The processes that underlie career-related preferences and the readiness to make compromises were investigated. In Study 1, 3,265 monitored dialogues with a computer-assisted career guidance system were analyzed. In Study 2, the occupational preferences of 60 young adults elicited by detailed questionnaires were analyzed. Within-subject analyses in both studies supported the following hypotheses: (a) The perceived importance of an aspect is positively correlated with the degree of extremity of preference; (b) the perceived importance of an aspect is negatively correlated with the readiness to compromise in it; (c) the perceived importance of an aspect is positively correlated with the variance in the individual's preferences; and (d) the readiness to compromise depends on the preferences within an aspect. These findings are discussed in light of the roles of preferences and compromises in career decisions.

No abstract