Conducted two studies to evaluate the efficacy of attributional retraining as a career-counseling technique for college students. Results reveal that participants who received attributional retraining exhibited significant changes in career beliefs and attributional style, and engaged in significantly more career exploration behavior than the…

Examined the relationship between career aspiration-current occupation congruence and the career maturity of 134 undergraduates (103 women and 31 men) attending a large Midwestern community college. Results revealed a significant relationship (p<.01) between aspiration-occupation congruence and two separate measures of career maturity. (Author)

Over the past 15 years, post-secondary institutions have experienced a significant increase in the enrollment of students with disabilities. This study examined the career decision-making attitudes of 21 college students with disabilities and the impact of their disability on academic and career choices. Nineteen undergraduates and two graduate…

Research has found the majority of college students are working in full- or part-time capacities while classes are in session. Research has identified several benefits of college student employment. This study analyzed additional career decision-making benefits associated with college student employment, especially when such employment offers…

The present study examined: (1) the relationship between the number and types of occupational barriers perceived by college students and their current levels of career development; and (2) gender and ethnic differences in the types of barriers perceived. Participants (129 women and 59 men) responded to open-ended questions about perceived barriers…

This study assessed the relative value of Bandura's (1977, 1982, 1986) self-efficacy theory and Rotter's (1966) locus of control model in predicting the career maturity of college students. A sample of 113 undergraduates (83 women and 30 men) completed a demographics questionnaire and measures of career decision-making (CDM) self-efficacy (Taylor…

DISCOVER is the computer-assisted career guidance program of the American College Testing Program. A comprehensive review of research on the effectiveness of DISCOVER found that it increases users' vocational identity, level of career development, and career decision-making self-efficacy. Somewhat mixed findings emerged regarding the effectiveness…

Social class and ethnic group differences in college students' career maturity were investigated. Participants were 401 undergraduates (250 females, 151 males) attending California State Univesity, Long Beach. Quantitative measurements included: (1) the Duncan Index of social class; (2) Career Maturity Inventory-Attitude Scale; (3) the Vocational…

A study evaluated the effects of Strong Interest Inventory (SII) completion and participation in a theoretically based model of SII feedback/interpretation on the social cognitive career beliefs of 99 first-year students at a southwestern university. The Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale--Short Form (CDMSES-SF) measured each participant's…