Career-related parental behaviors, adolescents' consideration of future consequences, and career adaptability: A three-wave longitudinal study

Yue LIANG, Nan ZHOU, Kai DOU, Hongjian CAO, Jianbin LI, Qinglu WU, Yuxuan LIANG, Zhong LIN, Yangang NIE

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28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Career adaptability is a critical psychological resource for adolescents during their transition from secondary to postsecondary education. Based on prospective data from 451 Chinese adolescents (M = 16.87, SD = 0.63; 46.3% female), this study examined the mediating role of adolescents' consideration of future consequences (CFCS) in the association between career-related parental behaviors and adolescents' career adaptability. Results demonstrated that career-related parental support at Wave 1 was associated positively with adolescents' career adaptability and its subdimensions (i.e., career concern, control, curiosity, and confidence) at Wave 3 (i.e., 10 months later). Adolescents' CFCS at Wave 2 (i.e., 5 months later after Wave 1) served as a mediator linking career-related parental support at Wave 1 and career concern, control, and curiosity, but not confidence at Wave 3. Neither parental lack of engagement nor interference at Wave 1 predicted adolescents' career adaptability at Wave 3. These results suggest that interventions assisting parents in performing supportive behaviors, such as engaging in adolescents' career exploration activities and offering information about various kinds of jobs, might be useful strategies to foster adolescents' curiosity and confidence in choosing future career paths. Additionally, counselors and parents may offer adolescents strategies to strengthen their abilities to consider the potential influences of their current behaviors on future career paths (e.g., prioritizing behaviors and activities related to their future career paths over activities that only provide immediate or short-term gratification) to promote their capabilities of coping with challenges during the career transition period. Copyright © 2020 American Psychological Association.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)208-221
JournalJournal of Counseling Psychology
Volume67
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020

Citation

Liang, Y., Zhou, N., Dou, K., Cao, H., Li, J.-B., Wu, Q., . . . Nie, Y. (2020). Career-related parental behaviors, adolescents' consideration of future consequences, and career adaptability: A three-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(2), 208-221. doi: 10.1037/cou0000413

Keywords

  • Career-related parental behaviors
  • Career adaptability
  • CFCS
  • Career development
  • Chinese adolescents

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