Interactive Effects of Physical Disability Severity and Age of Disability Onset on RIASEC Self-Efficacies

Abstract

In this study, the authors focused on the context of physical disabilities (i.e., one’s age when a disability manifests and the severity with which it impacts major life activities) to better understand how disabilities influence vocational self-efficacies. Consistent with Social Cognitive Career Theory, age of onset moderated the relationship between disability severity and self-efficacies in the Realistic, Artistic, Social, and Conventional vocational domains. Specifically, disability severity had a strong, negative impact on self-efficacies for people who became physically disabled later in life. In contrast, the relationship between disability severity and self-efficacy was nonsignificant for people who became disabled in early childhood. These findings held across Holland’s Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional domains when controlling for a variety of other person inputs and domain-specific learning experiences.

From School to Work: Improving Graduates’ Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

“…From the sustainable career perspective, both individual and contextual elements should be considered in career development. In terms of the contextual effect, our results found no significant linkage between family socioeconomic status and CDSE, supporting the findings of Gonzalez, Stein, and Hua [50], as well as Tenenbaum, Byrne, and Dahling's [51] studies, but being inconsistent with Hsieh and Huang's [20] findings. However, family income has been found to be positively related to CDSE, coinciding with the social cognitive career theory hypotheses that contextual factors can interact with subjective variables to affect career development [34].…”

“…Metheny and McWhirter [46] reported that family socioeconomic status was positively associated with CDSE. However, Gonzalez, Stein, and Hua [50], as well as Tenenbaum, Byrne, and Dahling [51], indicated that there was no significant linkage between family socioeconomic status and self-efficacy. Scholars argue that a possible reason of the inconsistent results might be the measure used for family socioeconomic status [20].…”

A Convenient Solution: Using MTurk To Sample From Hard-To-Reach Populations

“…A study by Tenenbaum, Byrne, and Dahling (2014) recruited a sample of 153 individuals with physical disabilities in the United States by paying each participant $0.80. A study by Tenenbaum, Byrne, and Dahling (2014) recruited a sample of 153 individuals with physical disabilities in the United States by paying each participant $0.80.…”

“…Although very few studies have used MTurk to sample from hard-to-reach populations, the studies that have been conducted suggest that this is a viable method of accessing these individuals. A study by Tenenbaum, Byrne, and Dahling (2014) recruited a sample of 153 individuals with physical disabilities in the United States by paying each participant $0.80. The authors recorded the type of disability, the age of onset, and the severity of disability of participants and then examined the independent and interactive effects of these factors on the RIASEC self-efficacy inventory (Lenox & Subich, 1994).…”

Vocational Interests and Job Choices Following an Acquired Disability: Results and Implications of an Idiographic Study

“…Combinations of the six personality types are used to explore opportunities in which a person-environment fit presumes a higher likelihood of success or satisfaction than with non-person-environment-fit preferences (Szymanski & Van Collins, 2003). This approach to occupational interest has found application in vocational rehabilitation in acquired injury and disability (e.g., traumatic spinal cord injury — Krause, Saunders, Staten, & Rohe, 2011; mid-life disability — Tenenbaum, Byrne, & Dahling, 2014).…”