Cross‐Cultural Comparison of the Effects of Optimism, Intrinsic Motivation, and Family Relations on Vocational Identity

Abstract

This study explored the effects of optimism, intrinsic motivation, and family relations on vocational identity in college students in the United States and South Korea. The results yielded support for the hypothesized multivariate model. Across both cultures, optimism was an important contributing factor to vocational identity, and intrinsic motivation partially mediated the link from optimism to vocational identity. In addition, family relations moderated the mediation effect of intrinsic motivation with American students but not Korean students. With Korean students, family relations moderated the direct link from optimism to vocational identity. These results have significant implications for counseling to promote vocational identity development for diverse college students.

Serving the Developmental and Learning Needs of the 21st Century Diverse College Student Population: A Review of Literature

“…Positive outlook, or optimism was an important cross-cultural factor, and intrinsic motivation was partially responsible for optimism leading to the development of a vocational identity for both groups (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). However, only in American culture did family have an impact on development of a vocational identity (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013).…”

“…Positive outlook, or optimism was an important cross-cultural factor, and intrinsic motivation was partially responsible for optimism leading to the development of a vocational identity for both groups (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). However, only in American culture did family have an impact on development of a vocational identity (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Lack of family support can dampen optimism and inhibit the development of traits that lead to different career paths, and in western cultures, families support individualism, which can create optimism about multiple career pathways (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013).…”

“…However, only in American culture did family have an impact on development of a vocational identity (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Lack of family support can dampen optimism and inhibit the development of traits that lead to different career paths, and in western cultures, families support individualism, which can create optimism about multiple career pathways (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Eastern cultures value the collective over the individual, thus creating more control over career choice and limiting individual autonomy (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013).…”

“…Lack of family support can dampen optimism and inhibit the development of traits that lead to different career paths, and in western cultures, families support individualism, which can create optimism about multiple career pathways (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Eastern cultures value the collective over the individual, thus creating more control over career choice and limiting individual autonomy (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Families can be supportive of the career development in both cultures, but western cultures more often support individual choice of career, whereas, eastern cultures believe career choice should be a family decision (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013).…”

“…Eastern cultures value the collective over the individual, thus creating more control over career choice and limiting individual autonomy (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Families can be supportive of the career development in both cultures, but western cultures more often support individual choice of career, whereas, eastern cultures believe career choice should be a family decision (Yun-Jeong & Kelly, 2013). Again, the results have important implications for college career counseling, which tends to develop interventions and programming from a western cultural perspective (Athanasou, 2011).…”