In the first part of this paper, the current status of criterion-related validity research in the field of career development assessment is analyzed. It is shown that the results of intermediate and long-term follow-up studies--in contrast to studies in the same educational setting--provide only little evidence for the assumption that career…

Evaluated intercultural validity of Holland's concepts of consistency and congruence by testing personality types and career readiness among Pakistani college students (N=376) using Self-Directed Search (SDS) and Career Readiness Questionnaire. Found no relationship between consistency in SDS codes and career readiness; some support for…

This review of vocational psychology research in Singapore, 1985 to 1997, addresses career development, interests, sex stereotypes, work values, job satisfaction, and home/family influence. The review shows an increase in research on school-aged populations and a need to study the vocational behavior of the work force. (SK)

Administered an instrument containing self-evaluation and development, career-awareness, career decision-making, employment-seeking, and work-effectiveness items to 939 grade 12 students. The results indicated that females obtained significantly higher mean scores than males; Advanced Level students obtained significantly higher mean scores than…

Investigated 142, 114, 112, and 71 students from grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, respectively, to examine career maturity. Found intercorrelations among the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) Attitude Scale and five parts of the CMI Competence Test to be more consistent with Crites' model than those reported by others. (Author/HLM)

Explores the relationship between retirement planning and demographic and attitudinal factors. One-third of the sample had planned for retirement. Planning was more common among males and high-status individuals. (Author)

Investigated effects of a computer-based career guidance program "Career Search" on the vocational maturity of grade 9 students, 29 of whom comprised the experimental group and 27 of whom comprised the control group. Results suggest school counselors can be cautiously optimistic about the Career Search program. (Author/ABL)

Studied sex differences among high school students (N=318) in career development process to determine whether sex differences exist in way six independent variables interact in career maturity causal model of career maturity and to compare each variable's effect on career maturity. Results suggest significant sex differences consistent with…

This study compared the timing of early vocational preferences in young adolescents from former East Germany and West Germany. Results suggested that as the memory of the Communist system fades and as younger adolescents have had less exposure to it, East-West differences tend to disappear. The formation of early vocational preferences was…

Investigated the effect of locus of control on vocational maturity in a sample of Canadian high school students (N=700). Internal personalities scored higher than externals on various vocational maturity aspects. Found developmental aspects of Super's theory of adolescent vocational behavior largely substantiated. (Author/JAC)

Examined effects of counseling program to promote career maturity among youth with learning disabilities and other youth at risk of becoming dropouts. First study involved low-achieving students in integrated career program; second used adolescents with learning disabilities. In both studies, students in intervention condition, in contrast to…

An experimental group of 56 students with physical and sensory disabilities participated in a vocational evaluation and guidance program designed to enhance self-awareness, occupational knowledge, and job-search skills. Compared to 28 controls, the experimental group showed significant improvement in professional and personal identity and…

People experience mental incongruity when there is a discrepancy between a standard and their own experience of a situation or behavior. The influence of adolescents' standards and mental incongruity on the development of their identity (N=706) was studied in both work and relational domains using structural equation models. (Author/EMK)

Investigated the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) using 535 Canadian high school students. As expected, intelligence, grade, and sex were significant predictors of the CMI variables. However, evidence for discriminant validity was unsatisfactory and inconsistent with the theoretical framework of CMI. (JAC)

Examined the relationships between internal-external locus of control, career maturity, occupational information-seeking, and sex in 240 ninth-grade students. Analyses indicated that locus of control significantly correlated with career maturity, and career maturity was correlated significantly with occupational information-seeking behavior. (JAC)