Relationships Between Career Counseling Attitudes and Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy Among Emirati University Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between attitudes toward career counseling, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. Nine hundred and fifty six undergraduate students from United Arab Emirates (UAE) University participated in this investigation. Attitudes Toward Career Counseling Scale (ATCCS; Rochlen, Mohr, & Hargrove, 1999) was adapted to Arabic language. ATCCS was factor analyzed to examine its construct validity in the UAE culture. The findings revealed two factors: value and stigma. Men showed higher stigma levels and lower value levels of career counseling than women. Women majoring in humanities and social sciences showed higher stigma levels for career counseling than those majoring in the hard sciences. The Value subscale of the ATCCS was positively related to self-esteem and self-efficacy for both men and women. Likewise, Stigma scores of men and women were related negatively to both self-esteem and self-efficacy. The findings are discussed and directions for future research are provided.