M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the idea that a late adolescent's career exploration activities may be influenced by levels of attachment to and psychological separation from family, family health, and family structure. It was proposed that higher levels of self and environmental exploration would be associated with positive family relationships and adequate levels of psychological separation and attachment. Cognitive and demographic variables were included as control measures. Measures of family health, attachment, separation, family structure, career exploration, career decision making self efficacy, and beliefs in the usefulness of engaging in self and environmental exploration were administered to 304 undergraduates from intact families. Multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the contribution of the independent variables measuring family processes to the variability in the dependent variables of self and environmental exploration, after controlling for the variability associated with the control measures. The demographic variables were age, gender, class standing, and decision status about a major. Results indicated that the best predictors of career exploration in late adolescence were the cognitive variables. Beliefs in the usefulness of self exploration were the best predictor of self exploration, whereas career decision making self efficacy was the best predictor of environmental exploration. Measures of attachment and psychological separation were not substantially related to career exploration. A weak relationship between family structure and self exploration was found, however contrary to theoretical predictions, it suggested that problems in the parent child relationship may facilitate rather than inhibit this career development activity. Findings also suggested a relationship between variables of family processes and career decision making self efficacy. Future research might explore the idea that separation, attachment and family variables influence cognitive beliefs, which in turn effect career development. The demographic variables emerged as minimally important in predicting exploratory behavior. Results were discussed with regard to theory and research in career exploration.

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of journalism students in Dallas high schools toward the meanings and images of journalism careers. Eleven out of eighteen Dallas high schools participated. A total of 211 respondents, 145 females and 66 males, completed the questionnaire. The first part of the analysis involved the comparison through percentage tables illustrating the similarities and differences of the groups. The second part of the analysis involved the semantic differential scales and the mean profile comparisons for the groups. Although the seven branches of journalism did differ significantly from one another, the male and female subjects did not differ significantly in their meanings of the concepts.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 141-145. / by Mark S. Plovnick. / Ph.D.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the sources of occupational segregation between men and women. Specifically, three hypotheses are tested. First, do stiff specific training requirements for an occupation increase the likelihood that it is male-dominated, as would be expected from human capital theory? Second, do differences in perceived natural ability between the sexes heavily influence the possibility of an occupation being male- or female-dominated? Finally, do differences in preferences for job attributes between men and women influence the chance of whether an occupation will be male- or female-dominated? The data used in this study cover 495 occupations from 1979 in which on-the-job worker requirements are provided describing workers' level and type of education, natural ability, on-the-job environmental conditions, and physical demands. Occupations are divided into three categories: female-dominated, male-dominated, or neutral. The empirical model uses a multinomial approach to estimate the log of the odds that an occupation is male-dominated relative to being neutral and the log of the odds that an occupation is female-dominated relative to being neutral. The results of this study imply that sizable specific training requirements for an occupation increase the likelihood that it is male-dominated and higher levels of general education requirements increase the possibility that an occupation is female-dominated. There is evidence to support the hypothesis that differences between the sexes' perceived abilities contribute to occupational segregation. Most on-the-job environmental conditions and physical demands do not affect the likelihood that an occupation is male- or female-dominated in contrast to the traditional claim that women prefer more desirable working conditions than men. / Graduation date: 1994

Thesis (DPhil(Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 1997. / Abstract in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

This study examines the fit between students’ interests and their academic choices at different stages of their college careers. Using image theory (Beach, 1990) as an integrated theory of person-vocation fit, this investigation focuses on the stability of academic fit during college and the relationship between fit with academic choice and fit with occupational choice. Participants, 257 students in their final year at Rice University, responded to questions about their interests as well as factors that may influence their career choices, such as parental support, work centrality, career efficacy, and employment potential. Results showed that students tend to improve their fit with their academic major during their first four semesters. And, students tend to maintain or improve their fit when they select their first occupation after college. Of the factors considered to influence career choices, work centrality, or the importance one places on work, moderated the relationship between academic and occupational fit.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 98-102.

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