Influence of career indecision on treatments exploring the vocational interests of college women.

180 undergraduate women at 1 of 3 levels of career indecision were randomly assigned to Vocational Card Sort treatment, Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory treatment, or no-treatment control. Outcome measures assessed vocational needs, vocational exploration, and satisfaction with career choice. The percentage of women who were employed in the expressed vocational choices chosen by the Ss was examined, and 2 methods of analyzing changes in the expressed choices were used. Results indicate some modest treatment effects. There was clearer support for the importance of career indecision in relation to the impact of the vocational interventions. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of career indecision to changes in expressed vocational interests.

Examined the stability or changes in the expressed vocational interests of 98 undergraduate women over a 2-yr period. Interests were measured by the Vocational Preference Inventory and 2 career indecision scales, and changes were measured by questionnaire. Ss were divided into 3 groups: stable (69 Ss), changed (13 Ss), and undecided (16 Ss). Results show significant differences between groups on GPAs and on the vocational measures. Results further show that career indecision predicted changes in expressed vocational interests. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy in the prediction of academic performance and perceived career options.

Explored the relation of self-efficacy beliefs to educational–vocational choice and performance by assessing the extent to which efficacy beliefs, in concert with other relevant variables, predicted academic grades, persistence, and perceived career options in 105 undergraduates considering science and engineering fields. Ss participated in a career planning course on science and engineering fields. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that self-efficacy contributed significant unique variance to the prediction of grades, persistence, and range of perceived career options in technical/scientific fields. The 2 self-efficacy scales used were moderately intercorrelated but differentially related to previous academic performance; neither scale was significantly related to general self-esteem or career indecision. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological separation, attachment security, vocational self-concept crystallization, and career indecision: A structural equation analysis.

Structural equation modeling was used to test theoretically based models in which psychological separation and attachment security variables were related to career indecision and those relations were mediated through vocational self-concept crystallization. In contrast to previous studies, which have found either weak or no support for a relation between separation or attachment security variables and career indecision, results based on a sample of 350 college students indicated that some components of separation and attachment security did relate to career indecision in a theoretically supportable direction. Results also revealed that regardless of whether global or component career indecision measures were used, separation and attachment security effects on indecision were at least partially mediated through vocational self-concept crystallization. The strongest mediated relations were observed for the effects of attachment anxiety and maternal separation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Congruence and vocational identity: Outcomes of career counseling with persuasive power.

A study with 84 female and 52 male community-college students with specific occupational choices tested whether congruence between occupational choice and inventoried interests and vocational identity are related to typical career counseling outcomes. Ss completed the Self-Directed Search congruence scale, a vocational identity scale, several scales from the Career Development Inventory, and the IPAT. Ss were categorized as congruent or not congruent and high or low in vocational identity. ANOVA tested whether the Ss differed on estimated career management skill, general and specific career information, decision making, and anxiety. Analyses were not significant for males but showed that females higher in identity estimated higher career maturity. Females high in congruence reported less anxiety, and females high in both congruence and identity had higher career decision-making skills and tended to have more general information. Findings suggest that congruence not accompanied by a sense of vocational identity is a transitional state, whereas high identity without congruence reflects an incomplete evaluation of self in relation to career. Implications for using congruence and vocational identity as outcome measures of counseling are discussed. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expressed vocational choice and vocational indecision.

Equally divided 232 male and female college students into 4 groups based on their responses to the Occupational Alternatives Question. Groups were composed of Ss who had a 1st choice and no alternatives, a 1st choice plus alternatives, no 1st choice but alternatives, and neither a 1st choice nor alternatives. The hypothesis tested was that these groups would differ on dependent variables related to vocational decision making. No significant differences were found on socioeconomic status or on J. L. Holland's constructs of consistency, differentiation, or congruence with career choice. Significant group differences were found on congruence with college major, total number of Vocational Preference Inventory responses, and scales measuring satisfaction with college major and career choice. Significant differences were also found on 2 recent scales measuring vocational indecision; the Vocational Decision Making Difficulty Scale and the Career Decision Scale. Significant sex differences indicate that females were more congruent and satisfied with their college majors. Implications of the results for future research and vocational counseling are examined. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career development status as a predictor of career intervention outcomes.

Relates career status measures (the Career Decision Scale, the Vocational Identity Scale, and the Career Maturity Inventory), goals for participating in career intervention, and ego strength (Barron Ego-Strength Scale) to 6 outcomes of the administration of the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Outcomes include satisfaction with the SDS, satisfaction with posttest career choice, congruence of expressed and measured interests, and 3 self-reported behavioral indices. 48 male and 64 female undergraduates served as Ss. Stepwise regressions indicated that outcomes for males could not be predicted as effectively as those for females. The Career Decision Scale, the Vocational Identity Scale, and ratings on the goal of obtaining training information were the best predictors. Most change occurred for females high on vocational identity; most satisfaction with the SDS and job choice was attained by those low in indecision on the Career Decision Scale. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative impact of the SCII and the Vocational Card Sort on career salience and career exploration of women.

The effects of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII), the Vocational Card Sort (VCS), and an exercise designed to make respondents aware of myths and realities of women in the world of work, the Auxiliary Informative Material (AIM), were examined in relation to (a) number and type of career options considered, (b) frequency and variety of information-seeking behaviors, (c) career salience, and (d) satisfaction with the career exloration experience. 120 female dormitory residents were randomly assigned to a control group and 4 treatment groups: (a) VCS only, (b) AIM and VCS, (c) SCII only, and (d) AIM and SCII. Analyses of variance indicated some differences in the impact of the SCII and the VCS on the dependent variables; the VCS was more effective than the SCII in broadening career options and in increasing the frequency with which Ss read occupational information. Although the AIM had no significant impact on broadening the career options or on stimulating information-seeking behaviors, it increased the career salience of women. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of the Occupational Choice Strategy on the career development of rehabilitation clients.

Examination of the impact of an occupational choice strategy (OCS) on the career development of clients in a comprehensive rehabilitation center indicates that the 20 participants (aged 17–53 yrs) in OCS scored consistently higher than did the 20 control Ss on career decidedness, vocational identity, vocational self-awareness, vocational knowledge, and readiness for vocational planning. OCS Ss were also more likely than controls to persist in their rehabilitation programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping as a moderator of the relation between anxiety and career decision making.

Examined relations among trait anxiety, coping types, career decision making, and state anxiety related to career decision making with 248 undergraduates. Trait and state anxiety were measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; career decidedness or indecision was measured by the Vocational Decision Scale. Coping types (support-seeking behavior [Type I], self-efficacy behavior [Type II], reactive behavior [Type III], and symptom-altering and/or avoidant behavior [Type IV]) were determined by an adaptation of a coping scale developed by M. Van Sell et al (1980). Results indicate that trait anxiety and low sense of personal efficacy (i.e., not using Type II coping) were the primary predictors of career undecidedness. Three discriminant function analyses revealed that Ss who experienced high trait anxiety and did not use Type II coping were likely to experience high state anxiety and were not likely to make a career decision. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of trait anxiety to career decisiveness.

Administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a career decisiveness and satisfaction questionnaire to 829 undergraduates. Ss who were completely undecided about a career had significantly higher Trait Anxiety scores than Ss who were definitely decided about a career. There were no significant differences in Trait Anxiety between those who had tentatively decided on a career and those who were definitely decided. Anxiety increased as the level of satisfaction with career decision decreased. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting career indecision: A self-determination theory perspective.

The purpose of this study was to propose and test a model of career indecision based on self-determination theory (E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan, 1985). This model posits that peer and parental styles predicted career indecision through perceived self-efficacy and autonomy. Participants were 834 college students (236 men, 581 women, 17 without gender identification). Results from structural equation modeling provided support for the proposed model and showed that the model was invariant across gender. Discussion centers on the theoretical and practical implications of the results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and career decision-making styles.

Reports 3 studies with 116 undergraduates, 717 high school students, and 116 undergraduates, respectively, testing the hypothesis of greater reliance on the "intuitive style" by females and on the "planning" style by males in making career decisions. Ss in Study 1 took the Vocational Rating Scale and the Assessment of Career Decision-Making. Ss in Study 2 took the Career Decision Making Questionnaire (CDMQ) which included the 2 measures in the 1st study. Ss in Study 3 took the CDMQ and the Work Values Inventory. There were no sex differences in the high school and college Ss for stage or style of decision making, vocational self-concept crystallization, or self-rated vocational decisiveness. The planning style was most highly associated with vocational decisiveness, the "choice" stage of choosing an occupation, and with stronger "super" work values, particularly management, security, and prestige. Differential career counseling for the sexes does not appear indicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A causal model of the career orientation and career choice of adolescent women.

Expanded on R. E. Fassinger's (see record 1990-21225-001) model of career choice in college women by testing 2 causal models of career choice and orientation with high school women. Ss were 409 adolescent women enrolled in their last year of high school in an all-female private liberal arts high school in a large Midwestern city. Structural equation modeling analyses suggested that the career orientation and career choice of adolescent women were predicted by ability, agentic characteristics, gender role attitudes, and relationship with mother. Young women who possessed liberal gender role attitudes, were instrumental and efficacious with regard to math and careers, and exhibited moderate degrees of attachment and independence from their mothers tended to value their career pursuits. Adolescent women who selected nontraditional and prestigious careers showed high ability and strong agentic characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring a three-dimensional construct of career indecision among college students: A revision of the Vocational Decision Scale: The Career Decision Profile.

This article describes a revision of the Vocational Decision Scale called the Career Decision Profile (CDP). The CDP was administered to 221 undergraduates. The results support the reliability and validity of the Decidedness and Comfort scales and the four scales of the Reasons dimension: Self-Clarity, Knowledge About Occupations and Training, Decisiveness, and Career Choice Importance. Analyses indicated that: career decided students need career planning assistance; trait anxiety is more strongly associated with how students feel about their career decision status than how decided they are; the vocational decision status model provides a clearer picture of career indecision than current unitary approaches; and the CDP shows promise for differentiating among groups of students for treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vocational interests and career indecision among psychosis-prone college students

This study investigated the relationship between scores on scales that purport to measure psychosis-proneness and scores on vocational interests, identity, and differentiation scales in a sample of 233 college students who completed the Perceptual Aberration and Magical Ideation scales, the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory, and the Career Decision Scale. The present findings are consistent with prior work indicating a sex-related association of scores on measures of psychosis-proneness and vocational interests. A positive correlation between scores on vocational indecision and measures of psychosis-proneness was also found, suggesting that both men and women who score high on psychosis-proneness find it difficult to formulate long-term career goals. Finally, there was no significant correlation between scores on measures of psychosis-proneness and Holland's Vocational Differentiation Index. Present results are discussed in light of previously reported sex differences among psychosis-prone adults and diagnosed schizophrenics. The implications of the findings for vocational counselors are also addressed.     

Enhancing a sense of agency through career planning.

Tested the effectiveness of a program for parents to help their adolescent sons and daughters develop a greater sense of agency regarding a career. In a pretest–posttest control group design involving 39 families in the experimental group and 25 families in a wait-listed control group, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with repeated measures was used to test improvement on 6 variables concerned with career and a sense of agency. The MANOVA yielded a significant effect for groups over time. ANOVA with repeated measures showed that 4 of 6 univariate tests were also significant. Through career planning with a parent, adolescents in Grade 12 showed a greater career certainty, less indecision, more career salience, and stronger ego identity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career indecision types for rural adolescents from disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged backgrounds.

A cluster-analytic technique classified a group of 189 adolescents from rural areas according to career indecision type as measured by the Career Decision Scale. The resulting 3-cluster solution described types of career indecision experienced by adolescents in the early exploration stage. These clusters span a continuum that includes tentatively decided-crystallizing preferences, transitional indecision, and chronic indecision-impaired development. These types reflect the types and intensity of vocational tasks and situations typically encountered by individuals in early adolescence. Three demographic factors (gender, race, economic status) had no significant main or interaction effects on representation across these 3 indecision types. Results were interpreted on the basis of past studies on indecision types and career development theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of gender, construct type, occupational information, and career relevance on vocational differentiation.

A study was designed to replicate and extend previous research on 1 aspect of vocational structure, vocational differentiation (VOD). Results of a 2 (gender)?×?2 (occupational information)?×?2 (construct type)?×?3 (career relevance) between-Ss study revealed 2 sets of noteworthy findings. First, results replicated previous findings concerning the impact of each of these factors on levels of VOD. Higher levels of VOD were found in men than were found in women and were related to the use of personal constructs when Ss judged highly irrelevant career alternatives. Second, these effects were qualified by interaction between construct type (personal and provided) and career relevance (high, mixed, and low). Personally elicited constructs were used with greater differentiation than were standard provided ones only when participants evaluated highly relevant career alternatives. This effect challenges long-standing assumptions regarding differences between personal and provided vocational constructs, and the implications of this are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)