University of Education, Winneba Mid-Semester Exam 2024 PDF

UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA FACULTY OF APPLIED BEHAVIOURIAL SCIENCES IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY NAME: AUGUSTINE ATO KAKRABA WILLIAMS-MENSAH INDEX NUMBER: 5230170152 COURSE TITLE: THEORIES OF VOCATIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT COURSE CODE: CPSY 244 LECTURER'S NAME: M...

UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA FACULTY OF APPLIED BEHAVIOURIAL SCIENCES IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY NAME: AUGUSTINE ATO KAKRABA WILLIAMS-MENSAH INDEX NUMBER: 5230170152 COURSE TITLE: THEORIES OF VOCATIONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT COURSE CODE: CPSY 244 LECTURER'S NAME: MRS. VERONICA EGGLEY DATE: 17^TH^ SEPTEMBER, 2024 MID-SEMESTER EXAMINATION Discuss the Social Cognitive Career Theory. How do self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and personal goals influence career development? THE SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY **Introduction** The Social Cognitive Career theory is a career development theory which was propounded in 1994 by Robert Lent, Steven Brown and Gail Hacket. It is based on Albert Bandura's Socio-cognitive Theory. According to this theory, career development is influenced by self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and personal goals. Nevertheless, it does not fail to acknowledge the influence of other environmental factors on career development. The purpose of this essay is to discuss in detail the Socio-cognitive theory and critically examine the influence of self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and personal goals on career development. The term "self-efficacy" was coined by Bandura (Pearson, 2017). To put it simply, Self-efficacy is the confidence a person has in their ability to accomplish given tasks within a career or educational settings. Self-efficacy beliefs are developed through an individual's accomplishments, learning examples, social influence and mental state. If an individual is able to get the grade required to enter medical school, for example, it gives them the confidence that they can pursue a career in the medical field. Also, the things that individuals observe from others such as the consequences of their actions may affect the development of self-efficacy (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2017)). For example, if Kwame's brother has followed the legal professional path and succeeded, Kwame may believe that he is also capable of achieving success in the same field. Social influences play a vital role in the career development of individuals (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2017). Peers have as much influence as parents on the development of an individual's self-efficacy belief. They can either increase a person's self-efficacy or reduce it. Afterall, it is common knowledge that people almost always depend on parents and peers for advice on many issues, not excluding career decision making. Take Joel, a Junior High school student who has friends that always tell him that he is very good at math and can therefore become an accountant. As time goes on, Joel will begin to have confidence in his ability to thrive in the career field of an accountant. Afterall, we all need a mirror to tell us about ourselves. The way a person feels can help to develop their self-efficacy (Niles &Harris-Bowlsbey, 2017). For example, a person who feels he or she is not capable of teaching or becoming a Medical Doctor may change their careers to something more suitable for them. Outcome expectations are an individual's beliefs of the potential consequences of their actions (Rogers & Creed, 2011). They are formed through the past experiences of the individual and the perceived results of those experiences (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2017). Simply put, outcome expectations are what the individual believes will happen due to an action taken. For example, an individual may believe that changing careers will leave them unemployed and financially unstable. To illustrate more clearly, take Ama who works as a secretary at the Rosvi Municipal Hospital. She wants to get a University degree which will enable her to apply for a higher position at the work place. However, she is told that she will not receive a study leave with or without pay. In her opinion, the only option, if she really wants to move up the ladder in terms of academics is to leave the job. Unfortunately, she is a single mother and therefore cannot afford to leave the job. This may affect her career development since she is stuck at a job she does not like. Personal goals are the intentions a person has to engage in specific behaviours (Rogers & Creed, 2011). They are used to organize and guide behaviour (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2017). The goals or targets individuals have for themselves may influence their career development. For example, a person who sets a goal of becoming a Medical Doctor will work towards that goal. To illustrate more clearly, take Michael who has wanted to become a footballer since Primary One. This personal goal he has can influence him to take actions in line with this goal. He may choose to enter a football academy or practice footballing on his own. Both options may be chosen in line with his personal goal of becoming a footballer. He may also choose only one option. In any case he will be in the process of actually achieving his goals. The theory also recognizes the importance of Bandura's Triadic Reciprocal Model. The Triadic Reciprocal Model proposes that there are three factors that affect people's decision making: the individual (including how they think and feel), their behaviour and the environment (Cherry, 2023). Bandura says that there is a mutual interdependence among the three factors (Little, 2018). The individual's personality can have an influence on how they behave. How a person thinks and feels can cause them to act in a certain way or display a certain behaviour (Ferguson, 2022). Take Samuel for example, who is a very lazy student. In this case his lazy attitude or personality can lead him to avoid studying. The behaviour of an individual also can cause changes in his environment. For example, a person who studies hard will pass his exams. This can give him better opportunities at the workplace like a new office upon promotion to a higher position. In that same vein, the environment a person finds themselves in can influence their behaviour ( ). This is especially true for those who attend low quality educational schools. They may enter a new school as bright students but end up as very poor students. Incidents like this can happen due to low quality of the newer school. The Social Cognitive Career Theory can be applied across many settings and for diverse groups. These include Asian American, Latin-American as well as Mexican-American women (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2017). Although this theory addresses certain factors in career development, it also has some limitations. One of the limitations of the theory is that it assumes that external forces and circumstances can be changed by the client (Dickinson et al., 2017). Not every situation can be changed. External circumstances like the death of a loved one can have a profound effect on a person's career development. In this case, the client will simply have to be helped to move on in life despite their grief. Also, despite the fact the theory has been proven to work when applied to a variety of diverse ethnic groups, there is very limited research for its application on African-American populations (Dickinson et al., 2017). **CONCLUSION** In conclusion, there are many theories that talk about career development of individuals. Nevertheless, in order for the counsellor to assist the client adequately, there are times that require the application of more than one career development theory. A competent counsellor should know how to apply the theories as and when they are suitable for the client. This is to ensure that the holistic well-being of the client is achieved at the end of the counselling relationship. REFERENCES Cherry, K (2023). What is Reciprocal Determinism?: This theory explores the role our behaviour plays in our environment. [[www.verywellmind.com]](http://www.verywellmind.com) Dickinson, J., Abrams, M.D., & Tokar, D.M. (2017). *An examination of the applicability of Social Cognitive Career Theory for African American college students.* Journal of Career Assessment, *25*(1), 75-92. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1069072716658648 Ferguson, S. (2022). All About Human Personality: Definition, Disorders, and Theories. *PsychCentral.* [[https://psychcentral.com/health/what-is-personality]](https://psychcentral.com/health/what-is-personality) Little, B. (2018). Reciprocal Determinism. In Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds). Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. [[https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8−1807-1]](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8%E2%88%921807-1) Niles, S.G. & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2017). *Career development interventions in the 21^st^ Century* (5^th^ ed.). Pearson. Pearson (2017). *Career development interventions*: Chapter 3, understanding and applying emerging theories of career development \[PowerPoint presentation\]. Rogers, M.E., & Creed, P.A. (2011). *A longitudinal examination of adolescent career planning and exploration using a social cognitive career theory framework.* Journal of Adolescence, *34*(1), 163-172. [[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.12.010]](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.12.010)