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The Relationships Among Career Decidedness, Satisfaction with Choice, Goal Instability, and Dysfunctional Career Thoughts

The present study investigated relationships among variables of career decidedness, satisfaction with career choice, goal instability, decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, and external conflict through structural equation modeling in a sample of college students (N = 278). The Occupational Alternatives Question (OAQ; Zener & Schnuelle, 1972; modified by Slaney, 1980) and Satisfaction with Choice Question (SCQ; Zener & Schnuelle, 1972; modified by Holland, Gottfredson, & Nafziger, 1975), were used to measure individual’s career decidedness (i.e., decided or undecided), satisfaction with career choice (i.e., satisfied or dissatisfied). The Goal Instability Scale (GIS; Robbins & Patton, 1985) was used to measure the latent variable of goal instability. The Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI; Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996a), with Decision Making Confusion (DMC), Commitment Anxiety (CA), and External Conflict (EC) subscales were used to measure latent variables of decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, and external conflict, respectively. Results indicated that (a) decision-making confusion and commitment anxiety had direct effects on goal instability; (b) decision-making confusion and commitment anxiety had direct effects on career decidedness; (c) decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, external conflict, and goal instability had direct effects on satisfaction with choice. A discussion of limitations and implications for theory, research, and practice are provided. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2017. / June 1, 2017. / Includes bibliographical references. / James P. Sampson, Jr. , Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Debra Osborn, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Gerald Ferris, University Representative; Janet Lenz, Committee Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_650282
ContributorsHou, Pei-Chun (author), Sampson, James P. (professor co-directing dissertation), Osborn, Debra S., 1968- (professor co-directing dissertation), Ferris, Gerald R. (university representative), Lenz, Janet G., 1953- (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (degree granting departmentdgg)
PublisherFlorida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text, doctoral thesis
Format1 online resource (121 pages), computer, application/pdf

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