Full Text

The underlying mechanisms (i.e., linking and conditioning mechanisms) in the association between perceived parental career expectation and adolescents’ career development remain understudied. Under the guidance of the social cognitive career theory, this study used three-wave longitudinal data from 3,196 Chinese adolescents (M _age = 15.55 years old, SD = .44; 52.8% girls at Wave 1) to fill such gaps. Results indicate conditional indirect effects. Specifically, the indirect association of perceived parental career expectation with adolescents’ career adaptability and ambivalence via adolescents’ career-planning and goal-setting self-efficacy was stronger when perceived parent–adolescent career congruence was higher than that when perceived parent–adolescent career congruence was lower. Such effects were identified even after various career-related parenting practices were controlled for. Implications for theory, future research and interventions were also discussed.

Findings of this study suggest the importance of enhancing adolescents’ perceived congruence between parents and adolescents in terms of child career interests, goals, and plans and promoting adolescents’ confidence in achieving future career success to prepare them well for the job market. Overall, this study yields empirical evidence supporting the critical roles of family influences and the consistently acknowledged effect of career-planning and goal-setting self-efficacy for adolescents’ career development, particularly in the Chinese culture context.

Adolescence, especially high school years, is critical for career development as it is when children start to crystallize career preferences, plan their career pathways, explore alternative career options, and set their...