Journal of Career Assessment

This study provides evidence concerning the construct validity of the Task-Specific Self-Efficacy Scale (TSOSS) and the Skills Confidence Inventory (SCI), both measures of self-efficacy with respect to basic domains of vocational behavior. Relationships between similarly named scales, that is, TSOSS-Verbal/interpersonal with SCI-Social, TSOSS-Quantitative with SCI-Investigative, TSOSS- Physical with SCI-Realistic, and TSOSS-Aesthetic with SCI-Artistic, were high, ranging from r = .50 to .80. Negligible relationships of self- efficacy to measured ability and significant relationships of self- efficacy with respect to Verbal/interpersonal and Social dimensions to career indecision were also reported and discussed.

Career exploration and career decision-making self-efficacy differences between urban and suburban high school students were investigated. The relationship of career exploration to career decision-making self-efficacy was also explored. The findings suggested that urban students scored significantly higher on career exploration than their suburban counterparts. Additional findings revealed an interaction between ethnicity and setting such that minority urban students reported the greatest amount of confidence in their career decision-making skills. Findings also indicated that beliefs about exploratory behavior were a significant predictor of career decision-making self-efficacy.

This study examined evidence of concurrent criterion validity of the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS) for predicting college majors compared to that for the Strong Interest Inventory (SII). The sample consisted of 62 females and 66 males who were enrolled in an introductory psychology class at a large midwestern university. Data included each student's profile of scores on the interest and skill components of the CISS Occupational Scales and on the SII Occupational Scales, and information regarding her or his chosen major. Students' college majors were matched with Occupational Scales on the CISS and SII profiles, and hit rates were calculated to determine the accuracy of the scores for identifying college majors. Excellent and moderately good matches were found between chosen majors and the interest component of the CISS Occupational Scales for 69.3% of the women and 75.8% of the men. In addition, the results of this study indicated that the interest component of the CISS Occupational Scales and the SII Occupational Scales had comparable levels of concurrent prediction. However, the skill component of the CISS had lower levels of concurrent prediction than did the interest component for college major selection.

This study investigated the relationship between Holland's typology and the Five-Factor Model of personality. Raters coded the adjective descriptors of Holland's six personality types according to their perceived reference to the dimensions of the Five-Factor Model: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience. Ratings were tallied to provide an index of each adjective's "loading" on each of the Big Five. The loadings for the descriptive adjectives were aggregated within each of the Holland types to yield a quantitative index of each type's relationship to each of the Big Five. The relationships between the Holland types and the dimensions of the Five-Factor Model that had been predicted from the adjective rating task were then compared with actual correlations obtained between Big Five marker scales and operational measures of Holland's typology. Results supported a pattern of empirical relationships between interest and personality scales that was consistent with Holland's qualitative description of his typology.

Classes of community college students completed the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), both instruments, or neither instrument. Contrary to previous findings that different vocational treatments produce similar effects, 12 weeks after test interpretation participants who had completed both instruments showed a pattern of more change in career goal, specificity of career goal, or level of certainty with reference to career goal in analyses of (a) the total sample (N = 427), (b) males only (n = 120), (c) females only (n = 307), (d) traditional age students only (n = 337), and (e) reentry students only (n = 90). The MBTI was rated to be as helpful as the SII in career decision making. Significant gender and age effects were found. Results support theoretical models relating understanding of one's personality with effective career development, and the joint use of the SII and MBTI in vocational counseling.

The concept of the lost pleasure of life is explored from both psychological and forensic perspectives. An instrument (Lost Pleasure of Life Scale) useful for assessing such loss in individual cases involving physical injury is discussed. The use of Havighurst's developmental model is suggested as a way to conceptualize the future impact of disabilities, and particular attention is given to the expected sequelae of sustained unemployment. Vocational rehabilitation is important not only from an economic point of view but also as a way to reverse some of the loss of pleasure of life. Finally, a history of the development and current status of the concept is presented along with discussion of the merits of expert psychological testimony in cases claiming hedonic loss.