Psychometric examination of the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and the Career Decision-Making Process (CDMP) scales

Greta Mazzetti, Rita Chiesa, Dina Guglielmi, Gerardo Petruzziello

Accepted April 30, 2018

First published April 30, 2018

https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.281.5

Abstract

The current study was aimed to validate two scales, potentially jointly used, focused on the four dimensions of Psychological Capital (i.e., hope, resilience, self-efficacy and optimism) and the four facets of Career Decision-Making Process (i.e., career choice anxiety, perceived instrumentality of education, career decision-making self-efficacy and career planning attitude) among middle school students. In Study 1 the PsyCap and CDMP scales were developed and evaluated through a principal component analysis (N = 602). In Study 2 a confirmatory factor analysis (N = 989) was performed in order to validate the four-dimensional structure of the scales. The obtained results provided evidence for two theoretically grounded 16-item scales composed of four factors each: the PsyCap and the CDMP scales. The PsyCap and the CDMP scales are valid self-report measures assessing the key dimensions of psychological capital and the resources able to ease the career decision-making process.

Psychometric examination of the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and the Career Decision-Making Process (CDMP) scales

References

AMIR, T. & GATI, I. (2006). Facets of career decision-makingdifficulties. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 34 (4),483-503.
doi.org/10.1080/03069880600942608
ARBUCKLE, J.L. (2005). Amos 6.0 user’s guide. Chicago, IL: SPSS,Inc.
BANDURA, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency.American Psychologist, 37, 122-147.
doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122
BARDICK, A.D., BERNES, K.B., MAGNUSSON, K.C. & WITKO,K.D. (2006). Junior High School Students’ Career Plans forthe Future. Journal of Career Development, 32 (3), 250-271.
doi.org/10.1177/0894845305279168
BENNER, A.D. (2011). The transition to high school: Currentknowledge, future directions. Educational Psychology Review, 23(3), 299-328.
doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9152-0
BETZ, N., KLEIN, K. & TAYLOR, K. (1996). Evaluation of a shortform of the career decision-making self-efficacy scale. Journal ofCareer Assessment, 4, 47-57.
doi.org/10.1177/106907279600400103
BIOLCATI, R., PALARETI, L. & MAMELI, C. (2017). Whatadolescents seeking help teach us about a school-basedcounseling service. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal,1-12.
doi.org/10.1007/s10560-017-0503-7
BYRNE, B.M. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS,EQS, and LISREL: Comparative approaches to testing for thefactorial validity of a measuring instrument. InternationalJournal of Testing, 1 (1), 55-86.
doi.org/10.1207/S15327574IJT0101-4
CHIESA, R., MASSEI, F. & GUGLIELMI, D. (2016). Career decision-making self-efficacy change in Italian high school students.Journal of Development and Counseling, 94 (2), 210-224.
doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12077
DAVIS, L.L. (1992). Instrument review: Getting the most fromyour panel of experts. Applied Nursing Research, 5, 194-197.
doi.org/10.1016/S0897-1897(05)80008-4
DeVELLIS, R.F. (2003). Scale development: Theory and applications(2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage.
DICKINSON, J. & TOKAR, D.M. (2004). Structural and discriminantvalidity of the career factors inventory. Journal of VocationalBehavior, 65, 239-254.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2003.07.002
GATI, I., KRAUSZ, M. & OSIPOW, S.H. (1996). A taxonomy ofdifficulties in career decision making. Journal of CounselingPsychology, 43, 510-526.
doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.510
GATI, I. & LEVIN, N. (2014). Counseling for career decision-makingdifficulties: Measures and methods. The Career DevelopmentQuarterly, 62 (2), 98-113.
doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00073.x
GERMEIJS, V. & VERSCHUEREN, K. (2006). High schoolstudents’ career decision-making process: a longitudinal studyof one choice. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68 (2), 189-204.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.08.004
GUICHARD, J. (2004). Se faire soi [Self-construction]. L’OrientationScolaire et Professionnelle, 33, 499-534.
doi.org/10.4000/osp.226
GUICHARD, J. (2005). Life-long self-construction. InternationalJournal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 5, 111-124.
doi.org/10.1007/s10775-005-8789-y
GUICHARD, J. (2013). Forms of reflexivity and transformationsof systems of subjective identity forms during life designingdialogues. Lecture Presented at the SIO International Conference“Life Designing and Career Counseling: Building Hope andResilience” Padua.
LUTHANS, F. (2002). Positive organizational behavior: Developingand managing psychological strengths. Academy of ManagementExecutive, 16 (1), 57-72.
doi.org/10.5465/AME.2002.6640181
LUTHANS, F., AVEY, J.B. & PATERA, J.L. (2008). Experimentalanalysis of a web-based training intervention to develop positivepsychological capital. Academy of Management Learning andEducation, 7, 209-221.
LUTHANS, K.W., LUTHANS, B.C. & PALMER, N.F. (2016). Apositive approach to management education: The relationshipbetween academic PsyCap and student engagement. Journal ofManagement Development, 35 (9), 1098-1118.
doi.org/10.1108/JMD-06-2015-0091
LUTHANS, F., YOUSSEF, C.M. & AVOLIO, B.J. (2007). Psychologicalcapital: Developing human competitive advantage. New York:Oxford University Press.
LYNN, M.R. (1986). Determination and quantification of contentvalidity.NursingResearch,35(6),382-385.
doi.org/10.1097/00006199-198611000-00017
MARTIN, A.J. & MARSH, H.W. (2006). Academic resilience and itspsychological and educational correlates: A construct validityapproach. Psychology in the Schools, 43, 267-281.
doi.org/10.1002/pits.20149
MAZZETTI, G., GUGLIELMI, D., CHIESA, R. & MARIANI, M.G.(2016). Happy employees in a resourceful workplace: Just a directrelationship? A study on the mediational role of psychologicalcapital. Career Development International, 21 (7), 682-696.
doi.org/10.1108/CDI-03-2016-0035
MEDLIN, B. & FAULK, L. (2011). The relationship between optimismand engagement: The impact on student performance. Researchin Higher Education Journal, 13 (1), 1-16.
MILLER, R.B. & BRICKMAN, S.J. (2004). A model of future-orientedmotivation and self-regulation. Educational Psychology Review,16 (1), 9-33.
doi.org/10.1023/B:EDPR.0000012343.96370.39
NEWMAN, A., UCBASARAN, D., ZHU, F. & HIRST, G. (2014).Psychological capital: A review and synthesis. Journal ofOrganizational Behavior, 35, S120-S138.
doi.org/10.1002/job.1916
NOTA, L., GINEVRA, M.C. & SORESI, S. (2012). The career andwork adaptability questionnaire (CWAQ): A first contributionto its validation. Journal of Adolescence, 35 (6), 1557-1569.
doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.06.004
ROGERS, M., CREED, P. & GLENDON, I. (2008). The role ofpersonality in adolescent career planning and exploration: Asocial cognitive perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73,132-142.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.02.002
ROBERTSON, P.J. (2017). Positive psychology and careerdevelopment. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 1-14.
doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2017.1318433
SANTILLI, S., MARCIONETTI, J., ROCHAT, S., ROSSIER, J. &NOTA, L. (2016). Career adaptability, hope, optimism, and lifesatisfaction in Italian and Swiss adolescents. Journal of CareerDevelopment, 44 (1), 62-76.
doi.org/10.1177/0894845316633793
SAVICKAS,M.L.(1997).Careeradaptability:Anintegrativeconstructfor Life-Span, Life-Space Theory. The Career DevelopmentQuarterly, 45 (3), 247-259.
doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.1997.tb00469.x
SAVICKAS, M.L. (2005). The theory and practice of careerconstruction. In S.D. Brown & R.W. (Eds.), Lent careerdevelopment and counseling: Putting theory and research to work.Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
SAVICKAS, M.L. (2011). Career Counseling. Washington, DC:American Psychological Association.
SAVICKAS, M.L. (2012). Life design: A paradigm for careerintervention in the 21st century. Journal of Counseling &Development, 90, 13-19.
doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-6676.2012.00002.x
SELIGMAN, M.E.P & CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, M. (2000). Positivepsychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5-14.
doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.5
SIU, O., BAKKER, A. & JIANG, X. (2014). Psychological capitalamong university students: Relationships with study engagementand intrinsic motivation. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15 (4),979-994.
doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9459-2
SORESI, S., NOTA, L. & FERRARI, L. (2012). Career Adapt-AbilitiesScale-Italian form: Psychometric properties and relationshipsto breadth of interests, quality of life, and perceived barriers.Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 705-711.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2012.01.020
SUPER, D.E. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to careerdevelopment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16 (3), 282-298.
doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90056-1
SUPER, D.E., THOMPSON, A.S., LINDEMAN, R.H., MYERS, R.A.& JORDAAN, J.P. (1988). Adult Career Concerns Inventory. PaloAlto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
TINSLEY, H.E.A. (1992). Career decision making and careerindecision. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 41 (3), 209-211.
doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(92)90022-R
VALENTINE, J.C., DUBOIS, D.L. & COOPER, H. (2004). Therelation between self-beliefs and academic achievement: Ameta-analytic review. Educational Psychologist, 39 (2), 111-133.
doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3902-3
VAN RYZIN, M.J. (2011). Protective factors at school: Reciprocaleffects among adolescents’ perceptions of the schoolenvironment, engagement in learning, and hope. Journal ofYouth and Adolescence, 40 (12), 1568-1580.
doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9637-7
VIDAL-BROWN, S.A. & THOMPSON, B. (2001). The careerassessment diagnostic inventory: A new career indecisionassessment tool. Journal of Career Assessment, 9, 185-196.
doi.org/10.1177/106907270100900206
WILKINS, K.G., SANTILLI, S., FERRARI, L., NOTA, L., TRACEY,T.J.G. & SORESI, S. (2014). The relationship among positiveemotional dispositions, career adaptability, and satisfaction inItalian high school students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85(3), 329-338.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.08.004
ZELDIN, A.L. & PAJARES, F. (2000). Against the odds: Self-efficacybeliefs of women in mathematical, scientific, and technologicalcareers. American Educational Research Journal, 37 (1), 215-246.
doi.org/10.3102/0002831203700

SHOW ALL REFERENCES (47)HIDE REFERENCES

DOWNLOAD PDF

Issue:

Issue 281

Keywords:

Views:

291

Downloads:

Cite the article:

Mazzetti Greta. Chiesa Rita. Guglielmi Dina. Petruzziello Gerardo. Psychometric examination of the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and the Career Decision-Making Process (CDMP) scales. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2018;281(1):46-58. doi:10.26387/bpa.281.1.

CITE THE ARTICLE

2781

Psychometric examination of the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and the Career Decision-Making Process (CDMP) scales

Abstract

References

Article info

Issue:

Keywords:

Views:

Downloads:

Cite the article:

BPA - BULLETIN OF APPLIED PSYHOLOGY

MANAGEMENT AND EDITORIAL OFFICE

ABOUT US

Citation tool

How to cite this article