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