Negative Career Goal Discrepancy and Goal Adjustment in Young Adults: The Underlying Mechanism of Negative Emotions

Internal dissonance and disagreement with significant others over career goals can disrupt career progress. Based on goal setting and self-regulation theories, this study tested the relationships between self and parent career goal discrepancy (gap between what is desired and what is achieved) and career goal adjustment (career compromise and goal revision intentions) directly and indirectly via negative emotions (self- and parent-referenced career distress and regret). We surveyed 315 young adult students (76.5% women; MAge 19.52 years) recruited from a single multi-campus Australian university. Using structural equation modelling (maximum likelihood estimation), we found that higher self and parent career goal discrepancies were associated with higher compromise and intention to downgrade career goals. Further, self- and parent-referenced emotional responses partially explained the discrepancy to goal adjustment relationships. The findings have implications for how career theories incorporate self- and other-set career goal disruptions and should help counsellors assist young people, particularly in a strongly individualist, but multicultural, country such as Australia, to understand and manage their tendencies to compromise or downgrade their career goals.