SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY

Based on Bandura’s social learning theory and triadic reciprocal interaction system
Similarities to Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory
_ Both emphasize triadic reciprocal interaction system (focusing on environment, personal factors, and behaviors)
_ Thoughts and feelings are a part of career decision-making
Dissimilarities
_ Social Cognitive Career Theory focuses on cognitive processes (such as self-efficacy) that regulate and moderate actions
_ Krumboltz focuses on learning behaviors related to a variety of career concerns
_ Social Cognitive Career Theory is more specific and complex
_ Social Cognitive Career Theory emphasizes individuals’ belief systems that affect behaviors rather than concentrate on the behaviors themselves
_ Based on recent and plentiful research

SELF-EFFICACY
People’s judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances
People with low self-efficacy cannot perform as well on a task
Changing set of beliefs about oneself that varies, depending on the context of the situation
Factors include nature of the task, the people and surroundings that people have contact with, and success on similar tasks
Estimates the ability to accomplish something

OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS
When individuals estimate what the probability of an outcome would be
Refers to what may happen
Includes the anticipation of physical, social, and self-evaluative outcomes

GOALS
Set goals that help to organize their behavior and to guide their actions over various periods of time
Goals are self-motivating and the satisfaction with meeting goals is highly significant

CONTEXTUAL FACTORS: BARRIERS AND SUPPORTS
Background contextual factors - occur as individuals learn about and interact with their culture
Contextal influences proximal to choice behaviors (also called proximal influences - current and directly related to career choice concerns)
Contextual factors may be supports or barriers


THE SOCIAL COGNITIVE MODEL OF CAREER CHOICE

Complex; involves interactions between self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, choice, outcome, and environmental factors
Circular - concepts indirectly or directly affect each other and continue to do so throughout most of the life span.

Self-efficacy and Outcome Expectations lead to Interests
- Interests that are likely to persist across time arise from activities that people feel they are effective in completing and in succeeding in.

Interest lead to Choice Goals
- People’s interests affect their intent to do certain activities and their goals that relate to activities.

Goals lead to Choice Actions
- The goals that individuals choose affect the actions that they take to achieve the goals

Choice Actions lead to Performance Outcomes
- The actions that people take greatly affect the outcome of their performance

Performance Outcomes lead to Learning Experiences lead to Self-Efficacy/Outcome Expectations

Outcome Expectations lead to Choice Goals

Self-Efficacy affect (Interests), (Choice Actions), (Performance Outcomes)
- One’s belief in oneself is a major force that directly affects one’s career goals, choice actions, and performance outcomes



THE ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION

Non-biased, accurate, career information important for all people
Information helps individuals develop their own abilities and make good career choices
Education helps individuals increase skill levels and sense of self-efficacy

THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS

Assessment information helpful to clients to use in making career decisions
Counselor uses assessment information to support clients’ self-efficacy beliefs
Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale is used to measure aspects of career decision self-efficacy

APPLYING SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY TO WOMEN

Studies show occupational self-efficacy predicts interests and career choice
Women scored lower on occupational self-efficacy for non-traditional occupations and higher for traditionally female occupations
Women see more barriers to occupational success than men.

APPLYING SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS

Recent research studies barriers to occupational attainment experienced by diverse cultural groups.

Support from the theory with Japanese, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans

COUNSELOR ISSUES

Important for counselors to be aware of their own social biases.
Counselors should be aware of types of barriers experienced by culturally diverse populations.
Counselors should be aware of differences between clients’ outcome expectations and the counselors’ expectations for clients.
Similarly, clients should be aware of differences between client’s goals for themselves and counselor goals for clients.