Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form Research Articles

Cross-Cultural Equivalence of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form: An Australian and South African Comparison

The present study examined the reliability, content and construct validity, and cultural equivalence of the short form of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDMSE-SF). In response to calls to conduct studies using the measure with high school-age samples, data were gathered from two samples of high school students, one from Australia and one from South Africa. The findings were in accord with earlier studies in that they failed to find five factors. Three factors were found with each sample; however, these factors were different in each sample and different from those reported in samples of U.S. college students, suggesting cross-cultural differences in the construct. The authors suggest that a more parsimonious version of the CDMSE-SF is possible, the CDMSE-SF does not adequately reflect its theoretical origins, and cultural equivalence cannot be assumed.

Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Career Commitment: Gender and Ethnic Differences Among College Students

This study evaluated the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form (CDMSE-SF; Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996) using the Career Commitment Scale (CCS; Farmer, 1985) as a criterion measure. Responses from 165 undergraduates in a Southern university revealed high internal consistency for the CDMSE-SF, and moderate correlation between the CDMSE-SF and CCS. However, no gender or ethnic differences were found in this correlation. Females scored higher than males on the CCS. Blacks scored higher than Whites on both measures. Implications for practice and research are discussed.