In this study, we examined relations among trait anxiety, coping types, career decision making, and state anxiety related to career decision making. The participants were 248 undergraduate students from a private university in the New York metropolitan area. Trait and state anxiety were measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form X; Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Lushene, 1970). Career decidedness or indecision was measured by the Vocational Decision Scale (Jones, 1977). Coping types were determined by an adaptation of the Van Sell, Latack, and Schuler (1980) Coping Scale. Trait anxiety and low sense of personal efficacy (not using Type II coping) were the primary predictors of career undecidedness. The results of three discriminant function analyses revealed that students in this study who experienced high trait anxiety and did not use Type II coping were likely to experience high state anxiety and were not likely to make a career decision. Counseling implications are discussed.

No abstract