Impact of faculty and work role models on the professional socialization of dental hygienists.

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the degree of influence dental hygiene role models in education and practice have on the professional socialization of recent dental hygiene graduates. Professional socialization was measured by two constructs: attitudes toward professionalism and interpersonal values. This study compared responses on attitudes and values scales of 1985 dental hygiene graduates who indicated they did or did not identify with a dental hygiene role model in school and at work. A comparison of responses on five other control variables also was assessed in relation to attitudes and values. Results showed that those respondents who identified with a role model in school held significantly stronger attitudes on the professional organization as major referent variable. However, graduates who did not identify with a faculty role model held stronger values on independence. Respondents who identified with a dental hygiene role model in practice held stronger values on benevolence but those who did not have a role model at work held stronger values on independence. There were no statistically significant differences between groups with or without a work role model on the attitudes scales.