A series of studies refined 17 scales of the Expanded Skills Confidence Inventory (n=934) and validated it with an adult sample (n=972). Scales were internally consistent, showed predictable patterns of gender differences, and were highly related to predicted Holland confidence themes. Discriminant analyses across 8 largest occupational groups…

Measures of self-efficacy and social confidence and a scale of self-efficacy sources were completed by 250 college students. The four sources subscales were internally consistent and related to relevant criterion measures. Three sources of self-efficacy information (past performance, emotional arousal, social persuasion) clustered together…

Major research directions for vocational psychology include diversity, use of new technology, organizational career development, and work adjustment over the life span. Issues include the role of qualitative methods and the appropriate disciplinary focus--closer to or beyond psychology. A challenge is attracting new researchers to the topic of…

College women (n=24) with moderate Realistic career interests and low Realistic confidence took part in an intervention focused on building, repair, and construction activities. Compared with 30 controls, the treatment group had a statistically significant increase in confidence regarding Realistic occupations. (SK)

Analysis of results of the Skills Confidence Inventory completed by 1147 employed adults and 706 college students revealed minimal gender differences in self-efficacy within 21 occupations and 6 Holland job families. (SK)

Examined the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for men and women employed in an enterprising occupation as well as the degree of personality-environment correspondence and relationships of personality type to job satisfaction. Findings suggested that within an employed sample, Holland's theory is valid for women as well as for men. (Author)

Investigated the relationship of mathematics self-efficacy expectations to the selection of science-based major in 261 college students. Results indicated that mathematics self-efficacy expectations were significantly related to students' selection of science-based college majors. The math-related self-efficacy expectations of males were…

Compared college women's scores for criterion-related validity and sex balance on the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory and UNIACT. On both inventories, scores on Enterprising, Conventional, Artistic and Social themes were most consistent with occupational choices. Subjects choosing Investigative and Realistic occupational areas obtained…

Results indicated that both husbands and wives reported relatively high levels of marital adjustment, relatively profeminist attitudes toward women, and moderate levels of career salience. Both husbands and wives ranked family as first and career as second in importance. Women reported more profeminist attitudes than men. (Author)

Developed a measure of self-efficacy expectations with regard to 50 behaviors required in career decision making and examined the relationships of career decision-making self-efficacy to several components of vocational indecision for 346 subjects. Results indicated that college students expressed considerable confidence in their ability to make…

Women whose choices were in nontraditional career fields were significantly more likely to be making choices congruent with their personality type. While sex-role orientation was not significantly related to either congruence or traditionality, masculine-typed women were most likely to make nontraditional and congruent career choices. (Author)

This model postulates that because of women's socialization they lack strong expectations of personal efficacy in relationship to career-related behaviors, thus failing to realize their capabilities and talents. Sex differences in the access to and availability of information important to developing strong expectations of personal efficacy are…