Triarchic Model of Grit Dimensions as Predictors of Career Outcomes

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of applying positive psychological theories in the context of career development (Hull et al., 2020; Vela et al., 2015, 2019). However, limited research has been carried out on how specific positive personality traits might contribute to optimal career functioning. We addressed this gap by exploring the link of a triarchic model of grit dimensions (i.e., perseverance of effort, consistency of interests, and adaptability to situations) to career maturity, career decision-making self-efficacy, and career goal setting among Hong Kong Chinese secondary school students. Perseverance of effort positively predicted career goal setting and career decision-making self-efficacy. Consistency positively predicted career goal setting and career maturity. Adaptability to situations positively predicted career maturity, career decision-making self-efficacy, and career goal setting. Results point to the importance of designing school-based grit interventions to facilitate optimal career-related functioning.     

Career Development and School Success in Adolescents: The Role of Career Interventions

Using longitudinal survey data, the present study examined the effect of participation on career development skills in 6 career education experiences and school success among South Korean adolescents (2,473 young men, 2,132 young women; mean age = 15.86 years). Regression analyses indicated that students who participated in career education programs in school once or twice over a 2‐year period had the highest scores in both career development skills and school success. In contrast, there was no relationship between career education, career development skills, and school success for students who participated in career education programs only once or not at all. Results support the influence of career education interventions on students' career development skills and school success. This study provides accountability information on the effectiveness of career education interventions at South Korean secondary schools. The authors offer suggestions about more effective career interventions that can be applied in South Korean high schools.     

Medcamp's Effect on Junior High School Students' Medical Career Self-Efficacy

Medcamp, a 3-day problem-based career intervention for students entering the 9th grade, implemented each of the 4 antecedents for self-efficacy. Ten boys and 35 girls participated in Medcamp; of these, 35 completed and returned the Medical Career Self-Efficacy Scales (developed by the authors for their study) both at the beginning and at the end of the program. Three scales measured specific self-efficacy (tasks students had performed during Medcamp), related self-efficacy (other tasks students would complete by the second year of medical school), and general self-efficacy (included lifestyle variables and study habits). Results demonstrated significant increases in self-efficacy on all 3 scales.     

Using Sand Tray to Facilitate College Students' Career Decision‐Making: A Qualitative Inquiry

Career decision‐making can be a challenging and stressful process for college students, and career counselors can be instrumental in helping college students to ease this process. Sand tray, an expressive, play therapy technique, offers career counselors a potentially useful method in this regard. The authors examine the use of sand tray to promote the career decision‐making process. Four undergraduate college students engaged in a sand tray intervention designed to promote career decision‐making. In the final session, students participated in an interview and had the opportunity to review and reflect on their sand tray photographs. Results of a phenomenological‐based analysis revealed 5 themes: (a) initial skepticism, (b) helpfulness, (c) awareness, (d) self‐expression, and (e) continued work. Career counselors may use this unique, creative approach to help clients who are stuck in the career decision‐making process. Future research may include examining the use of sand tray with other interventions, as well as examining intervention effectiveness on career outcome variables.     

From Adaptivity to Adaptation: Examining the Career Construction Model of Adaptation

The author examined a multiple mediation model and a moderation model for the relationships among adaptivity (in terms of future work self and proactivity), career adaptability, adapting responses (in terms of career decision self-efficacy [CDSE] and career engagement), and adaptation (in the form of academic satisfaction) among 282 university students. Results showed that career adaptability, CDSE, and career engagement fully mediated the relations of future work self and proactivity with academic satisfaction. Career adaptability also had a mediation role in the relationships of future work self and proactivity with CDSE and career engagement. The relationship between career adaptability and academic satisfaction was fully mediated by CDSE and career engagement. Career adaptability did not moderate the relationships between adaptivity indices and adapting indices. These results support the serial multiple mediation model, which is introduced in the adaptation model. Career education and career coaching could improve clients' agency through working on their self-regulation resources, self-efficacy beliefs, and overt career behaviors.     

Motivational Profiles and Career Decision Making of High School Students

Based on self‐determination theory, this study sought to identify distinct motivational profiles in a sample of high school students (N = 396, mean age = 17.02 years) using a person‐centered approach. Three motivational clusters of students emerged: self‐determined students, non‐self‐determined students, and externally regulated students. Differences between and among these profiles across career exploration and career indecision levels were analyzed. Overall, self‐determination theory appears to offer a conceptual framework for organizing career interventions. The fact that motivational profiles can distinguish students among career exploration and career indecision levels leads the authors to reaffirm the importance of differential career intervention practices. Future research should examine the stability of motivational profiles, their predictive power over career exploration and career decision making, and the differences between highly motivated students regarding the career decision‐making process.     

Cultural Dimensions of Career Decision‐Making Difficulties

This study investigated cultural dimensions of career decision‐making difficulties using the Career Decision‐Making Difficulties Questionnaire. Career decision‐making difficulties were compared among White, African, Hispanic, and Asian American high school and university students at U.S. schools. Results indicated Asian American students perceived significantly more difficulties in career decision making than other groups, whereas White American students perceived the fewest difficulties. Asian American students reported more difficulties than White and Hispanic American students before the process and more difficulties than White and African American students during the process. Findings are discussed based on perspectives of cultural differences.     

Perceived Career Barriers and Career Decidedness of First-Generation College Students

We examined the effects of perceived career barriers on career decidedness among first-generation college (FGC) students (n = 149) and non-FGC students (n = 182) at a 4-year university (mean age = 19.3 years). Participants responded online to measures of perceived career barriers and career decidedness. Results indicated that FGC students scored higher on lack of support and lack of time and financial resources than non-FGC students. For both groups, higher levels of perceived lack of skills were related to lower levels of career decidedness, whereas greater levels of family-related responsibilities predicted higher levels of career decidedness. FGC student status moderated the association between perceived lack of time/financial resources and career decidedness. Further research is needed to investigate the differential effects of various domains of career barriers. Career counselors are advised to consider FGC students' perceived career barriers in guiding students' career exploration and decision-making.     

Evaluating Factors Associated With the Career Maturity of High School Students

This study evaluated the career maturity and career decision-making attributional style of high school students in an ethnically diverse, southeastern urban school system. Participants provided information about sex, age, current class standing, ethnic background, type of diploma sought, career goal, and grade point average and completed the Assessment of Attributions for Career Decision Making (Luzzo & Jenkins-Smith, 1998) and the revised Career Maturity Inventory (Crites & Savickas, 1995). Results indicated a significant, positive relationship between career maturity and an optimistic attributional style. Young men perceived more control over their career decision making than did young women. Suggestions for counselors are discussed.     

Comparing Career Development Outcomes Among Undergraduate Students in Cognitive Information Processing Theory–Based Versus Human Relations Courses

The effectiveness of undergraduate career courses has been demonstrated for multiple variables, including career certainty, maturity, decision-making skills, and reduction of dysfunctional career thoughts. Although such studies used the career course as an intervention, most failed to include a comparison course, nor were grounded in career theory. This study used a comparison group of 152 undergraduates enrolled in career development courses and 50 students enrolled in undergraduate human relations courses. Pre- and posttest comparisons indicated that the career course yielded significant improvements in career decision state, cognitive information processing (CIP) skills, career decision-making stage, knowledge of next steps, and anxiety about current career concern, but the human relations course did not. The CIP-based career course is supported as a valid career intervention, and individuals may benefit from targeted interventions depending on their CASVE cycle position. Future research might compare different career theory–based or atheoretical career courses on career development outcomes.     

大学生职业决策自我效能感及与一般自我效能感的关系研究

运用大学生职业决策自我效能感量表和一般自我效能感量表,对重庆6所高校400名学生进行调查.结果发现：大学生的职业决策自我效能感处于中等偏上水平;年级、性别和专业在职业决策自我效能感上存在显著性差异,学校性质在职业决策自我效能感上差异不显著;一般自我效能感与职业决策自我效能感呈显著正相关,且对职业决策自我效能总分及各因子都具有显著的预测作用.     

Evaluating Differences in College Students' Career Decision Making on the Basis of Disability Status

College students with and without disabilities (N = 121) completed measures of career decision-making self-efficacy (N. E. Betz, K. Klein, & K. M. Taylor, 1996) and career decision-making attributional style (D. A. Luzzo & A. Jenkins-Smith, 1998). Students with disabilities reported significantly lower levels of career decision-making self-efficacy and exhibited more of a pessimistic attributional style for career decision making than did their peers without disabilities. Results are discussed in the context of developing effective career counseling interventions for college students with disabilities.     

Differentiation Levels of College Students: Effects on Vocational Identity and Career Decision Making

This study assessed the effects of differentiation levels on the career development of college students. Participants were 231 college students who completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory (Skowron & Friedlander, 1998 ), My Vocational Situation (Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980 ), the Career Decision Profile (CDP; Jones & Lohmann, 1998 ), and demographic questions. The results supported the hypotheses that higher levels of the various components of differentiation would predict higher levels of vocational identity and fewer difficulties with career decision making. In particular, lower levels of emotional cutoff and emotional reactivity and higher levels of “I position” predicted higher levels of vocational identity and career decision making. Results suggest a more complicated picture for fusion, with higher levels being predictive of lower levels of decisiveness but not significantly related to vocational identity. Implications of the results for career counselors are provided.     

Counseling for Career Decision‐Making Difficulties: Measures and Methods

Career indecision may be the primary reason people go to career counselors. Much effort has been exerted to identify and investigate the causes of clients' career decision‐making difficulties. With the aim of facilitating clients' career decision making, the use of career indecision assessments can promote the effectiveness and efficiency of face‐to‐face career counseling. The authors review three evidence‐based, cost‐free assessments derived from decision theory: the Career Decision‐Making Difficulties Questionnaire, the Emotional and Personality‐Related Career Decision‐Making Difficulties questionnaire, and the Career Decision‐Making Profile questionnaire. The unique features of these assessments are described, and the ways they can contribute to facilitating career decision making in career counseling are explored with a case study example.     

Applying a Systemic Procedure to Locate Career Decision‐Making Difficulties

Locating clients' career decision‐making difficulties is one of the first steps in career counseling. The authors demonstrate the feasibility and utility of a systematic 4‐stage procedure for locating and interpreting career decision‐making difficulties by analyzing responses of 626 college students (collected by Tai, 2007) to the Career Decision‐making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ; Gati, Krausz, & Osipow, 1996). In addition, the responses of 2 students selected from this group are individually analyzed and interpreted. The procedure makes it possible to map the various career decision‐making difficulties of undergraduate students and tailor the appropriate career counseling intervention to the unique needs of clients.     

Attributional Retraining Increases Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

This study examined whether 60 college students (41 women and 19 men), grouped according to their career locus of control, were differentially affected by a videotaped career intervention. The intervention was an attributional retraining procedure designed to persuade students to attribute low levels of confidence in making career decisions and career-related failures to a lack of effort. Results indicated that the career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) of students who initially exhibited an external career locus of control significantly increased after the attributional retraining procedure (p < .05), whereas the students who initially exhibited an internal career locus of control demonstrated no significant increase in CDMSE after attributional retraining.     

Tolerance of Uncertainty: Links to Happenstance,Career Decision Self‐Efficacy,and Career Satisfaction

This study investigated the extent to which tolerance of uncertainty affects the relationship between happenstance skills and career satisfaction via career decision self‐efficacy. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted on data collected from 321 graduates (175 men, 146 women) of Korean universities making the school‐to‐work transition. Results showed that career decision self‐efficacy fully mediated the relationship between happenstance skills and career satisfaction. Furthermore, the moderation effect of tolerance of uncertainty had a significant impact on the relationship between happenstance skills and career decision self‐efficacy. Tolerance of uncertainty should be considered an important variable in happenstance career theory and intervention. Unplanned influences should also be considered important factors in the career decision‐making process.     

Dysfunctional Career Thoughts and Perceived Quality of Parental Relationships in Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is known to cause significant difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Empirical research in career development has demonstrated that close, supportive relationships are associated with positive vocational behaviors (Kenny et al., 2018). We examined dysfunctional career thoughts and perceived quality of parental relationships in high school students with ADHD. One hundred two adolescents (76 boys, 26 girls) with ADHD responded to measures of career thoughts and interpersonal relationship quality. Preliminary exploratory analysis, using multiple linear regression, showed that male participants' dysfunctional career thoughts were statistically significantly related to their relationships with their mothers. For female participants, relationships with fathers represented an area for further exploration. Results suggest that career professionals can enhance positive outcomes of decision-making and problem-solving issues in adolescence with additional focus on relational interventions. Future research should incorporate the influence of gender and race/ethnicity on crucial relationships and focus on paternal relationships using cognitive information processing–based interventions with this population.     

Using Narrative Career Counseling With the Underprepared College Student

An increasing number of students enter college underprepared. These students do not have the academic skills to take college‐level courses and are placed in remedial classes. Career counseling can help underprepared college students make educated career decisions based on their current situations. This article explores the characteristics of underprepared college students, examines career‐related issues these students face, and reviews the literature on narrative career counseling. The life design method is applied to a case example of an underprepared college student to demonstrate how to best serve the needs of these students.     

Gender discrimination and career decision-making difficulties among female Chinese college students: The buffering role of coping styles

The current study examined the relationship between gender discrimination and a form of career decision-making difficulties: emotional and personality-related career decision-making difficulties among female Chinese college students. It further examined the buffering effect of coping styles on the above relationship. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on a sample of 1427 female Chinese college students from 19 universities located in different regions in China. Results indicated that only suppressive style of coping served as a buffer on the relationship between gender discrimination and career decision-making difficulties. Also, gender discrimination, reflective style of coping, and reactive style of coping were positively associated with career decision-making difficulties. These results supported the need to develop career interventions focusing on discussion of gender discrimination, its impact on one's career decisions, as well as teaching distraction coping strategies in reducing the negative impact of gender discrimination on career decision-making difficulties among female Chinese college students.