This document summarizes a study that examined whether occupational therapists' attitudes toward professionalism vary by generational cohort. The study administered a professionalism questionnaire to occupational therapists from four generations: Silent, Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial. Results found that Millennials had lower scores than other cohorts in several areas related to duty, honor, and integrity. While all cohorts recognized the importance of appropriate client relationships, cohorts scored lower on providing and receiving feedback. The study concludes with recommendations to increase emphasis on professionalism, self-reflection, and feedback across generations in occupational therapy education and practice.

1. Lisa Burns
2015AOTA
Education Summit
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2.  Interest in topic
 Literature
 Worries about millennials
 Lack of information
 Problem
 Millennials’ attitudes may contradict
expectations of professionalism in healthcare
nyu.edu

3.  Do therapists’ attitudes toward
professionalism vary by
generation?
 DV: Attitudes toward
professionalism, PSCOM
Professionalism Questionnaire
(Blackall et al., 2007)
 IV: Generational cohort, Howe &
Strauss (2000) taxonomy
outnowwhat.com

4.  Millennial: 1983-2000
 Gen X: 1961-1982
 Boomer: 1943-1960
 Silent: 1925-1942
 Professionalism: commitment to patient’s
interest, emphasizing altruism, accountability,
excellence, honor, integrity, respect for others.
yourfoundation.org

5.  Mannheim (1952): cohorts develop
common identity when they
experience unique, sociologically
significant events.
people.com

6.  Silent: “greatest”;WWII soldiers; great
depression, polio epidemic; patriotic,
75% of US financial assets.
 Boomer: competitive, work=self-
worth;Vietnam, JFK & MLK
assassination; optimistic.
 Gen X: latch-key kids, independent,
Jonestown, Challenger, Iran hostage
crisis; apathetic, disengaged.
history.com

7.  Formative events: terrorism & 9-11,
Columbine, Iraq
 Helicopter parents
 Self-esteem movement
 Individualism
whizzingwords.com

8.  Technology
 Gaming, instant gratification
 Constant connection
 Poor communicators
 Workplace habits
 Next ‘greatest generation’ vs.
‘generation whine’

9.  OccupationalTherapists
 Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM)
Professionalism Questionnaire (Blackall et al., 2007)
 36 items, 7 elements of professionalism
 Rate extent to which item contributes to
professionalism
▪ “Avoids offensive speech that offers unkind comments
and unfair criticisms to others”
▪ “Does not seek to advance one’s career at the expense
of another’s”

10.  Covert, post survey; SurveyMonkey
 SPSS 19.0, alpha set a priori at p < .05
 ANOVA grouped using cohort
▪ 36 individual questionnaire items
▪ 7 elements
surveymonkey.com

11.  Millennials: lower scores for 21/36 items.
 Lowest mean score across cohorts:
 Participates in correct action processes toward those
who fail to meet professional standards of conduct
 Takes time to review other colleagues’ work and
provides meaningful and constructive comments to
improve it
 Highest across cohorts:
 Maintains patient or client/therapist relationships that
do not exploit personal financial gain, privacy, or sexual
advantages

12.  11 items with significant variance
across cohorts
 Between boomers and Xers: 3 items
 Between millennials and others: 8
items (scores were significantly less)
 2 elements varied significantly
across cohorts (duty, honor &
integrity)
 Millennials provided lower average
scores for both
123rf.com

13.  OTs recognize some elements of
professionalism
 Appropriate client relationships
 Worrisome
 All cohorts: Low scores: feedback
 Millennials: Low scores, multiple areas
academicmedicineblog.org

14.  Honor & Integrity
 Reports data consistently, accurately and honestly
 Meets commitments and obligations conscientiously
 Assumes personal responsibility for decisions
 Represents information and actions truthfully
 Duty
 Reports errors in service provision
 Shows commitment to confidentiality
 Discloses conflicts of interest

15. • Duty
• Honor & Integrity
AttitudesVary
by Generation
• Recognize Relationships
• Fail to Recognize Feedback
Similarities
Across
Generations
• Continue efforts
• ↑ emphasis in specific areas
Education,
Practice

16.  Low scores across cohorts
 Increase familiarity and
comfort
 Professionalism:
 Self-reflection
 Accurate, multi-source feedback
 Evaluation
forbes.com

17.  Assess students’ provision,
reception of formative feedback
 Provide students with
multi-source feedback
 Incorporate self-assessment and
reflection assignments
 Role modeling
 Managers, supervisors: incorporate
feedback and reflection in employee
evaluation
open.ac.uk

18.  Provide students with specific examples of
professionalism elements
 Include examples of violations
 Use case scenarios across curriculum
 How is professionalism transmitted?

19.  Additional elements of professionalism
 Professionalism in daily practice
 Compare to expectations and core values
aaronwrixon.com

20.  Blackall, G., Melnick, S., Shoop,G., Goerge, J., Lerner, S.,Wilson, P., & Kreher, M. (2007). Professionalism in
medical education:The development and validation of a survey instrument to assess attitudes toward
professionalism. MedicalTeacher, 29(2-3), e58-e62. doi:10.1080/01421590601044984.
 Coleman, J., Shay, D., & Lester, A. (2006). Connecting services to students: New technology and implications for
student affairs. College Student Affairs Journal, 25, 220-227.
 Greenberger, E., Lessard, J., Chen, C., & Farruggia, S. (2008). Self-entitled college students: Contributions of
personality, parenting, and motivational factors. Journal ofYouth Adolescence, 37, 1193-1204. 15(17), 13-16.
 Howe, N. & Strauss,W. (2000). Millennials rising:The next generation. NewYork, NY: Vintage Books.
 Shrank, W. H., Reed,V. A., & Jernstedt, G.C. (2004). Fostering professionalism in medical education. Journal of
General Internal Medicine, 19, 887-892.
 Twenge, J., Konrath, S., Foster, J., Campbell,W., & Bushman, B. (2008). Egos inflating over time:A cross-
temporal meta-analysis of the narcissistic personality inventory. Journal of Personality, 76, 875-901.
 Twenge, J., Zhang, L., & Im, C. (2004). It’s beyond my control: A cross-temporal meta- analysis of increasing
externality in locus of control, 1960-2002. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8, 308-319.

 Please email for complete reference list!
 Lisa Burns PhD, OTR/L
 lburns@mbc.edu
Please do not copy without permission!