Perceived career barriers and vocational outcomes among university undergraduates: Exploring mediation and moderation effects

This study explores the role of perceived internal and external career barriers on undergraduates' vocational outcomes, such as academic major satisfaction and vocational identity commitment. Moreover, it tests career adaptability as a moderator in the barriers-vocational outcomes link. The study was carried out in three public universities in Lithuania. In total, 288 first and second year undergraduate students took part in it. Results demonstrated internal but not external barriers to be negatively associated with undergraduates' vocational outcomes.     

Changes in femininity,masculinity, and self-regard among women alcoholics in residential treatment

Specially designed scales of Self-Regard, Masculinity, and Femininity were administered to 31 women alcoholics at several times during the course of a residential treatment program and to a comparison group of recovered alcoholics with long records of sobriety. The results show that (1) there is a sharp and immediate increase among alcoholic women in self-esteem during the first 30 days of rehabilitation; (2) this restoration of self-esteem is closely linked with a reaffirmation of femininity in older, but not in younger, women; (3) women with histories of homosexual involvement demonstrate a notably different pattern of self-reassessment.Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services BoardThis study was conducted with the support of grant #AA03185 from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.     

Career adaptability in Lithuania: A test of psychometric properties and a theoretical model

The Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Lithuanian Form consists of four six-item subscales measuring concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. These are thought to be the main dimensions of career adaptability reflecting individual psychosocial resources to cope with occupational transitions, developmental tasks, and work traumas. Two studies were administered in a sample (N  =  767) of Lithuanian high school students. The results showed factor structure to be identical to that of the CAAS-International Form. Moreover, good to excellent scale internal consistency coefficients were obtained. With a slight exception, MIMIC model analysis revealed no major effects of demographic variables upon the CAAS factor or factor indicator scores. Concurrent validity analysis showed career adaptability, as measured by the CAAS-Lithuanian Form, to be significantly related to career aspirations, to the frequency of career exploration behaviors and to career decidedness. Finally, as hypothesized by the career construction model of adaptation, career exploration behaviors mediated the link between career adaptability and decidedness.     

Distinctive Personality Profiles of the Interpersonal Style Inventory

To identify a few homogeneous subgroups with distinct personality profiles, the Interpersonal Style Inventory (ISI) was administered to two samples, each composed of 100 university undergraduates. Ward's hierarchical algorithm and the buildup nonhierarchical cluster analytic program was applied to measures of profile similarity among members of each sample. Of the six clusters that were isolated in the first sample, five were matched at significant levels across the two methods. In the second sample, six clusters were matched across clustering procedures at significant levels. Comparisons across samples disclosed five good matches between clusters generated by the Ward hierarchical algorithm, but only one for the nonhierarchical analytic procedures, These results indicate that most IS1 personality profiles can be classified into five or six categories for purposes of interpretation or prediction.     

The structure of values: Conceptions of the desirable

The study aim was to define currently discernible conceptions of the desirable. An inventory of personal value statements was constructed, administered to two large samples, and factor analyzed. Twelve first order and four higher-level dimensions were identified in both samples. An hypothesis that liberal-conservative attitudes were predictable to a high degree from the authoritarian value orientation was tested and confirmed. Each of the four higher level dimensions was interpretable as a specific ethic or organized set of rules that guide conduct. The four ethics or value dimensions were labeled Acceptance of Authority, Work Ethic, Humanistic Orientation, and Hedonistic Orientation.