A meta-analysis of the relations between parental support and children's career self-efficacy in South Korea and the US

Abstract

South Korean vocational psychologists have studied the impact of parental support on children's career self-efficacy using theories validated in the US. However, there is little research examining whether theories developed in the US can be applied to South Korean population. As the cultural context is a critical factor that can shape the associations between parental support and children's career self-efficacy, we address this limitation through meta-analytic review. We located 2615 effect sizes from 147 South Korean studies, and 388 effect sizes from 54 US studies. By synthesizing and comparing these results, we found general support for our hypotheses. The relations between parental support and career self-efficacy were significant in both nations, from elementary through post-secondary students. In particular, the relations were stronger in South Korea for high school and post-secondary participants. Next, specific parental support behavior of emotional support and communicational support were found to have particularly strong impacts for South Korean participants. Financial support also showed a strong impact on career self-efficacy for South Korean participants, contrasting with the US participants. Finally, the relations between parental support and career self-efficacy declined across grade levels in both nations. This decline began during post-secondary education for South Korean sample, whereas it began during high school for the US sample. These findings suggest that there are culturally specific details necessary for understanding parental support and career self-efficacy in South Korea.