Internal and External Barriers,Cognitive Style,and the Career Development Variables of Focus and Indecision

Abstract

One hundred and thirty final year high school students were administered scales tapping optimism/pessimism, self-esteem, external career barriers, career decision-making self-efficacy, career focus and career indecision. It was hypothesised, first, that cognitive style (optimism/pessimism) would predict both internal (self-esteem) and external career-related barriers, second, that internal barriers would interact with external barriers and impact on career decision-making self-efficacy, and third, the previously mentioned variables would subsequently predict career focus and career indecision. Results demonstrated that cognitive style was influential in determining the perception of internal barriers (for females and males) and external barriers (females only). Internal and external barriers, along with optimistic/pessimistic cognitive style, were found to predict career decision-making self-efficacy (in males, but not in females). There was no evidence that internal and external barriers interacted to predict career decision-making self-efficacy. Last, it was found that career decision-making self-efficacy, internal and external barriers, and optimistic/ pessimistic cognitive style were able to predict career focus (males and females) and career indecision (males only). Results are discussed in the context of Carver and Scheier's (1981) control theory.

Keywords

career barriers career decision-making self-efficacy career focus career indecision optimism self-esteem.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anderson, D.S. , & Vervoorn, A.E. (1983). Access to privilege: Patterns of participation in Australian post-secondary education. Canberra, Australia : Australian National University Press.

Betz, N.E. , Klein, K.L. , & Taylor, K.M. (1996a). Career Decision-making Self-Efficacy: Short Form . Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, Department of Psychology.

Betz, N.E. , Klein, K.L. , & Taylor, K.M. (1996b). Evaluation of a short form of the Career Decision-making Self-Efficacy Scale. Journal of Career Assessment, 4, 47-57. Blascovich, J. , & Tomaka, J. (1991). Measures of self-esteem . In J. P. Robinson , P. R. Shaver, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes. Vol. 1. London: Academic Press, 115-160.

Carver, C.S. , & Scheier, M.F. (1981). Attention and self-regulation: A control-theory approach to human behavior. New York: Springer-Verlag.

Creed, P.A. , Patton, W. , & Bartrum, D. (2002). Multidimensional properties of the LOT-R: Effects of optimism and pessimism on career and wellbeing related variables in adolescents . Journal of Career Assessment, 10, 42-61.

Crites, J.O. (1969). Vocational psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Farmer, H.S. (1976). What inhibits achievement and career motivation in women? The Counseling Psychologist, 6, 12-14.

Gottfredson, L.S. (1981). Circumscription and compromise: A developmental theory of occupational aspirations [Monograph]. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28, 545-579.

Harmon, L.W. (1977). Career counseling for women. In E. Rawlings & D. Carter (Eds.). Psychotherapy for women (pp. 308-316). Springfield, IL: Thomas.

10.

Hartman, B. , Fuqua, D. , & Hartman, P. (1983). The construct validity of the Career Decision Scale administered to high school students. Vocational Guidance Quarterly, 31, 250-258.

11.

Howell, F.M. , Frese, W. , & Sollie, C.R. (1997). Ginzberg's theory of occupational choice: A reanalysis of increasing realism. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 11, 332-346. Lazarus, R. (1991). Emotions and Adaptation . New York: Plenum Press .

12.

Lokan, J. (1984). Manual of the Career Development Inventory-Australian Ed. Melb.: ACER.

13.

Luzzo, D.A. (1993). Ethnic differences in college students' perceptions of barriers in career development. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 21, 227-236.

14.

Luzzo, D.A. (1995). Gender differences in college students' career maturity and perceived barriers in career development. Journal of Counseling and Development, 73, 319-322.

15.

Luzzo, D.A. (1996). Exploring the relationship between the perception of occupational barriers and career development. Journal of Career Development, 22, 239-248.

16.

Luzzo, D.A. , & Jenkins-Smith, A. (1998). Development and initial validation of the Assessment of Attributions for Career Decision-Making. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 52, 224-245.

17.

McWhirter, E.H. (1997). Perceived barriers to education and career: Ethnic and gender differences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 50, 124-140.

18.

O'Leary, V.E. (1974). Some attitudinal barriers to occupational aspirations in women. Psychological Bulletin, 81, 809-826.

19.

Osipow, S. (1987). Career Decision Scale Manual. Odessa, FL: Psych. Assess. Resources Inc.

20.

Patton, W. , Bartrum, D. , & Creed, P.A. (In Press). Gender differences for optimism, self-esteem, career expectations and career goals in predicting career planning and exploration behaviours in adolescents. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance.

21.

Patton, W. & Creed, P.A. (2001). Developmental issues in career maturity and career decision status. The Career Development Quarterly, 49, 336-351.

22.

Patton, W. , Creed, P.A. , & Watson, M. (2003). Perceived work related and non-work related barriers in the career development of Australian and South African adolescents. Australian Journal of Psychology, 55, 74-82.

23.

Petrone, M.M. (2000). Measuring competence for career decision making. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 61(6-B): 3308.

24.

Pinkney, J.W. , & Bozik, C.M. (1994). Career Development Inventory: A review. In J. Kapes , M. Mastie , & E. Whitfield (Eds.), A counselor's guide to career assessment instruments (3rd Edition, pp. 263-267). Alexandria, VA: National Career Development Association.

25.

Powell, D.F. , & Luzzo, D.A. (1998). Evaluating factors associated with the career maturity of high school students. The Career Development Quarterly , 47, 145-158.

26.

Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press .

27.

Scheier, M.F. , & Carver, C.S. (1993). On the power of positive thinking: The benefits of being optimistic. Current Directions in Psychological Science , 2, 26-30.

28.

Scheier, M.F. , Carver, C.S. , & Bridges, M.W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 67(6), 1063-1078.

29.

Swanson, J.L. , Daniels, K.K. , & Tokar, D.M. (1996). Assessing perceptions of career-related barriers: The Career Barriers Inventory. Journal of Career Assessment , 4, 219-244.

30.

Swanson, J.L. , & Tokar, D.M. (1991a). College students' perceptions of barriers to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 38, 92-106.

31.

Swanson, J.L. , & Tokar, D.M. (1991b). Development and initial validation of the Career Barriers Inventory. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 39, 344-361.