapists. In order to promote an accurate self-image, master's students should be trained in reflecting on their psychotherapeutic skills. Previous research findings show that self-assessments are often inaccurate and a targeted examination of one's own abilities is therefore necessary. In view of the results, training in psychotherapeutic practice will crucially depend on how well students can realistically assess their own competencies.

Those interested can contact Prof. Dr. Georg W. Alpers (Tel: +49 621 181-2106, Email: alpers@mail-uni-mannheim.de ) or Yvonne Kaul (Tel: +49 621 181-1266, Email: kaul@mail-uni-mannheim.de ) provide more information.

For more information about the research, read the article below PubMed, and the full publication can be found in the specialist journal “Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Medical Psychology” Thieme.

These results are relevant not only for the training of prospective therapists, but also raise fundamental questions about the quality of psychotherapeutic care.