The effects of a career guidance program on the career maturity and self-concept of delinquent youth

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The effect of a short-term career guidance program on the career maturity and self-concept of black and white delinquent youth was investigated. In the process, empirical data were collected on the career maturity and self-concept levels of the subjects. Confirmation of two vocational development propositions formulated by Super (1953, American Psychologist, 8, 185–190), when applied to delinquent youth, was sought. The propositions were that vocational development can be guided and that vocational development is largely that of developing and implementing a self-concept. The dependent variable measurement instruments were the Career Maturity Inventory Attitude Scale and Competence Test and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. Results from the multivariate analyses of variance on the pretest Career Maturity Inventory and Tennessee Self Concept Scale scores of the subjects indicated no significant differences between the career maturity levels of the black and white subjects or between the self-concept levels of the black and white subjects. To test the effectiveness of the career guidance program a 2 × 2 pretest-post-test control group design with the factors of race (black or white) and group (treatment or no treatment) was utilized. Results from the multivariate analyses of variance on the post-test career maturity and self-concept scores of the subjects indicated no significant differences between the career maturity levels of the subjects in the treatment and control groups or between the self-concept levels of the subjects in the treatment and control groups. While not significantly different, the treatment groups achieved higher career maturity and self-concept scores than the control groups. No evidence was gained to support Super's two propositions. The implications of career guidance with deliquent youth are discussed.