Relationship among Dysfunctional Career Thoughts, Interest Profile Elevation, and Ability Self-Estimates

This study used the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI; Sampson et al., 1996b) and the Self-Directed Search, 5th Edition (SDS; Holland & Messer, 2013) to examine the relationships among dysfunctional career thoughts, interest profile elevation, and ability self-estimates among a population of individual career counseling clients. The sample included undergraduate, graduate, and community members seeking individual counseling at a university career center (N=86). The CTI was used as a measure dysfunctional career thoughts, specifically, decision-making confusion and commitment anxiety. The SDS was used as a measure of interest profile elevation and ability self-estimates. Multiple regression analyses found significant relationships among decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, interest profile elevation, and ability self-estimates. Results indicated that dysfunctional career thoughts captured 16% of variance in interest profile elevation and 12.6% of variance in ability self-estimates. A MANOVA analysis was performed to determine differences in level of dysfunctional career thoughts (high, moderate, and low) in terms of interest profile elevation and ability self-estimates. Results revealed non-significant differences and thus further analyses were not performed. A discussion of the findings is offered, which includes examination of the results and possible confounds or limitations. Implications for theory, research, practice and policy are discussed, in addition to suggestions for future research.