Degree Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2014
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Patrick Armstrong
Second Advisor
David Vogel
Abstract
Career distress has a negative effect on college retention rates (Sharkin, 2004), psychological well-being (Hartman & Fuqua, 1983) and future career choices (Turner & Berry, 2000). While career indecision and the related distress it causes can be reduced with appropriate sources of help, many students do not seek these services. Few studies have examined the factors that lead to avoidance of the use of career service on college campuses. Therefore, to address this omission in the literature, the current investigation explored the links between indices related to career/major distress (i.e., congruence/incongruence) and help-seeking attitudes among a sample of college undergraduates (N = 741). Results of regression analyses suggest that incongruence, as measured by Occupational Euclidean Distance, uniquely predicted 2.7% of the variance in attitudes towards seeking professional help. Furthermore, this link was moderated by one unique career-related factor (i.e., career decision-making self-efficacy) and by the interaction of gender and self-stigma associated with seeking counseling. Specifically, the addition of the interaction terms added an additional 1.7 percent to the variance of the regression model including all study variables. Implications for researchers and clinicians interested in understanding incongruence and enhancing career service utilization are discussed.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-180810-390
Copyright Owner
Sara Schwatken
Copyright Date
2014
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
158 pages
Recommended Citation
Schwatken, Sara, "Incongruence and attitudes toward career counseling" (2014). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13701.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13701