Understanding Career Decision Self-Efficacy: A Meta-Analytic Approach

This study used meta-analysis to investigate the relationships between career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) and its relevant variables. The authors aimed to integrate the mixed results reported by previous empirical studies and obtain a clearer understanding of CDSE’s role within the framework of social cognitive career theory (SCCT). For purposes of this study, the authors searched and selected nine relevant variables (gender, age, race, self-esteem, vocational identity, career barriers, peer support, vocational outcome expectation, and career indecision). While some variables (i.e., gender, race, and career barriers) did not have a significant effect on CDSE, in accordance with the SCCT model, CDSE correlated significantly to self-esteem, vocational identity, peer support, vocational outcome expectation, and career indecision variables. The authors discuss these results in the context of the SCCT.