The interactive effects of self- and parent-referenced career goal discrepancies on young adults’ career indecision

Abstract

We tested a model in which discrepancy with parents’ career goals moderated the indirect path from young adults’ self-perceived career goal discrepancy to career indecision via negative emotions (regret and distress) and self-regulatory capacity. We surveyed 236 young adults (MAge = 21.77 years; 71.2% female), finding that parent discrepancy strengthened the positive relationships between self-discrepancy and career regret and self-regulatory depletion, but not distress. However, career distress fully explained the self-discrepancy–career indecision relationship, not moderated by parent-discrepancy. Overall, our model explained 70% of the variance in indecision. This has implications for counsellors to assist young adults in managing discrepancy-related distress and indecision.