A Mixed Methods Approach to Mentoring Relationship Development

The purpose of the proposed dissertation is to investigate mentoring relationship formation with an eye towards informing mentor training. Taking a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation seeks first to establish the potential usefulness of a framework for mentor training, the Five Mentoring Competencies (5MCs), in promoting relationship growth and overcoming challenges. Then, this dissertation examines common patterns of relationship development over time and their relationships to mentee outcomes. Finally, these two ideas are integrated in a final study designed to determine how different relationship development patterns are linked to use relationship processes, including challenges and competency use.