Lisa M. Larson

Review of the Counseling Self-Efficacy Literature

This article provides an integrative review of the counseling self-efficacy (CSE) literature conducted from 1983 to the present. First, the content, structure, and psychometric properties of the four most common constructs across the 32 studies are reviewed. Second, the findings from the literature are integrated into the larger theory by relating CSE to the major components of social cognitive theory, namely, counselor characteristics, personal agency, counselor performance, and the supervision/counseling/work environment. Third, the intervention studies that have been targeted at increasing either CSE estimations or counselor performance are presented. Fourth, studies that have examined and identified significant predictors of CSE are discussed. Fifth, the practical implications for supervisors are discussed. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future research are presented.

The relation of self-efficacy and interests: a meta-analysis of 60 samples

Abstract This study empirically synthesizes and evaluates studies that have examined the relation between vocationally relevant domains of self-efficacy and interests. We conducted a meta-analytic review of 60 empirical independent samples ( N =39,154) in which relations between self-efficacy and interests had been examined. Fifty-three of these samples ( N =37,829) included parallel measures of the constructs. Relations between parallel measures of Holland’s RIASEC themes, the specific dimensions of art, math, science and math/science combined, and traditionally female and male occupations are also presented. Results demonstrated that self-efficacy and interests are independent constructs that correlate moderately. Differences by sex, measure, and age group are noted. Future directions for research regarding links between self-efficacy and interests are discussed.

The Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training

This article articulates a social cognitive model of counselor training. The metaphor of a drama is used to present the model. The drama concerns the emerging efficacy of the counselor in working with clients. First, the uniqueness of the drama is described. Second, the cast of characters is presented, namely, the counselor in the major role with the supervisor and client in supporting roles. Third, the plot is developed, which involves the counselor as a human agent, constructing and regulating her or his actions while taking in feedback from the supervisor and client. Fourth, attention is given to the emergence of barriers that may derail the plot. Fifth, the intemal and extemal contexts of the drama are presented. Sixth, seven research propositions are generated to build on the current knowledge base. Finally, suggestions are provided to supervisors as they work with counselor trainees.

Adult Attachment, Depressive Symptoms, and Validation From Self Versus Others

Attachment working models of self and others may govern adults’ preferences for internal vs. externalsources of reassurance, which, if unavailable, lead to depressive symptoms. This study examined a modelin which the link between depressive symptoms and attachment anxiety is mediated by (a) capacity forself-reinforcement and (b) need for reassurance from others, whereas the link between depressivesymptoms and attachment avoidance is mediated only by the capacity for self-reinforcement. Analysis ofsurvey data from 425 undergraduates indicated that both capacity for self-reinforcement and need forreassurance from others partially mediated the link between attachment anxiety and depression. Capacityfor self-reinforcement fully mediated the link between attachment avoidance and depression. Moreover,54% of the variance in depressive symptoms was explained by attachment anxiety, self-reinforcement,and need for reassurance from others.

The Development and Validation of Coping With Career Indecision

This paper reports on four studies which provide the initial reliability and validity estimates regarding Coping With Career Indecision (CCI; Larson, 1992), a career indecision instrument that focuses on peoples coping appraisals during career indecision. The factor analysis indicated at least four content areas: subjective career distress and obstacles, active problem-solving, academic self-efficacy, and career myths. Estimates of reliability indicate these constructs are internally consistent and reliable over a 2-week period. Moreover, students who endorse difficulty on the CCI also report: weaker vocational identities, less career certainty, more career indecision, and more ineffective problem-solving appraisal. The CCI also correlates minimally with academic achievement, aptitude, or personality types. Finally, the CCI factor scores accurately identified 85% of students into a very decided and a very undecided group.

Discriminating among Educational Majors and Career Aspirations in Taiwanese Undergraduates: The Contribution of Personality and Self-Efficacy.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Big Five personality factors, measured by the NEO Personality Inventory Five-Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992), and vocational confidence across Holland’s hexagon, measured by the Skills Confidence Inventory (SCI; Betz, Borgen, & Harmon, 2005), were useful in discriminating among educational majors and career aspirations for 312 Taiwanese university students. The Big Five and confidence, in combination, significantly differentiated among 4 college majors and 7 career aspirations in a Taiwanese university sample. Big Five Agreeableness and SCI Realistic, Investigative, and Conventional confidence emerged as most salient in the discrimination. Differences by sex, major, and career aspiration were mostly consistent with social cognitive career theory, Holland’s theory, and prior U.S. research.

Concurrent Validity of the 2005 Strong Interest Inventory: An Examination of Gender and Major Field of Study:

This is the first article evaluating the concurrent validity of the 2005 Strong Interest Inventory (SII). The Basic Interest Scales (BISs) were substantially revised to reflect the changing workplace, so such an update is particularly important. Concurrent validity of the 41 content scales in the SII was examined for differentiating 31 college majors in a national college sample of 1,403 women and 469 men. Using discriminant analyses, three sets of content scales were used to predict major field of study. These were six General Occupational Scales, five Personal Style Scales, and 30 BISs. Each set of scales showed substantial concurrent validity in differentiating college major for women and men. The most specific scales, the BISs, were the most predictive of major, with hit rates 6 times greater than chance. Results clearly supported the concurrent validity and counseling utility of the content scales of the SII.

An Information-Processing Model of the Decision to Seek Professional Help

Despite the presence of quality mental health care in many communities, people tend to avoid seeking help and wind up languishing in their problems unnecessarily. For the professional to better understand how to reach these individuals, an information-processing model is presented that examines the effects of peoples interpretation of their environment and their symptoms on their decision to seek mental health services. Using the model as a guide, suggestions are presented for practitioners who wish to provide services to those who are in need of professional help, yet are hesitant to obtain it. One of the common frustrations of many mental health practitio- ners is the knowledge that many people are reluctant to seek profes- sional help, even when they desperately need it. The extant literature on professional help seeking has made some progress in understand- ing the role of specific factors (e.g., public stigma, fears about emo- tional disclosure) that affect peoples professional help-seeking atti- tudes and intentions. However, surprisingly few models have been developed that focus on the active decision-making processes that might encourage greater use of the available services. Relevant information-processing (Anderson, 1982) and social-cognitive (Ban- dura, 1997) theories have been available for some time, yet we are unaware of any research linking these concepts to the process of seeking professional help. Such a link would have the advantage of providing mental health professionals with a clearer understanding of the help-seeking process. This would allow them to both improve their ability to reach and serve diverse groups of clients and to provide needed information to the public. Therefore, the goal of this article is to present an information- processing model of help-seeking decisions to provide a clearer

Convergence of Personality and Interests: Meta-Analysis of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire and the Strong Interest Inventory

Using meta-analysis, we revised Ackerman and Heggestads (1997) identification of four trait complexes that propose personality and interest (P-I) linkages. Studies that had reported correlations between general and specific measures of vocational interests (Strong Interest Inventory [Strong; Hansen & Campbell, 1985; Harmon, Hansen, Borgen, & Hammer, 1994]) and personality (Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire [MPQ: Tellegen, 1982, 2000; Tellegen & Waller, in press]) were located. These meta-analysis was based on 2,023 people from five databases including gifted adolescents, college students, and adult career clients. The substantive P-I correlations ranged from |.20| to |.49|—reflecting between 4% and 24% shared variance. Within the Science/Math complex, we found Harmavoidance to be negatively linked with Realistic and Science interests and Achievement to be positively linked with Investigative, Math, and Science interests. Within the Intellectual/Cultural complex, Absorption was related to general and specific Artistic interests. Within the Social complex, Social and Enterprising interests were differentiated based on the former being related positively to Wellbeing and negatively to Aggression and the latter being related positively to Social Potency. Sex was not found to be a substantial moderator of P-I correlations.

Applications of the Coping With Career Indecision Instrument With Adolescents

This article discusses the potential use of the Coping with Career Indecision (CCI; Larson, Heppner, Ham, & Dugan, 1988) instrument which identifies subtypes of undecided students. The CCI was later refined by Larson, Toulouse, Ngumba, Fitzpatrick, and Heppner (1994) across four studies, extending the use of the CCI to gifted adolescents seeking help in career exploration. Data from 125 adolescents were examined with respect to their CCI scores on five additional career planning measures: the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI; Heppner, 1988), the Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy- Short Form (CDMSE-SF; Betz, Taylor, & Klein, 1994), the Academic College Major Decidedness item from the Career Decision Scale (CDS; Osipow, 1987), the Career Barriers Inventory-Short Form (CBI-SF; Swanson & Tokar, 1991), and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect scales from the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS-X; Watson & Clark, 1994). Factor analysis of the scores revealed two underlying dimensions, personal agency and affective distress. Then, factor scores on both of these dimensions were generated for each participant and entered into a cluster analysis. The cluster procedure identified four groups based on their relationship to these underlying dimensions: (a) Low Agency/High Distress, (b) High Agency/High Distress, (c) High Agency/Low Distress, and (d) Low Agency/Low Distress. Applications for career counselors working with adolescents and the specific utility of the CCI are presented.