What are the objectives of this study?

Career decisions are one of the most important and stressful decisions in life. The process can cause cognitive, emotional as well as personal-related difficulties. Coping is explained as behavioural or cognitive efforts to manage certain situations that are perceived stressful. Coping strategies can be (a) problem focused or approach coping (b) emotion focused coping, (c) avoidant coping or (d) support seeking. The objective of this study is to develop and test a theoretical model named strategies for coping with career indecision (SCCI). The model exists from 14 categories representing three main clusters for coping: productive coping, support-seeking and non-productive coping. The concepts are derived from other coping theories. They are adapted in the context of coping with decisions about career. 

What methods were used in the study?

To test the model, a SCCI questionnaire was used. It was based on a combination of Skinner's (2003) model about coping with stress. Forty specific categories were used, twelve of these categories were derived from Skinner's model. The model included three clusters:

1. Productive coping

2. Support-seeking

3. Non-productive coping

Support seeking was divided in instrumental help seeking, emotional help-seeking and delegation. Productive coping was split into instrumental information seeking, emotional information seeking, problem solving, flexibility, accommodation and self-regulation. Non-productive coping is divided into escape, helplessness, isolation, submission and opposition.

It was developed using data from 10 samples. The first study reported that the development of SCCI and the psychometric properties. An additional sample of young Israelis deciding about their career was used. In study 2a, a confirmatory factor analysis was done. In study 2b, concurrent validity was tested.

What were the results?

The researchers found that both samples confirmed hypothesized distinction between three coping clusters. They used Hebrew and English versions of the SCCI that both confirmed the proposed model. Delegation and emotional help-seeking were also associated with non-productive coping. Also, instrumental help-seeking was associated with productive coping support-seeking. Support-seeking was related to both productive and non-productive coping. 

They also found cultural differences. The Israeli sample showed higher scores on helplessness, delegation and submission. The English sample scored higher on emotional information seeking, accommodation, isolation and flexibility. These differences could be explained by social and cultural background. 

What are implications for further research?

The implications for future research and career counselling are discussed. Even though there seems to be consensus that coping refers to adaptively changing cognitive as well as behavioural actions to manage stress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). However, these changes were not investigated in the current research. This is because the researchers think that cross-sectional methods can only provide a snapshot of the developmental process, which is dynamic. In future research a longitudinal design should be used to assess coping styles that are used for career decisions. 

What are implications for counselling? 

Counsellors should not only understand the nature of indecision, but also assess the coping strategies used by the individual. Is that person dealing effectively with its indecisiveness? The SCCI could help counsellors with getting an initial diagnosis of how people handle challenges of career decision making. This makes it easier for counsellors to give recommendations on how to handle their decision problems. Additionally, counsellors should provide techniques to reduce non-productive coping and promote productive coping.