Concept and Relevance of Vocational Interests in Career Development: A Theoretical Study

Abstract

Vocational interests have been researched since the early twentieth century. During that time several theories about career development addressed the importance of their evaluation. The aim of this paper is to present conceptual defi nitions and developmental processes of interests according to four theories widely publicized, including in the Brazilian context. Thus, from the review of the Theory of Vocational Personalities, the Developmental Theory, the Socio-Cognitive Theory of Career Development and Constructivist Theory of Savickas was found that there is no conceptual oppositions between the defi nitions. But the current literature supports the concept of trait or disposition relatively stable to respond to environmental stimuli. Regarding the assumptions underlying the formulation of interests there are emphasis differences in some variables, for example, learning experiences and sociocultural conditions. It emphasizes the need for further research, especially in the national context, that has a longitudinal design, seeks to contextualize the variables involved in the development process, and build assessment tools that can be used in educational and organizational contexts.

Vocational interests and professional choice self-efficacy of adolescents and youngsters

“…Although the TSCDC shares this general assumption (Lent et al, 1994), this model includes other resources that complement the choice process, with interests becoming secondary since they are preceded by self-efficacy and expected outcome and that the choice motivation becomes driven more by the goals than by the congruence. However, even with the approach differences, the two theories share the fact that interests stabilize throughout life and that they can lead individuals towards their occupational choices (Lamas, 2017), which justifies the search for associations between variables.…”