CCA Foundations of Career Development Theories 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: John Krumboltz's Planned Happenstance Theory argues that unplanned events should be:
- Avoided by maintaining a strict career plan
- Recognized and leveraged as career opportunities through curiosity and flexibility (Correct answer)
- Considered obstacles that require immediate replanning
- Ignored unless they align with existing career goals
Correct answer: Recognized and leveraged as career opportunities through curiosity and flexibility
Planned Happenstance reframes chance occurrences as opportunities, encouraging clients to develop curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk-taking to capitalize on them.
Question 2: In Lent, Brown, and Hackett's Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), career interests develop primarily through the interaction of:
- Outcome expectations alone
- Self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations together (Correct answer)
- Environmental barriers and supports exclusively
- Genetic predispositions and temperament
Correct answer: Self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations together
SCCT posits that people develop interests in activities when they believe they can perform them (self-efficacy) and expect positive outcomes from doing so.
Question 3: In Gottfredson's Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, 'circumscription' is defined as:
- Narrowing occupational aspirations based on developing self-concept (Correct answer)
- Adjusting career choices downward due to perceived external barriers
- Expanding options by overcoming gender and class stereotypes
- Selecting careers based purely on prestige rankings
Correct answer: Narrowing occupational aspirations based on developing self-concept
Circumscription is the progressive elimination of unacceptable occupational alternatives as children develop awareness of sex roles, social class, and their unique self.
Question 4: Albert Bandura identified four sources of self-efficacy information. Which of the following is NOT one of those four sources?
- Performance accomplishments (mastery experiences)
- Vicarious learning (modeling)
- Verbal persuasion
- Cognitive restructuring techniques (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cognitive restructuring techniques
Bandura's four sources are mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and physiological/emotional states — cognitive restructuring is a therapeutic technique, not a source.
Question 5: According to Gottfredson, during which developmental stage do children first begin eliminating occupations inconsistent with their perceived social class?
- Orientation to size and power (ages 3–5)
- Orientation to sex roles (ages 6–8)
- Orientation to social valuation (ages 9–13) (Correct answer)
- Orientation to the internal, unique self (ages 14+)
Correct answer: Orientation to social valuation (ages 9–13)
During the Orientation to Social Valuation stage (ages 9–13), children become aware of social class hierarchies and begin eliminating occupations seen as too low or unattainably high in prestige.
Question 6: In SCCT, 'contextual supports and barriers' most directly affect which part of the career development process?
- The initial development of self-efficacy beliefs
- The translation of career interests into goals and goals into actions (Correct answer)
- The formation of early learning experiences in childhood
- The accuracy of outcome expectations
Correct answer: The translation of career interests into goals and goals into actions
SCCT recognizes that even strong interests and goals can be blocked by contextual barriers (e.g., discrimination, lack of resources) or facilitated by contextual supports when moving toward action.
Question 7: Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory of Career Choice identifies two primary types of learning experiences as:
- Classical and operant conditioning
- Formal and informal education
- Instrumental and associative learning (Correct answer)
- Direct and vicarious learning
Correct answer: Instrumental and associative learning
Instrumental learning involves direct experiences with positive or negative consequences, while associative learning involves pairing neutral events with positive or negative stimuli.
CCA Foundations of Career Development Theories 3
John Krumboltz's Planned Happenstance Theory argues that unplanned events should be: