Difficulties in Career Decision Making and Self-Evaluations: A Meta-Analysis. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Udayar, Shagini; Levin, Nimrod; Lipshits-Braziler, Yuliya; Rochat, Shékina; Di Fabio, Annamaria; Gati, Itamar; Sovet, Laurent; Rossier, Jérôme
• Is Part Of: Journal of career assessment. Volume 28:Number 4(2020:Nov.)
• Page Start: 608
• Page End: 635
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: career indecision -- indecisiveness -- self-efficacy -- self-esteem -- meta-analysis; Vocational guidance -- Periodicals; 331.702
• DOI: 10.1177/1069072720910089
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1069-0727

Abstract

This meta-analysis examined the association between two types of difficulties in career decision making—indecision and indecisiveness—and four types of self-evaluations: generalized self-efficacy, process-related self-efficacy, content-related self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Analyses were conducted on data from 86 studies ( N = 54, 160): Process-related self-efficacy showed stronger negative associations with career indecision than did generalized self-efficacy, content-related self-efficacy, or self-esteem. In contrast, self-esteem showed stronger negative associations with indecisiveness than with career indecision. The second part of this meta-analysis focused on differential associations between two types of self-evaluations (process-related self-efficacy and self-esteem) and the three major clusters of difficulties in career decision making (lack of readiness, lack of information, and inconsistent information). Based on 19 studies ( N = 7, 953), the findings showed that process-related self-efficacy was strongly and negatively associated with lack of information and inconsistent information. In contrast, self-esteem was only weakly related to the three major clusters of difficulties in career decision making. In showing that each type of self-evaluation was more strongly associated with certain types and causes of difficulties in career decision making, the present article highlighted the importance of self-evaluations in the career decision-making process.