Career Theory - Review

Parsons

Holland

Super

Krumboltz

Gottfredson

– Trait and Factor

– Person-Environment Matching

– Life Span/Life Space

– Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making / Learning Theory of Career Counseling

– Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

Trait and Factor(Frank Parsons)

“Matching men to jobs Identify individual’s traits Know workplace factors Match individual to the ONE right job

Person-Environment Matching(John Holland)

Individuals express their personalities through their vocational interests

Individuals seek out work environments in which they can fully utilize their skills and abilities and express their attitudes and values

Individuals and work environments can be classified respectively by their personalities and personality requirements into 1 or some combination of 6 categories

Person-Environment Matching(John Holland)

Investigative

Realistic

ArtisticSocial

Enterprising

Conventional

Life Span / Life Space(Donald E. Super)

Life Span – Developmental 5 Stages

Growth Exploration Establishment Maintenance Disengagement

Life Span / Life Space(Donald E. Super)

Life Space – “Theatres”

Child Student Leisurite

Citizen Worker Homemaker

Spouse Parent Pensioner

Qualities of roles Bandwith Salience Intensity

Problem Role “Spillover”

Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making – SLTCDM

(John Krumboltz)

4 factors influence career decision making Genetic endowments

and special abilities Environmental

events and conditions

Instrumental and associative learning experiences

Task approach skills

4 primary ways factors influence career decisions Self-observation

generalizations Worldview

generalizations Task approach skills Actions

Learning Theory of Career Counseling – LTCC

(John Krumboltz)

Typical career concerns Indecision (goal absence;

incapable of deciding) Undecided (lack of

information) Unrealism (high

aspirations) Multipotentiality (equal

alternative conflict)

Typical LTCC interventions Help clients acquire more

accurate self-observation generalizations

Help clients acquire more accurate worldview generalizations

Learn new task approach skills

Take appropriate career-related actions

Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

(Linda Gottfredson)

Circumscription – Process of eliminating unacceptable occupational alternatives based primarily upon gender and prestige

Guided by 5 principles Children capable of understanding and organizing

complex information Occupational preferences reflect attempts to

implement and enhance self-concept Children integrate complex distinctions among

people (prestige) while integrating the more concrete phenomena (sex roles)

Children progressively eliminate occupational options as self-concept complexity and clarity increases

Process is gradual and not readily obvious

Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

(Linda Gottfredson)

Principles operate throughout 4 cognitive stages which describe process Orientation to size and power Orientation to sex roles Orientation to social valuation Orientation to internal, unique self

Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

(Linda Gottfredson)

Compromise – Modifying occupational choices in light of limiting factors, whether internally or externally imposed Tolerable-effort boundary Tolerable-level boundary Tolerable-sextype boundary Zone of acceptable alternatives

Self-Creation – Included in circumscription process; altering self-concept in light of developmental or environmental factors

Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

(Linda Gottfredson)

Compromise – Modifying occupational choices in light of limiting factors, whether internally or externally imposed Tolerable-effort boundary Tolerable-level boundary Tolerable-sextype boundary Zone of acceptable alternatives

Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

(Linda Gottfredson)

Sextype RatingFeminine

Hig

hLo

w

Masculine

Pre

stig

e

Construction Worker

Psychiatrist

Receptionist

NurseReal Estate Agent

Surgeon

Elementary Teacher

Federal Judge

High School Teacher

Tolerable-Level Boundary

Tolerable-Effort Boundary

Tol

erab

le-S

exty

pe

Bou

ndar

y

Zone of Acceptable Alternatives

Circumscription, Compromise, and Self-Creation

(Linda Gottfredson)

Self-Creation – Included in circumscription process; altering self-concept in light of developmental or environmental factors

Career Theory - What’s New

Lent, Brown, & Hackett

Peterson, Sampson, Reardon, & Lenz

Hansen

– Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT)

– Cognitive Information Processing (CIP)

– Integrative Life Planning (ILP)

Social Cognitive Career Theory

(SCCT)

Robert W. Lent

Steven D. Brown

Gail Hackett

SCCT - Influences

Cognitive variables and processes Personal agency Constructivism

SCCT - Goals

To trace connections between persons and their career-related contexts

To trace connections between cognitive and interpersonal factors

To trace connections between self-directed and externally imposed influences

Intended to build conceptual linkages with other theories of career development

Offer a potentially unifying framework How Holland types develop How learning experiences influence interests in Krumboltz’s

theory What factors affect differential role salience in Super’s

theory How people acquire abilities in Dawis’ and Loftquist’s

Theory of Work Adjustment

SCCT – Central concepts and assumptions

Person-environment interaction is dynamic and situation specific

People are products AND producers of their environments

Key Theoretical Constructs Self-efficacy Outcomes expectations Goals

Sources of Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations

Self-Efficacy

Interest

Intentions/ Goals for Activity

Involvement

Activity Selection

and Practice

Performance Attainments (e.g., goal fulfillment, skill development

Development of Basic Career Interests over Time(Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994)

Perceived Abilities

Values

Outcome Expectations

Learning Experiences

Self-Efficacy

Interest Choice Goals

Choice Actions

Performance Domains and Attainments

Person, Contextual, and Experiential Factors Affecting Career-Related Choice Behavior

(Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1993)

Outcome Expectations

Person Inputs-Predispositions-Gender-Ethnicity-Disability/Health Status

Background Contextual

Affordances

Contextual InfluencesProximal to Choice Behavior

12

1

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9

10

11

mod

erat

e

mod

erat

e

SCCT – Intervention Implications

Expanding interests and facilitating choice

Overcoming barriers to choice and success

Developing and modifying self-efficacy perceptions

Cognitive Information Processing – CIP

Developers Gary W. Peterson James P. Sampson Robert C. Reardon Janet G. Lenz

Cognitive Information Processing – CIP

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

CIP in context

Theoretically integrative Trait & Factor (Parsons) P/E Matching (Holland) Earlier decision theories (Janis

& Mann; Katz; Gelatt, Tiedeman)

SLTCDM (Krumboltz)

CIP definitions

Career problemCareer problem solvingCareer decision makingCareer developmentLifestyle

CIP – 4 Assumptions

1. Career decision making involves interaction between cognitive and affective processes

2. Decision making capacity depends upon availability of cognitive operations and knowledge

3. Career development is ongoing and cognitive structures continually evolve

4. Enhancing information processing skills is the goal of career counseling

CIP – 3 Dimensions

Pyramid of information processing CASVE cycle of decision making skills Executive processing domain

CIP – Pyramid of Information Processing

GenericInformation-Processing

Skills (CASVE)

Meta-cognitions

Self-KnowledgeOccupationalKnowledge

Executive Processing Domain

Decision Making Skills Domain

KnowledgeDomains

CIP – CASVE Cycle of Decision Making Skills

External or Internal Problem Signals

Communication(Identifying a gap)

Analysis(Interrelating

problem components)

Synthesis(Creating likelyAlternatives)

Valuing(Prioritizing

Alternatives)

Execution(Forming

means-endsstrategies

External or Internal Problem Signals

CIP – Executive Processing Domain

Metacognitive skills Self-talk Self-awareness Monitoring and control

CIP – Intervention Implications

Foci are the three domains Acquisition of knowledge Acquisition of decision-making skills Development of executive processing domain

Specifics Teaching decision making skills before problems

become apparent Helping students identify and utilize information sources Assessment for self-knowledge Applying CASVE to help clients solve specific problems Disputing irrational beliefs (developing positive self-talk) Help clients develop internal locus of control Help clients understand what “success” looks like

Integrative Life Planning – ILP(L. Sunny Hansen)

Focuses on adult career development “New worldview” Addresses diversity issues Holistic integration Personal agency Connections

ILP – 4 Assumptions

1. Nature of knowledge changing demanding new ways of knowing

2. Connections in life are important

3. Broader kinds of self-knowledge and societal knowledge are critical

4. Career counseling needs to focus on career professionals as change agents

ILP – 6 Career Development Tasks

1. Finding work that needs doing in changing global contexts

2. Weaving our lives into a meaningful whole

3. Connecting family and work

4. Valuing pluralism and diversity

5. Managing personal transitions and organizational change

6. Exploring spirituality and life purpose

ILP – Intervention Implications

Focus on developmental tasks Understand them See interrelatedness Prioritize tasks according to personal

needs Teach approach to life planning

Connectedness Wholeness Community