Students with high levels of fear of failure were found to be less vocationally mature on five of the eight measures of vocational maturity and were found to devalue the career planning task more. Vocational planning for the failure-avoidant student should have high priority. (Author)

Student indecision regarding careers and college majors has been the focus of research studies for years. Undecided students are normal, growing, predictable individuals in various stages of vocational and cognitive development. Developmental concepts in academic advising, career counseling, teaching, and administration can lead students to…

High school males (N=66) and 60 high school females were tested for anxiety and vocational maturity levels. The experimental subjects were given the Self Directed Search (SDS). Statistical analysis indicated that the SDS was an effective instrument in reducing career indecision. (Author)

A survey of high school students in school-supervised work experience programs (N=101) and non-school-supervised jobs (N=177) found that the former have higher quality jobs that make greater use of academic skills, have more contact with adults, experience more challenge, consider their work meaningful, and perceive a closer relationship between…

Evaluated effectiveness of summer project for minority youth (N=22) designed to positively affect participants' career maturity, particularly related to perception of opportunity and career planning knowledge. Project participants included university faculty and counselors, local industry members, city government, a public service organization,…

Describes two studies of the factors that influence unmarried pregnant adolescents to choose adoption rather than parenthood. Study One examines the effect of perceived parental preference and vocational goals. Study Two examines the effect of perceived parental preference and attained vocational identity status. (FMW)

Career decision making is a process that continues throughout the life span. But the process can be impeded by lack of occupational exploration, vocational indecision, and lack of realism in vocational choice. Each obstacle is examined and intervention strategies to assist in decision making are proposed. (Author)

Examined efficacy of series of skills training interventions derived from psychoeducational literature on rehabilitation potential of persons with end-stage renal disease. Comparison of workshop participants (n=16) and no-treatment controls (n=12) suggests that workshops improved levels of career maturity, adaptive behavior, and desirable…

Compared value of several theoretically derived personal (age and gender), educational (class standing and academic performance), and psychological (locus of control and vocational congruence) factors as predictors of undergraduates' (n=337) career maturity. Vocational congruence and academic performance emerged as two most significant predictors.…

Three hundred twelve Kentucky trade and industrial juniors' mental maturity was compared to data supplied with the California Mental Maturity Test. Aspects of vocational maturity significantly related to mental maturity measures for the group, and factors of mental maturity significantly related to aspects of their vocational maturity were also…

In a sample of 1622 students in college for three years, 24 percent indecisive students were found and compared with vocationally decisive students (having majors) using precollege measures of achievement, aptitude, and interest. Measures of interest differentiation were of particular concern. Most important to vocational indecision, however, was…

This study examined antecedents related to low vocational identity in college freshmen. College students (N=360) completed the 35-item Low Vocational Identity Antecedents Scale (LVIAS) developed for this study, the Vocational Identity Scale (VIS), and other measures. Based on results from this sample, a 15-item LVIAS was developed that…

The Employability Maturity Interview (EMI) is a 10-item structured interview developed to assess readiness for the vocational rehabilitation planning process and the need for additional vocational exploration and employability services. The items deal with occupational choice, self-appraisal of abilities, self-appraisal of personality…

As an introduction to exploring the possibilities of an inservice plan to facilitate teacher cognitive development, the theories of educational philosophers and developmental psychologists are cited in arriving at a broad definition of the cognitive development of adults. From these theories it is surmised that teachers do operate at different…

Reviews of 20 career guidance measures are reprinted from the Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development's "Newsnotes." Each entry includes author, title, publisher, purpose, format, scoring, norms, cost, review, concerns, and additional reviews. These tests cover the areas of occupational interests, career awareness,…