The Roles of Negative Career Thinking and Career Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy in Career Exploratory Behavior

Abstract

Go To DigestThe respective roles of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and cognitive information processing (CIP) in career exploratory behavior were analyzed. A verified path model shows CIP's negative career thoughts inversely predict SCCT's career problem-solving self-efficacy, which predicts career exploratory behavior. The model suggests an intervention sequence to facilitate career exploration.Case of SueSue, young woman about to graduate from college with degree in finance came to the university career center seeking career assistance in finding employment. Given some uncertainty about her interests and goals, she completed an interest inventory that produced summary code (Holland, 1997) of IAS indicating interests in the investigative, artistic, and social areas. However, when occupational alternatives were identified for exploration following the assessment, she slumped in her chair and indicated that she was unable to concentrate on careers or the future and was unsure about the benefits of career counseling. At this point, the counselor invited her to complete the Career Thoughts Inventory (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996) and the results revealed considerable negative career thinking across several domains. Further exploration in counseling revealed that music teacher in high school had advised her to abandon her dreams of music career because of poor audition performance. She immediately decided to major in business finance without resolving the apparent loss of her future in music, or undertaking careful contemplation regarding viable career options.This hypothetical case (although not an uncommon one) suggests that Sue was not ready to engage in job campaign because she was mired in an emotional state that precluded her focusing on herself (goals, interests) or potential career options. In terms of cognitive information processing theory (CIP; Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004), she lacked readiness (Sampson, Peterson, Reardon, & Lenz, 2000) to engage in career decision-making. She was unable to pursue the process of analyzing alternatives related to self and option knowledge because longstanding emotional aftereffects associated with grieving the loss of an anticipated career in music performance. In effect, she was not emotionally available to engage effectively in the career problem-solving and decision-making process. This study examines how negative emotional state, coupled with lack of career decision self-efficacy, interferes with environmental and self-exploration precursors to the formulation of viable career options.The CIP approach differentiates between career-related problem-solving and decision- making. Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, and Lenz (2004) defined problem-solving as a series of thought processes in which information about problem is used to arrive at of action necessary to remove the gap between an existing and desired state of affairs (p. 5). Sampson et al. state that decision making includes problems solving, along with the cognitive and affective processes needed to develop for implementing the solution and taking the risks involved in following through to the complete the plan (p. 5). Difficulties in career decision making (as in Sue's case) may stem from variety of factors, including emotional distress, lack of confidence in ability to perform certain tasks, lack of experience in varied life roles, lack of self-insight, negative expectations associated with particular pursuit, fear of failure and conflicts with important people. Some career decision-making theories emphasize the use of self-knowledge (e.g., values, interests, and skills) and options knowledge (e.g., what jobs or majors of study are available), but they have less to offer regarding how beliefs, stress and affect associated with these two areas can impede progress in career decision-making. Cognitive information processing theory (CIP; Sampson et al. …