Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention on Career Indecision

Transcription

1 Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention on Career Indecision Jesus Alfonso Datu De La Salle University, Philippines jesus.datu@dlsu.edu.ph This paper investigates the effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention on career indecision among selected Filipino college freshmen (n=43) from a private sectarian university. Utilizing an outcome research design, the efficacy of a three-session cognitive-behavioral intervention, consisting of individual cognitive exercises, psychoeducation, behavioral role plays and homework was tested. Treatment outcomes were measured through administering Career Decision Profile (CDP), short essays and observation notes. Results revealed that there is a significant difference in the career indecision levels of the subjects with a moderate effect size of d=.41 (t (42) = 2.08,p<.05). The results have likewise demonstrated an increase in the domain of self-clarity as a result of the treatment (t (42) = 1.94, d=.35, p<.05). Implications of the findings on the practice of career counseling in educational institutions are discussed. Keywords: Career indecision, cognitive-behavioral intervention, outcome research Transitions in career or educational status often result to some degree of career indecision and it had been shown that college students are quite vulnerable to this experience (Gati & Osipow, 2000). Individuals perceived difficulties in making career choices elevate the necessity to gauge and craft interventions that will address such problems (Osipow, 1999). With the increasing number of clients who are undecided about specific career paths, counselors are confronted with newer tasks in providing appropriate vocational guidance services. Though a good number of studies were carried out to look at predictors of career indecision such as emotional intelligence (Di Fabio & Palazzeschi, 2009), personality traits (Borges & Savickas, 2002; Di Fabio & Palazzeschi, 2009; Starica, 2011), anxiety (Campagna, 2007; Kelly & Pulver, 2003), career locus of control (Starica, 2011), academic self-esteem (Starica, 2011), parenting behaviors (Dietrich & Kracke, 2009) and career decisionmaking self-efficacy (Creed, Patton & Bartrum, 2004), there is still a marked Philippine Journal of Counseling Psychology (2013), Vol. 15, No. 1, pp Philippine Association for Counselor Education, Research, and Supervision (PACERS) ISSN

2 dearth of research that examines the efficacy of interventions in addressing vocational problems, especially in the Philippine context. Designing and implementing career programs or interventions for college students who are experiencing career-indecision is a matter that warrants serious attention. A number of recent studies that looked into addressing career indecision include: a group intervention based on Betz and Taylor s career decision-making self-efficacy theory (Wang, Zang & Shao, 2010; Faria & Rodrigues, 2011); Kuder career planning system in classroom settings (Stephen, 2010); self and environment orientation group counseling (Faria & Rodrigues, 2011); and sociology career planning seminar (Downing, 2011). However, there is lack of research designed to contextualize an intervention that will address career indecision based on cognitive-behavioral therapy. Given that dysfunctional career thoughts were found to be a significant determinant of career indecision (Dimakakou, Mylonas, Argyropoulou & Tampouri, 2012) and cognitive modification techniques are predictive of decreased levels of career indecision (Chang, 2007), it is quite interesting to determine its effectiveness among adolescents in a collectivistic society like the Philippines. Hence, the current study is purported to test the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention in reducing career indecision levels of Filipino college students. Career Indecision Career indecision is a phenomenon by which individuals are confronted with difficulties in making career choices which result to failure in attaining a vocational commitment (Osipow, 1999). It involves an interweaving of intrapersonal, interpersonal and contextual factors (Ryan & Deci, 2000). As a concern that has caught the attention of vocational and counseling psychologists across different countries, several researches were made to determine correlates and predictors of career indecision. Among these determinants include emotional intelligence (Di Fabio & Palazzeschi, 2009), personality traits (Laethem, Mestdagh & Venderheyden, 2003 as cited in Guay et al., 2003; Borges & Savickas, 2002; Di Fabio & Palazzeschi, 2009; Starica, 2011), anxiety (Campagna, 2007; Kelly & Pulver, 2003), insufficient primary social support (Downing & Nauta, 2010), career locus of control (Starica, 2011), academic selfesteem (Starica, 2011), parenting behaviors (Dietrich & Kracke, 2009), selfefficacy (Guay, Ratelle, Senecal, Larose & Dechenes, 2006), career decisionmaking self-efficacy (Creed, Patton & Bartrum, 2004), contextual factors (Lent, 72

3 Brown & Hackett, 1994), and dysfunctional thoughts (Dimakakou, Mylonas, Argyropoulou & Tampouri, 2012; Chang, 2007). A good number of researches were conducted to explain why individuals experience difficulties in making a vocational commitment. For instance, typologies of career indecision were constructed from empirical inquiries (Dysinger, 1950; Callahan & Greenhaus, 1992; Savickas, 2004 as cited in Di Fabio, 2006) to categorize career decision in reference to some criteria. Processoriented models were also devised which looked into the different factors a that facilitate the emergence of career indecision like the taxonomy-based model of Gati Krausz & Osipow (1996), self-determination theory of Germeijs & De Boeck (2003), and expected utility theory (Gati & Asher, 2001). Newly formulated frameworks have capitalized on the notion that success in the development of different interventions ultimately depends on the validity of career indecision types (Kelly & Pulver, 2003, p. 445). Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most empiricallyvalidated models in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. Its therapeutic utility was heavily reinforced by the number of practice-based evidences that dealt with a wide spectrum of concerns such as assertiveness issues (Duckworth, 2008), anger management (Cox & Harrison, 2008), depression (Marcotte, Levesque & Fortin, 2006; Fujisawa et al., 2010), postdisaster distress (Hamblen, Norris, Pietruszkiewicz, Gibson, Naturale & Louis, 2009), obsessions and compulsions (Sica, Taylor, Arrindell & Sanavio, 2006) and stress management (Mercer, 2008). Cognitive behavioral therapy is a therapeutic orientation derived from the constructivist paradigm in addressing psychological and emotional concerns of a wide array of clientele. It is centered on the premise that people are active participants in the construction of their own reality (Granvold, 1994, p. 5). In effect, this therapeutic orientation views that an individual is capable of changing in spite of the extrinsic variables. In the paradigm of CBT, maladaptive behaviors and emotions are produced by a dynamic interaction that exists in one s cognitions, feelings, and behaviors. It asserts that cognitions do not solely cause dysfunction, yet, they are 73

4 an inevitable part of it (Beck & Weishar, 1989 as cited in Granvold, 1994). Cognition, then, is the target domain of change. The negative beliefs that individuals hold about specific events termed as automatic thoughts makes them susceptible to emotional disturbances. However, significant experiences in the past would serve as precursors towards the crystallization of automatic thoughts in the form of core beliefs. Therefore, modifying surfaced and deeper cognitive schemas is a crucial task in order to unlearn behaviors and emotions that are not predictive of positive outcomes. The Present Study The current study focused on the effects of a cognitive-behavioral treatment approach in career indecision levels of Filipino college students. Given that career decidedness was found to be a robust predictor of subjective wellbeing (Uthakayamar, Schimmack, Hartung & Rogers, 2010), it is crucial to look at specific strategies that can address individuals career decision making difficulties. The study aims to establish more evidences about the potential utility of cognitive-behavioral interventions, especially in career decision-making concerns experienced by first year college students who are quite vulnerable to experience indecision. Dysfunctional thinking patterns were identified as predictive determinants as well of inability to make vocational choices (Uthayakumar, Schimmack, Hartung, & Rogers, 2010). In relation to this, Chang (2007) also suggested that dysfunctional beliefs of individuals served as one of the precursors of career decision-making difficulties. It is hypothesized that facilitating an intervention anchored on the framework of cognitive-behavioral therapy can lead to significant increase on the levels of career decidedness and reduction on the magnitude of career indecision among the college students. A treatment manual was developed to ensure that appropriate activities and processing are delivered. Given that there is a scarcity of studies done in the Philippine context to test for the efficacy of theoretically-grounded interventions for career-related issues (Garcia, Casas & Santos, 2007; Datu, 2012), helping Filipino college students overcome their career decision-making difficulties may be even more challenging. Determining the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing levels of career indecision experienced by college students will address a considerable gap between outcome research and counseling practice. 74

5 Research Design Method The study employed an outcome research design, specifically a onegroup pre-test/post-test design to look at the effects of a treatment on particular behavioral outcomes (Shuttleworth, 2009; Bonate, 2000). In the current study, the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral group intervention approach served as the treatment while career indecision level is the outcome variable. Participants Forty three first year college students whose ages range from (M=17.5) were recruited from one class in a private university in Metro Manila. They are all taking Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering. Although they have enrolled in an engineering course, most of them are still unsure whether they are on the right career track. Prior to the implementation of the intervention, they held some negative thought patterns about the course they have undertaken. Instruments There are three instruments that were utilized in the current study. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were included to depict a clear picture of career indecision as perceived by the participants. These include the following: Career Decision Profile. Career Decision Profile (CDP) is a 16-item test devised by Jones (1989) that gauges individuals vulnerability to experience career indecision. The instrument has six dimensions which involved; decidedness, comfort, self-clarity, knowledge about occupations and training, decisiveness and career choice importance. Higher scores would mean lower levels of career indecision. Short Essay. A short essay will be utilized to identify participants thoughts about their career decisions in five to ten sentences. Sharing information about their perceived capabilities to deal with the collegiate course they have enrolled in will be integrated in the questions as well. 75

6 Observation Notes. Observation notes was employed to assess how the participants work on the activities that they engaged in. These would likewise depict their reactions as they participate in the intervention. With this measure, possible problems can be detected that may arise as the counselor implements rthe modules of the intervention program and address other relevant issues may arise in group interactions. These observation and notes were necessary to continuously evaluating the responses of the participants during the course of the treatment. Procedure A cognitive-behavioral group manual was first drafted to facilitate the implementation of the three-session intervention. Second, informed consent forms were distributed to the participants to ensure that ethical considerations are observed prior, during and after the administration of the intervention. Third, preintervention assessment tools were given such as Career Decision Profile and short essays regarding the negative thoughts that they hold about themselves in the context of career decision-making. Fourth, activities outlined in the manual were implemented such as individual cognitive exercises, behavioral role plays, homework and didactic modules on modifying negative thoughts and career planning. Then, post-intervention assessment measures were administered using the same quantitative and qualitative tools. Lastly, quantitative data were analyzed using t-test after testing for homogeneity of variance to look for significant differences as a result of the treatment facilitated along with the effect size using Cohen s d while qualitative data were analyzed by clustering together themes that were commonly identified. Results The descriptive statistical measures of the participants responses before and after the intervention are illustrated in Table 1 and Table 3. Test of significant differences and effect sizes were also presented (Table 4 and Table 5). Negative thought patterns prior to the implementation of the intervention and modified cognitive patterns after the intervention were identified as well (Table 2 and Table 6). 76

7 Before Treatment Implementation Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of the Subjects Career Indecision before the Intervention Mean N Standard deviation Comfort Self-Clarity Occupational Knowledge and Training Decisiveness Career Choice Importance Career Indecision Higher mean scores were observed from self-clarity (M=5.75, SD=1.68) and comfort (M=5.02, SD=1.57) domains of career decidedness prior to the implementation of the cognitive-behavioral intervention. This would mean that participants have relatively low levels of career indecision. However, qualitative analyses of their short essays that they have negative thoughts that affect the way their ability to become decided about a specific career path. Some themes of negative thought patterns were identified as follows (see Table 2): Table 2. Expressed Negative Thinking Patterns of the Participants before the Intervention Participant Strand from Participants Short Essays 1 I m depressed.engineering is tough and very hard because it is full of challenging questions. 2 Engineering is very hard to accomplish but the subjects are quite hard. 3 Depressed and it is hard because a lot of people say that is too hard.. 4 I feel scared coz it s a hard course 5 I am nervous and less confident because I am not sure about this course 6 I may not pass the course and I may not be able to handle the stress given because it is difficult.. 7 I feel discouraged and helpless about the course because I failed my exam in trigo.. 8 I think that I might not be good as I thought I would be in my course 9 I believe that I may not excel in my career choice because I have some negative characteristics 10 That I could not finish it (Engineering) because it is hard.. 11 I feel scared about the course since it is hard 12 Maybe I made the wrong choice in choosing my course because I am incompetent.. 13 I think that I will fail in reaching my goal of becoming an engineer because not good enough 14 I think that I can t make it. If I am challenged now, what more for next years? I think of this because I don t trust myself.. 15 I am not good enough to handle it because I do not excel 77

8 High mean scores can be seen from self-clarity (M=6.32, SD=1.57) and occupational knowledge and training (M=5.16, SD=1.34) domains of participants career indecision. By merely examining the means of some domains, it seemed that there were positive changes on their perceived abilities to make career decisions. Table 3. Descriptive Statistics of the Participants Career Indecision after the Intervention Mean n Standard deviation Comfort Self-Clarity Occupational Knowledge and Training Decisiveness Career Choice Importance Career Indecision Table 4 depicted that there is a statistically significant difference on the participants level of career indecision after the implementation of the intervention. There is a moderate effect size as well which means that there is an averagely graded treatment effect on the intended outcome. Along with this positive outcome, an increase in self-clarity was observed as well which is illustrated on the following table. Table 4. Significant Difference Test for Career Indecision among the Participants Career Indecision M SD t df d Sig. (2-tailed) Pre-test * Post-test Note: *Significant at α=.05 As shown in Table 5, participants got higher scores after receiving the cognitive-behaviorally oriented group treatment,with a medium effect size. However, it is important to look at some of the modified cognitive patterns that the participants have learned as a result of the treatment. The 78

9 following statements were expressed by the participants through their short essays after the intervention (see Table 6): Table 5. Significant Difference Test for Self-Clarity among the Participants Career Indecision M SD t df D Sig. (2-tailed) Pre-test * Post-test Note: *Significant at α=.05 Table 6. Participants Modified Cognitive Patterns after the Intervention Participant Strand from Participants Short Essays 1 I must remove my bad attitude and bad habits 2 Thinking of a better future might be a good step 3 I must be inspired to be able to pass the course 4 Unwind, think positively and study.. 5 Have myself time to relax and always think of the positive side 6 Think positive, I ll give my best in everything that I ll do 7 Exert more effort in studying 8 I have to set my goals straight and keep the fire of motivation in me keep burning.. 9 Think positively and do my best. 10 I should focus to my future have fun on what I do and I should think positively.. 11 Be responsible, stop being lazy and prioritize my studies 12 I should not be harsh with myself 13 I must always think positively.. 14 Study hard. Keep the thought of passing in mind 15 I will be optimistic, no matter what happened.. 16 I will control my emotions better.. 17 Show initiative that I can finish this course 18 I should think positively, be more inspired and be motivated to overcome negative beliefs. 19 I should turn depression into a positive feeling and become more optimistic. 20 I would replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts 21 I should try my best to get better grades 22 Think happy thoughts and try hard and try to study well 23 I should learn to trust myself and believe that I am capable of doing things 24 Think of happy thoughts so that I will be enjoying this course 79

10 Discussion The aim of the current study is to determine the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral group intervention in reducing the level of career indecision among selected Filipino college students. As the results suggest, marked differences can be seen on the levels of career decidedness of the participants as a result of the intervention. To better capture the behavioral outcomes acquired from joining the treatment strategy, an outcome research that integrated quantitative and qualitative measures was utilized. Prior to the intervention, participants appeared to have moderate degrees of career indecision (M=77.49, SD=11.11) as depicted by the Career Decision Profile. However, it was found out that they have negative beliefs that they hold about themselves in relation to making occupational choices. Specific themes of maladaptive thinking patterns were recognized on their short essays before receiving the treatment which focused on perceived failure and hopelessness resulting to negative emotions. After implementing the treatment, a statistically significant reduction in the participants level of career indecision was noted (t (42) = 2.08, d=.41, p<.05). The result showed that employing an intervention that is anchored on the framework of cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in addressing levels of career decision-making difficulties of college students. It also suggests that dysfunctional thoughts may be salient determinants of career indecision (Chang, 2007; Dimakakou, Mylonas, Argyropoulou & Tampouri, 2012). In addition, participants have improved on self-clarity due to the intervention (t (42) = 1.94, d=.35, p<.05). It can be inferred that the students may have gained much clearer understanding about themselves which is believed to be a salient step in choosing an career path (Patton & McMahon, 1999; Jones, 1989). The statistically significant difference of the pre- and posttreatment levels of career indecision was supported by the themes identified in the short essay after the intervention. Qualitative indicators of 80

11 changes in coping mechanisms to combat career indecision were identified from their responses during the last day of intervention which includes increasing self-regulation, having a positive mindset, augmenting positive emotions and setting specific goals. Hence, it can be deduced that positive changes recognized in the quantitative phase of the study were consistent with the positive qualitative indicators that were identified in the qualitative phases of assessment and observation notes. Future researchers are suggested to further test interventions that modify faulty cognitions predictive of career indecision instead of simply identifying its predictors. By doing so, therapeutic gains can be strengthened using evidence-based treatment strategies that could effectively enhance career decision making among Filipino college students. References Bonate, P. L. (2000) Analysis of Pretest-Posttest Designs, Chapman & Hall, Boca Raton. Bordin, E. S., & Kopplin, D. A. (1973). Motivational conflict and vocational development. Journal of Counseling Psychology,20, Borges, N. J., & Savickas, M. L. (2002). Personality and medical specialty choice: A literature review and integration. Journal of Career Assessment, 10(3), Callahan, G.A. & Greenhaus, J.H. (1992). The career indecision of managers and professionals. An examination of multiple subtypes. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 41, Campagna, C.G. (2007). So worried I don t know what to be: Anxiety is associated with increased career indecision and reduced career certainty, Australian Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 17 (1), Chang, Y. (2007). Examining the relationships among dysfunctional beliefs, career anxiety, coping styles and career indecision using a Cognitive Behavioral Theory Approach. Indiana: Proquest. Cox, D.E. & Harrison, D.W. (2008). Model of anger: Contributions from psychophysiology, neuropsychology and cognitive behavioral perspective. Journal of Brain Structural Functions, 212:

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