Moving From Classical Test Theory to the Evaluation of Usefulness: A Theoretical and Practical Examination of Alternative Approaches to the Development of Career Tools for Job Seekers

This article critiques the common use of principles of classical test theory (CTT) as the key means of assessing the effectiveness of career instruments for employment counseling. The authors argue that excessive reliance on CTT has hindered the development of career assessment tools that better meet the diverse and changing needs of those seeking guidance in their career choice. The authors argue for an alternative paradigm based on notions of usefulness. A computerized career tool is evaluated to illustrate the limitations of CTT and the benefit of alternative methodologies for the assessment of instruments designed to provide effective career guidance.     

环境条件和兴趣对大学生妥协决策的影响

研究旨在考察个体在选择职业时是否会为了更好的环境条件(组织、城市)而降低对兴趣的要求。对63名大学生被试开展了两个实验,采用在环境条件和兴趣水平上有不同程度差异的职位配对来模拟两难决策。结果发现:(1)对不同组织声望和兴趣水平的职位的选择无性别差异;(2)组织声望差距、组织声望差距与兴趣差距的交互作用能显著预测职位的选择;(3)对不同城市级别和兴趣水平的职位的选择有性别差异,男生比女生更少放弃兴趣;(4)兴趣差距、城市级别差距与兴趣差距的交互作用能预测男生的选择,只有兴趣差距能预测女生的选择。结论:个体会为了更好的环境而或多或少在兴趣方面妥协。     

To hangover or not: trajectories of job satisfaction in adolescent workforce newcomers

The development of job satisfaction during the first months on the job often indicates a honeymoon hangover, with high levels of job satisfaction gradually declining. This effect is often explained by disappointed expectations that are informed by previous job experiences. However, research has not established whether a hangover pattern could also be observed in individuals without previous work experience. We explored the development of job satisfaction with 4 assessment points across the first 4 months after starting vocational training among 357 Swiss adolescents. On average, a hangover pattern in job satisfaction was confirmed. Using person-centred growth mixture modelling, we identified two groups with distinct trajectories. Although a majority showed a hangover pattern, a third of participants showed stable, high job satisfaction. We presumed that adolescents with more contextual and personal resources (i.e., perceived social support, occupational self-efficacy, core self-evaluations, and perceived person–job fit) would be more likely to avoid a hangover pattern. Results confirmed that the two groups differed significantly in all these resources, with the high stable satisfaction group showing higher resources. The results illustrate the importance of a diverse set of resources to facilitate a positive trajectory of job satisfaction at the beginning of work life.     

Retrospective Predictors of Successful Career Change Among Older Workers: Perceived Objective Success Versus Perceived Subjective Success

An increasing number of older workers are attempting career changes; however, little is known about the antecedents or outcomes of these changes. Results indicate that perceived objective and perceived subjective career‐change success are predicted by different combinations of variables. Implications for both future research and practice are discussed.     

Towards an evidence‐base for student wellbeing and mental health: Definitions,developmental transitions and data sets

Against a background of huge changes in the world of university and college students since the turn of the millennium, together with a multitude of reports on student mental health/wellbeing, this article argues that the field of student mental health is hampered by the imprecise use of terms, a rush to action by universities in the absence of a robust evidence‐base, and a lack of overall coordination and collaboration in the collection and use of data. In response, we argue for clearer and more consistent use of definitions of, as well as differentiations between, student wellbeing and mental health, for a longitudinal approach to the student body that captures their developmental transitions to and through university, and a strategic and systematic approach to the use of bona fide measures in the collection of data on wellbeing and on the process of outcomes in embedded university counselling services. Such a coordinated approach will provide the necessary evidence‐base upon which to develop and deliver appropriate support and interventions to underpin and enhance the quality of students’ lives and learning while at university or college.     

生涯适应力和员工离职意向的关系：职业生涯成功的作用

为了探讨生涯适应力对员工离职意向的作用机制,通过分析193名企业员工的问卷,采用Bootstrap法进行中介和调节分析,并采用Johnson-Neyman 法对职业满意度的调节效应进行量化分析。结果表明：（1）生涯适应力通过感知到的组织内职业竞争力负向作用离职意向,通过感知到的组织外职业竞争力正向作用离职意向;（2）职业满意度（主观生涯适应力）调节生涯适应力对离职意向的直接和间接影响。当职业满意度达到中等及以上水平时,生涯适应力的增大会直接减少离职意向,但间接的通过感知到的组织外职业竞争力增加离职意向。因此,提高员工的生涯适应力和职业满意度只能在一定程度上减少离职意向。     

The psychological coping,learning potential and career preferences profiles of operational force military candidates

The aim of this study was to profile the psychological coping, learning potential and career-related interests of 251 candidates for operational force military selection for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) – 26 of whom were successful in the selection. Data on their sense of meaning, learning potential and career-related interest were gathered using standardised measures supplemented with open-ended responses. The data were analysed to compare the profiles of the successful candidates against those not selected. The selected group showed significantly higher mean scores on meaningfulness and learning potential, and lower scores for career-related interest in law and medicine. Findings suggest that psychological coping, learning potential and career-related preference information can be used to refine the selection of operational force military candidates.     

School-Based Mental Health Services: Definitions and Models of Effective Practice

ABSTRACT

School-based mental health services are those delivered by school-employed and community-employed providers in school buildings. With the implementation of provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) that funds school-based health centers, school-based mental health services could become more broadly available in communities throughout the United States. Playing a pivotal role in promoting models for school-based services that maximize benefits to children and adolescents while making efficient use of communities' mental health resources are school psychologists. School psychologists, who recognize and respect the separated development of school and community mental health professions, can foster school–agency partnerships to coordinate children's mental health services that are comprehensive, child centered, family focused, and culturally competent. In this article, we provide three case examples using the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model (B. K. Nastasi, R. B. Moore, & K. M. Varjas, 2004 Nastasi, B. K., Moore, R. B., & Varjas, K. M. (2004). School-based mental health services: Creating comprehensive and culturally specific programs. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. [Google Scholar]) as exemplars for the implementation of community partnerships providing comprehensive culturally and contextually relevant school-based mental health services.     

Ritual and Recovery: Traditions in Disaster Ritualizing

The aim of this article is partly to analyze and discuss the ritual traditions in the Norwegian context, called disaster services, which consists in ritualizing as a response to accidents and disasters. Furthermore, we find it relevant to understand these traditions in relation to two aspects of recovery: personal and social recovery. From a practical theological perspective, the new traditions are interesting for the understanding of how the churches work in situations where people have stressful experiences, and for developing an understanding of contemporary religion.     

The Effectiveness of Two Positive Career Counseling Modules for Working Parents in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of 2 positive career counseling modules—the strength‐centered career counseling (SCC) module and the goal‐oriented career counseling module—for working parents in Taiwan (23 men and 28 women). The study used an experimental design, and the instruments were the Personal Growth Initiative Scale, Job Satisfaction Inventory, and Career Self‐Efficacy Scale. A within‐subjects analysis of variance indicated that both modules were effective in personal growth initiative and career self‐efficacy, and SCC particularly had continuous effects on both of them. Advanced versions for the 2 modules and implications for future practice are discussed.