Resumo

CUPANI, Marcos  e  PEREZ, Edgardo R.. Career goals: Contribution of vocational interests, self-efficacy, and personality traits. Interdisciplinaria [online]. 2006, vol.23, n.1, pp.81-100. ISSN 1668-7027.

The improvement of self-knowledge about certain psychological variables (such as interests, abilities, personality traits, etc.) as a part of the vocational counseling processes helps clients make successful choices. Several instruments related to career counseling had been previously developed in Argentina: Professional Interests Questionnaire -CIP- (Fogliatto, 1991), Multiple Intelligence Self-efficacy Inventory (IAMI) (Pérez, 2001), and the Computer-Based Career System (SOVI) (Fogliatto, & Pérez, 2003). Recently, Pérez, Cupani, and Beltramino (2004) adapted an inventory that evaluates personality traits (16PF-IPIP); indexes that are well known to give great contributions to the prediction of some career key variables. A common denominator that unifies the traditional criterion- validity studies of some instruments realized in Córdoba (Argentina) is the use of bivariate designs. Nevertheless, there is a growing trend to include multivariate procedures in psychometrical studies. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to verify the explanatory contribution of each of the above mentioned independent variables (that is, interests, personality traits and self-efficacy) to the expression of career choice goals by means of a multivariate design. The fourth version of CIP(Pérez & Cupani, 2006), IAMI (Pérez, 2001), 16PF-IPIP (Pérez, Cupani, & Beltramino, 2004) and the Career Choice Intentions Inventory -CIEC- (Pérez, 2001) were tested in a sample of high-school students of Córdoba (Argentina). A step wise regression analysis was employed in order to scrutinize the results. Independent variables were entered in the explanatory model following the order suggested by the Social Cognitive Career Theory: personality traits were included first, self-efficacy variables were entered in the second step, and vocational interest indexes were included in the last step. The dependent variables considered under analysis were each of the factors evaluated by the CIEC. After the explanatory capability of the theoretical model as a whole was analyzed, it could be concluded that: (a) explanatory strength of the psychological model including that includes vocational interests, personality traits and multiple intelligence self-efficacy as effective predictors is considerable (46% of the career choice goal variance is explained by the independent variables), (b) the interests variable by itself explained 18% of the career choice goals variance approximately. Additionally, it appeared evident that: Technology, Education and Orientation, Companies, Laws, Health, Nature, and Art CIP-4 scales make independent contribution to the explanation of the dependent variable, (c) explanatory contribution of self-efficacy is also important given that this attribute explains by itself approximately 19% of the career choice goals variance. Prediction effectiveness of Bodily-Kinesthetic, Naturalist and Spatial IAMI scales is here outlined, and (d) personality traits explained approximately 9% of the career choice goals. Only three scales make a significant specific contribution at this point: Stability, Calmness and Confidence (facets of Neuroticism factor). When personality traits are entered in the model in absence of self-efficacy and interests scales, independent contributions of the following scales were evident: Sensitivity and Warmth (facets of Agreeableness factor), Friendliness and Assertiveness (facets of Extraversion factor), and Intellect (facet of Openness factor). However, straight explanatory contribution of personality traits was significantly inferior when compared with the explanatory contribution of vocational interests and self-efficacy. The present results give substantial support to expert postulations (Lowman, 1991) that propose the inclusion of vocational interests, intelligence and personality measures in order to improve career counseling effectiveness.

Palavras-chave : Self-efficacy; Personality traits; Vocational interests; Career choice goals; Social Cognitive Career Theory.

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