Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 41 Adult Development Vocational Choice

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 42 General Objective  Understands the psychological foundations of workforce education.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 43 Career Development “… is a lifelong process involving psychological, sociological, economic, and cultural factors that influence individuals’ selection of, adjustment to, and advancement in the occupations that collectively make up their careers.”

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 44 Good vs. Bad Theories Good theories have well-defined terms and easily interpreted constructs. Good theories explain the career development process for all groups. Good theories explain why people choose careers and become dissatisfied with them. Good theories are parsimonious.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 45 Early Theories Have limited applicability to special groups – women, European men and women. Are culturally oppressive because they are rooted in Eurocentric beliefs Reflect independent, not dependent career decision making.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 46 Theories with Major Impact on Research and Practice Holland (1997) Super (1990) Lofquist & Dawis (1996, 1991) Lent, Brown, & Hackett (1995, 1996, 2002) Gottfredson (1981, 1996)

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 47 “ The Western European worldview is that people should act independently when they make career decisions… Many Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics believe that the welfare of the group should be placed ahead of the concerns of individuals.”

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 48 Career Choice and Development Categories Trait and Factor Theories Developmental Theories Theories Based in Learning Theory Socioeconomic Theories

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 49 Philosophical Assumptions Positivist (modernist) –Trait-and-factor theories –Developmental theories –Theories rooted in learning theory Post Modern (phenomenological/ constructivist)

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 410 Trait-and-Factor Theories Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) Brown’s Value-Based Theory

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 411 Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice Individual personality is the primary factor in vocational choice. Interest inventories are personality inventories. Daydreams about occupations are precursors to occupational choice. Identify is related to a small number of focused vocational goals. Career success and satisfaction is related to choosing an occupation that is congruent with one’s personality.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 412 Holland’s Six Personality Types Realistic Investigative Artistic Social Enterprising Conventional

Prentice Hall, 2001Fall, 2008 Chapter 4WED 466 – Unit 413 Holland’s Personality-Job Fit Theory TypePersonalityOccupations Realistic Investigative Social Conventional Enterprising Artistic Shy, Stable, Practical Analytical, Independent Sociable, Cooperative Practical, Efficient Ambitious, Energetic Imaginative, Idealistic Mechanic, Farmer, Assembly-Line Worker Biologist, Economist, Mathematician Social Worker, Teacher, Counselor Accountant, Manager Bank Teller Lawyer, Salesperson Painter, Writer, Musician

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 414 Holland’s Six Work Environments Realistic Environment Investigative Environment Artistic Environment Social Environment Enterprising Environment Conventional Environment

Prentice Hall, 2001Fall, 2008 Chapter 4WED 466 – Unit 415 Investigative A I S C E R Realistic Artistic Social Enterprising Conventional Occupational Personality Types

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 416 Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) People have two types of needs. –Biological (survival) –Psychological (social acceptance) These needs give rise to drive states. Work environments have requirements that are analogous to individual needs. Workers select jobs because of the perception that the job will satisfy their needs.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 417 Predicting Worker Success (i.e., worker adjustment) Skills –Job-related skills Aptitudes –Potential to develop job-related skills Personality –Combination of skills and aptitudes

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 418 Values-Based Theory of Occupational Choice Values –Human nature –Person-nature relationship –Time orientation –Activity –Self-control –Social relationships –Collateral –allocentrism

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 419 How Values Develop –Enculturation is the process by which individuals incorporate the beliefs and values of their cultural group and form a values system –Most individuals are monocultural –Acculturation involves the enculturation of beliefs from a culture different from one’s own.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 420 Propositions of Brown’s Values- Based Theory 1.Highly prioritized work values are the most important determinant of career choice from people who value individualism. 2.Individuals who hold collective social values and come from families who hold the same values defer to the wishes of the family in occupational decision- making.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 421 Propositions of Brown’s Values- Based Theory (continued) 3.When taken individually, cultural values regarding activity do not constrain the occupational decision-making process. 4.Males, females, and people from differing cultural groups enter occupations at varying rates. 5.The process of choosing an occupation value involves a series of estimates.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 422 Propositions of Brown’s Values- Based Theory (continued) 6.Occupational success is related to job-related skills acquired in formal and informal educational settings, job-related aptitudes and skills, SES, preparation in the work role, and the extent to which discrimination is experienced. 7.Occupational tenure os partially the result of the match between the cultural and work values of worker, supervisors, and colleagues.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 423 Developmental Theories Super’s Life Span, Life Space Theory Gottfredson’s Theory of Circumscription and Compromise

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 424 Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory 1.People differ in their abilities, personalities, needs, values, interests, traits, and self-concepts. 2.People are qualified, by virtue of these characteristics, each for a number of occupations. 3.Each occupation requires a characteristic pattern of abilities and personality traits.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 425 Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory (continued) 4.Vocational preferences and competencies change with time and experience. 5.The process of change is a series of life stages. –Growth Stage –Exploratory Stage –Establishment Stage –Maintenance Stage –Decline Stage

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 426 Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory (continued) 6.The nature of the career pattern is determined by the individual’s parental socioeconomic level, mental ability, education, skills, personality characteristics, career maturity, and the opportunity to which he/she is exposed. 7.Success in coping with environmental demands depends on the readiness of the individual to cope (career maturity). 8.Career maturity is a hypothetical construct.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 427 Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory (continued) 9.Life stage development can be guided partly by the maturing of abilities and interests and partly by aiding in reality testing and in the development of self concepts. 10.The process of career development is developing and implementing occupational self-concepts. 11.Several factors influence the process of synthesis of or compromise between individual and social factors.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 428 Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory (continued) 12.Work satisfaction and life satisfactions depend on the extent to which the individuals find adequate outlets for abilities, needs, values, interests, personality traits, and self-concepts. 13.The degree of satisfaction people attain from work is proportional to the degree to which they have been able to implement self- concepts. 14.Work and occupation provide a focus for personality organization.

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 429 Gottfredson’s Theory of Circumscription and Compromise Four assumptions regarding how career aspirations develop… 1.Begin in childhood 2.Are attempts to implement one’s self- concept 3.Depend on the degree to which the career is congruent with self-perceptions 4.Are guided by occupational stereotypes

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 430 Cognitive Maps of Occupations Are organized along the dimensions of –Masculinity/femininity of the occupation –Fields of work

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 431 Gottfredson’s Developmental Stages Ages 3-5: Orientation to size and power Ages 6-8: Orientation to sex roles Ages 9-13: Orientation to social valuation Ages 14+: Choices explored

Fall, 2008WED 466 – Unit 432 Summary Theories of career choice and development provide guides to this complex phenomenon. All theories (except Brown’s) are predicated on the belief that the individual holds an independence social value and will chose his/her own occupation. Indiscriminate application of a theory is inappropriate and unethical.