{"title":"A Longitudinal Examination of Four Processual Mechanisms in Career Decision Making","authors":"Hui Xu","doi":"10.1177/10690727231194051","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The dual-process theory of career decision making (DTC) proposes four processual mechanisms that explain the career decision-making process and outcomes. Although research has examined the validity of the four processual mechanisms using a cross-sectional dataset in China, the roles of the four mechanisms in career decision making cannot be fully established without longitudinal and cross-cultural analyses. Using a sample of U.S. college students ( n = 206), the current study examined the validity of the four processual mechanisms in explaining the joint operation of five major decision-making difficulties with subsequent career decidedness as the criterion. The results supported not only the standalone mechanisms of managing state and persistent decision uncertainty but also the joint mechanisms from managing state (persistent) uncertainty to managing persistent (state) uncertainty. Therefore, the current study adds evidence to the DTC, particularly regarding the scientific and practical necessity of differentiating between state and persistent decision uncertainty and between reducing uncertainty and reducing the threat of uncertainty. Additionally, the current study offers interesting implications for the interplay of major decision difficulties across different sociocultural contexts of China and the U.S.","PeriodicalId":47978,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Career Assessment","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Career Assessment","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727231194051","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, APPLIED","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The dual-process theory of career decision making (DTC) proposes four processual mechanisms that explain the career decision-making process and outcomes. Although research has examined the validity of the four processual mechanisms using a cross-sectional dataset in China, the roles of the four mechanisms in career decision making cannot be fully established without longitudinal and cross-cultural analyses. Using a sample of U.S. college students ( n = 206), the current study examined the validity of the four processual mechanisms in explaining the joint operation of five major decision-making difficulties with subsequent career decidedness as the criterion. The results supported not only the standalone mechanisms of managing state and persistent decision uncertainty but also the joint mechanisms from managing state (persistent) uncertainty to managing persistent (state) uncertainty. Therefore, the current study adds evidence to the DTC, particularly regarding the scientific and practical necessity of differentiating between state and persistent decision uncertainty and between reducing uncertainty and reducing the threat of uncertainty. Additionally, the current study offers interesting implications for the interplay of major decision difficulties across different sociocultural contexts of China and the U.S.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Career Assessment publishes methodologically sound, empirically based studies focusing on the process and techniques by which counselors and others gain understanding of the individual faced with the necessity of making informed career decisions. The term career assessment, as used in this journal, covers the various techniques, tests, inventories, rating scales, interview schedules, surveys, and direct observational methods used in scientifically based practice and research to provide an improved understanding of career decision-making. The focus is not just testing, but all those means developed and used to assess and evaluate individuals and environments in the field of career counseling and development.