The Mathematical Resilience Scale measures students' attitudes toward studying mathematics, using three correlated factors: Value, Struggle, and Growth. The Mathematical Resilience Scale was developed and validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses across three samples. Results provide a new approach to gauge the likelihood of…

Conceptual differences between self-efficacy and ability self-estimate scores, used in vocational psychology and career counseling, were examined with confirmatory factor analysis, discriminate relations, and reliability analysis. Results suggest that empirical differences may be due to measurement error or scale content, rather than due to the…

A combination of high occupational score and a low men-in-general or women-in-general score on the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey is moderately predictive of interest stability and occupational consistency. (Author)

Investigated reliability and validity of Career Key (CK), career guidance instrument, and explored extent to which college students found the CK helpful. Findings from 175 undergraduate students revealed that the students generally found the CK helpful. Investigations of reliability and validity for CK were generally positive. Female students gave…

Uses regression analysis on career development measures to examine whether career maturity indicators are predictive of interest consistency, differentiation, and score elevation. Results indicate that interest consistency and score elevation were weakly predicted by the measure; no relationship existed between the attitudinal and cognitive…

Describes a revised career grid procedure for assessing vocational constructs. Results based on a study of 146 college students indicate that the expressed method was not superior to the supplied method in choice consistency, integration, and differentiation. Also found no significant gender differences in cognitive complexity measures of the…

Examined effectiveness of System of Interactive Guidance and Information and Discover systems on relevant career development outcomes for college students (n=47) and counselors in training (n=36). Both systems were rated highly. Outcome data suggest using these systems as complements to live career development counseling. (Author/ABL)

Summarizes findings from a study that used multidimensional scaling to examine the inherent complexity of vocational aspirations as a measurement construct. Uncovered the perceptual dimensions underlying college students' expressions of vocational aspirations when these aspirations were distinguished as preferences and as expectations.…

Surveyed 92 college students to obtain validity estimates for the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale. Results of concurrent and discriminant validity studies only partially supported the construct validity of the scale, and the use of individual subscales proved uncertain. (Author/BH)

Conducted two studies and factor analyzed nine measures of career decidedness taken by first-year college students (Study 1, n=182; Study 2, n=168). Single factor empirically defined choice status, suggesting that, although a variety of words used in items to assess choice connote multiple dimensions in the construct of choice status, these words…

Holland's construct of differentiation was studied with measures of development, career decisiveness, and achievement. College freshmen completed either the Student Development Task Inventory (N=349) or the Career Decision Scale (N=51). All subjects completed the American College Testing Program's Interest Inventory. Results support Holland's…

Examined the relationships of the similarity or dissimilarity of beginning and ending college majors with a test of career decisiveness and the number of college changes in major. Calculated a freshman-senior college major similarity index based on Holland's calculus construct. Found the index to be moderately related to career decisiveness and…

Examined relationship between Holland's personality types as measured by the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory and Jung's personality types as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. College students' (N=394) responses to the two instruments revealed significant associations between certain types based on interests and preferences.…

Examined predictive validity of Medical Specialty Preference Scales (MSPS) and Medical Specialty Preference Inventory (MSPI). Administered MSPS to 71 medical students and MSPI to 73 medical students. Findings indicated that MSPI predicted accurately three times more than did MSPS. Based on predictive validity and teaching possibilities, MSPI seems…

Correlational analyses of data from 185 college students showed that vocational certainty and career indecision were significantly related to self-deception and impression management. More likely individuals were to distort information about self and to deny psychologically threatening thoughts, more likely they were to report high levels of…