Demographic and Interpersonal Predictors of Motivation, Well-being, and Achievement in Doctoral Education

Doctoral education is crucial for developing scholars who advance the economic, scientific, technological, and social progress of society. Yet, attaining a doctoral degree can be challenging. Many Ph.D. students consider leaving, and historically, nearly half of North American doctoral students ultimately drop out. Given the importance of doctoral education and high attrition rates, it is crucial to assess factors that support or hinder doctoral students’ progress toward degree completion. In this talk, I present emerging results from a longitudinal field study of factors that predict attrition and retention of Ph.D. students, focusing on demographic differences and similarities and the influence of students’ relationships with their academic advisor.

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