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A Context for Career Decision Making

Author(s):
Chapman, Warren
Publication Year:
1983
Report Number:
RR-83-13
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
31
Subject/Key Words:
Career Choice, Decision Making, High School Students, Information Utilization, Occupations, Student Characteristics

Abstract

A context is proposed that not only focuses career exploration in a logical way, beginning with the decision maker and moving to occupations, but also helps organize the process of decision making. Decision makers are seen as part of the context, for they have values, aptitudes, and resources that are relevant to choice of occupations. For career decision making, occupations are construed along dimensions that are most useful to the decision maker. These dimensions are the ones that, in the occupation, correspond to the values, aptitudes, and resource dimensions of the decision makers. They are rewards, requisites, and investments. The goal of the decision, then, is the maximization of values satisfaction within the limits of aptitudes and resources. Information also requires a place in the decision-making process, since decision makers require two classes of information—information about occupations and information about themselves. Applications of the context include development of a curriculum for career decision making, improvement of occupational information, and improved decision making. (YLB). (31pp.)

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