Vocational decision status and the effect of four types of occupational information on cognitive complexity

Abstract

Because most vocational counseling interventions focus on giving occupational information, research investigating effects of information giving on cognitive processing styles has governed attention in the recent past. The present study was intended to determine some aspects of occupational information relevance while assessing differences in cognitive complexity between vocationally decided and undecided subjects. Two hundred eighty college student volunteers were assigned to eight groups based on their decision status (decided versus undecided) and random distribution of four types of occupational information packets. Cognitive complexity levels were measured, using the Cognitive Differentiation Grid, 48 hr after the packets were distributed. A 2 × 4 analysis of variance found no differences between decided and undecided subjects' cognitive complexity scores as a function of type of occupational information received. There was a significant main effect for information received. There was a significant main effect for information across decision status in the positively and negatively toned information groups: the positive information was associated with relatively greater cognitive simplicity scores and the negative information was associated with relatively greater cognitive complexity scores. Implications of results and further necessary research is specified.