Career choice of Asian Americans in the investigative and social domains: The influences of personal and parental variables
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of self-efficacy beliefs, parental outcome expectations, outcome expectations, and interests on Asian American college students' career goals in the Investigative and Social career domains. Participants were 152 Asian American college students from five different state universities in the Midwestern United States. Separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted across gender and various career domains with self-efficacy beliefs, parental outcome expectations, self outcome expectations, and interests as predictor variables and career goals as a criterion variable. Findings indicated that the hypothesized effects of self-efficacy beliefs, parental outcome expectations, self outcome expectations, and interests on Asian American students' career goals were different across gender and career domains, with a better fit in the Investigative (i.e., Math/Science) domain than in the Social domain. In the Investigative domain, the effects of all four predictor variables on career goals were significant for both genders. The effects of self outcome expectations and interests on career goals were direct, whereas the effects of self-efficacy and parental outcome expectations were indirect through self outcome expectations in the Investigative domain. In the Social domain, only parental outcome expectations, outcome expectations, and interests were significant predictors of female Asian American students' career goals. For male Asian American students, interest was not a significant predictor of career goals in the Social domain. Across gender and career domains, the influence of parental outcome expectations on career goals was mediated by self outcome expectations. Self outcome expectation was the strongest predictor of Asian American students' career goals in the Investigative and Social domains. Implications for future research and counseling are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Kwan, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Academic guidance counseling|Vocational education|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Minority & ethnic groups|Sociology
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