Resilience and Decision-Making Strategies as Predictors of Career Decision Difficulties

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine resilience and decision-making strategies as predictors of difficulties experienced during the career decision-making process. College students (N = 364) responded to measures of resilience, career decision-making strategies, and career decision difficulties. Results indicated that resilience and decision-making strategies accounted for 46% of the variance in career decision difficulties. Resilience had a greater influence on problems encountered during decision making than on problems encountered at the outset of the process. Different decision-making strategies appeared to be related to difficulties encountered at different stages of the decision-making process. For example, aspiration for an ideal occupation was positively associated only with lack of readiness. Procrastination was the only strategy related to all three decision difficulties: lack of readiness, lack of information, and inconsistent information. The results indicated the importance of decreasing procrastination at all stages of decision making and the need to promote resilience to deal with decision difficulties.