Follow-up studies continue to document a low rate of successful transition for adolescents with learning disabilities. Current career counseling programs may, therefore, be ineffective for adolescents with learning disabilities. Self-efficacy beliefs, an individual's perceived performance capabilities, have been found to be an important explanatory construct in the development of career interest independent of abilities and aptitudes. The majority of career self-efficacy research thus far has been conducted with samples of older college students and adults. Furthermore, investigations have not focused specifically on persons with disabilities. The current study assessed aptitudes, interests, self-efficacy beliefs, sources of efficacy information, and outcome expectations pertaining to relevant careers among a sample of 96 secondary students with learning disabilities. Person input variables other than aptitude (i.e., gender, race, grade, socioeconomic status, and IQ level) also were included in the study design. Zero order correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions were utilized to investigate hypothesized relationships. Findings indicated that self-efficacy beliefs were a consistent and substantial predictor of interest in corresponding career areas. Ratings of hypothesized sources of efficacy information, in turn, were found be significant predictors of self-efficacy beliefs in corresponding career areas, with the exception of emotional arousal as a source of information. Ratings of sources of efficacy information also were related to career interest scores. However, as hypothesized, findings indicated that ratings of self-efficacy beliefs mediated these associations. Person input variables, most notably measures of aptitude, were not found to be related to career self-efficacy beliefs or interests in corresponding career areas. Ratings of outcome expectations belonging to the self-evaluative class (i.e., sense of accomplishment, security, and prestige) exhibited a significant positive relationship with interest scores for corresponding career areas. The findings of the present study suggest that earlier results focusing on the career development of adult populations without disabilities may now be reconsidered for generalization to adolescents with learning disabilities. The importance of considering the influence of subjective factors (i.e., interests and self-efficacy beliefs) rather than only objective skills (i.e., aptitudes and abilities) on the career development of adolescents with learning disabilities is suggested through interventions and strategies.

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Keeping up with new developments in vocational psychology is important to both psychological practitioners and researchers. This volume is devoted to presenting and evaluating important advances in the field of career decision making, development, and maturity. More specifically, it identifies, reports, and evaluates significant contemporary developments in vocational psychology and provides both professional workers and students with an informed understanding of the progress taking place in the field. The history and theory of the assessment of career development and decison making are explored as well as advances in career planning systems. An expanded context for the study and evaluation of career development variables is also described.