Understanding student problems regarding specialty choice may better be served by studying the decision-making process that produces a specialty choice. The difficulties that impede choice and reduce student certainty about choices made were investigated. (Author/MLW)

The present study tested the hypothesis that medical specialties classified as technique oriented or patient oriented would be distinguished by RIASEC code, with technique-oriented specialists resembling Investigative-Realistic types and patient-oriented specialists resembling Investigative-Social types. Using longitudinal data obtained from 447…

A measure of specialty indecision was administered to 567 medical students along with measures of vocational development and exploratory behavior. Initial evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Specialty Indecision Scale indicate that it is internally consistent, relates more to specialty choice than to career choice, and inversely…

College students (n=186) completed the Career Development Inventory and Strong Interest Inventory (SII), viewed a video about SII interpretation, and completed follow-up tests. Attitudes toward career planning and exploration predicted how much and how well they used interest inventory results. Career choice readiness predicted neither…

A study of 239 college freshmen found that those who perceived themselves as effective, competent, and in control of their leisure time had a clearer picture of occupational goals, interests, and talents. Those more committed to their leisure role displayed greater competence in career decision making and exploration. (SK)

To establish that measures of vocational identity are sensitive to variations in development, researchers need to demonstrate that different patterns of scores on these measures predict subsequent coping with later tasks of vocational development. This study investigated the ability of the Vocational Identity Scale (VIS) to predict coping with a…

Describes how career development theory provides a comprehensive model for conceptualizing the school-to-work transition. Explains how teachers and counselors who wish to facilitate the school-to-work transition can use orienting, teaching, coaching, and rehearsing to increase their students' awareness of the choices to be made and the information…