Several things influencing a college student's choice of major were investigated: gender, sex-role attitudes, cognitive styles, and decision-making processes. Students (N=578) were administered six different measures of sex-role attitudes and five different measures of cognitive style. Use of a path analysis technique suggested that gender influences sex-role attitudes, sex-role attitudes and decision-making style influence progress through the decision-making process, and that progress through the decision-making process influences decisional status. Cross-validation was performed among students at four different universities; student maturity did not appear to change the results. Commitment to a career appears to be central to one's identity and one's sex-role ideology. Counseling psychologists should recognize that self-assessment influences decisions, and decision making influences self-assessment. (Author/KMF)