The present study, based on a sample of 220 African American college students, sought to examine the utility of the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE) for African Americans. Values of coefficient alpha indicated reliability similar to that found in predominantly White samples. A four-factor structure best represented the data, with a large…

Analysis of scores of 180 college students on the short form of the Career Decision Making Self Efficacy Scale suggests that the short form possesses psychometric characteristics comparable to or better than the long form. Short form subscales are sufficiently reliable, and concurrent validity correlations are largely better, with only half the…

Examined utility of fear of commitment in understanding differences between career undecidedness versus more complicated and chronic career indecisiveness in three studies targeting undecided and decided college students (N=707). Found fear of commitment related to state and trait anxiety, self-esteem, and was significantly higher in undecided…

College students (n=200) completed the Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDMSE-SF) and Skills Confidence Inventory; 147 completed the CDMSE-SF and Occupational and Mathematical Self-Efficacy Scales. Career decision-making self-efficacy was more highly correlated with generalized self-efficacy than global self-esteem,…

Results of the Self-Confidence Inventory, Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Self-Efficacy Rating Scale for 399 students indicated the subscales were reliable for both African-Americans and European-Americans. There were few racial but significant gender differences regarding Holland's occupational themes. The scales had different degrees of…

Developed a measure of self-efficacy expectations with regard to 50 behaviors required in career decision making and examined the relationships of career decision-making self-efficacy to several components of vocational indecision for 346 subjects. Results indicated that college students expressed considerable confidence in their ability to make…

This study examined the test-retest reliability and the concurrent validity of the 17-scale Expanded Skills Confidence Inventory in samples of 321 and 175 college students. Retest values over a 3-week interval ranged from .77 to .89, with a median of .85. Using Brown and Gore's C-index, evidence for the concurrent validity of confidence score…

Examined student (N=188) responses to measures of Expectancy and Valence to six male- and six female-dominated careers. Found that Expectancy X Valence interaction for occupation accounted for variance in choosing occupation; gender differences were marked and consistent across expectancy, valence, and likelihood of choosing occupation, varying…

Investigated the relationship of mathematics self-efficacy expectations to the selection of science-based major in 261 college students. Results indicated that mathematics self-efficacy expectations were significantly related to students' selection of science-based college majors. The math-related self-efficacy expectations of males were…

Compared college women's scores for criterion-related validity and sex balance on the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory and UNIACT. On both inventories, scores on Enterprising, Conventional, Artistic and Social themes were most consistent with occupational choices. Subjects choosing Investigative and Realistic occupational areas obtained…

Subjects, (N=134) female and (N=101) male undergraduates, were asked to indicate their perceptions of their capabilities to successfully complete the educational requirements and job duties of each of 10 traditionally female and 10 traditionally male occupations. Results indicated sex differences in self-efficacy with regard to traditional versus…

Examines models of self-efficacy and self-esteem pathways to depression in 405 college students. Both models showed excellent fit to the data. The more parsimonious model indicated that efficacy and esteem variables were related to depressive symptoms indirectly through their relationships to the intermediate adjustment variables of career…

Examined utility of gender, traditionality of choice, and gender role identification as moderators of interest-field congruence and ability-level realism of academic major and occupational preferences in college students (N=592). Found traditionality of choice and gender role unrelated to interest-field congruence. (Author/NB)

The present study, based on three samples of college students totaling 1,832 participants, resulted in the conclusion that a 5-level response continuum for the short form of the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE) proved at least as reliable and valid as the 10-level continua used in normative studies. Values of coefficient alpha ranged…