Overview

At the end of the 1950s psychology became a university career in this country. Previously, from the beginning of the twentieth century, psychological studies were offered mostly in philosophy schools; psychiatrists, neurologists and educators were responsible for most of the research and teaching. At present, ten state universities award the professional psychologist degree: Buenos Aires, Comahue, Córdoba, La Plata, La Rioja, Mar del Plata, Rosario, San Luis and Tucumán, Autonoma de Entre Rios. Until quite recently, psychology in Argentina was strongly influenced by psychoanalysis. Only in the 1980s have other theoretical trends been incorporated in some of the university curricula and in professional practice. Clinical and educational psychology predominated for a long time. Nowadays psychologists have entered new areas, such as general hospitals, research laboratories, government, and business organizations. There are approximately 136 psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants of Argentina (or 733 inhabitants per psychologist), representing 4.10% of the country's population. Eighty-five percent of Argentine psychologists are women.

Research

Psychological research in Argentina has developed along with those theoretical approaches admitting a strong experimental support; as a result, psychological research has had a late beginning. Only recently, psychologists of almost every theoretical orientation are carrying out research in a systematic way. Most representative are cognitive and integrative theories. At present, the fields where research actions are directed, to some extent, to solve problems are personality, community, psychopedagogic, educational, forensic, and work psychology.

Education

Training in psychology is provided both in state and private universities. In 2005, there were 37 psychology programs at state (10) and private (30) universities throughout the country, with a total enrollment of 14,986 students. The total number of psychologists graduated from Argentine universities through 2006 is 65,016, althouh it is estimated that only 53,686 are active. The professional degree is Licenciado en Psicología or Psicólogo (approximately equivalent to the Master title in the United States). At present, some of the state universities offer higher levels of academic training such as Specialty, Magister and Ph.D. The Ph.D. degree is only offered by the universities of San Luis, Córdoba and Buenos Aires.

Regulation

There are some government special regulations for the training of professional psychologists, regarding only their graduated profile and the number of years of training. These regulations apply to all psychologists.

In Argentina every association of psychologists has a code of ethics that are very similar to each other and to the codes of ethics of the rest of the world.

Publications

Acta Psiquiátrica y Psicológica de América Latina, 1954- , 4/year
Cuadernos Argentinos de Historia de la Psicología, 1995- , 2/year
Interdisciplinaria, 1980- , 2/year
Psicodiagnosticar, 1990- , 1/year
Revista de la Asociación de Rorschach y otras Técnicas Proyectivas, 1959- , 2/year
Revista del Instituto Rosario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Educación, 1980- , 2/year
Revista de Psicología Clínica, 1992- , 3/year
Investigaciones en Psicología. Revista del Instituto de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Psicología, Universidad De Buenos Aires, 1996- , 3/year

Updated December 2008