The impact of career‐related parental behaviors on career decision‐making self‐efficacy and ambivalence—A latent growth model

Abstract Introduction The current study investigated the developmental trajectory of adolescents’ career decision‐making self‐efficacy (self‐efficacy) and ambivalence in career decision‐making (ambivalence) as well as the longitudinal impact of career‐related parental behaviors (parental behaviors) on self‐efficacy and self‐efficacy on ambivalence. Methods We recruited 588 students from two elementary schools and three middle schools from city of Guangzhou, Province Guangdong in China. Participants were from Grade 4 to Grade 9 with an average age of 11.88 (SD = 1.63), 321 (54.6%) were male, and 9 (1.53%) were missing for gender. We applied a latent growth model using data from all three waves. Results and Conclusion After applying a latent growth model using data from all three waves, the results have indicated that self‐efficacy decreased as these participants transitioned from childhood to early adolescence, and that their ambivalence fell on an increasing trajectory. Cross‐sectionally, it indicated that “support” of parental behaviors was positively associated with self‐efficacy, and “interference” of parental behaviors was positively associated with ambivalence. Longitudinally, “interference” of parental behaviors was negatively predicting the change rate of self‐efficacy. A predictive relation did not exist between self‐efficacy and ambivalence, such that a negative correlation was observed on a cross‐sectional level. Implications and limitations are discussed as well.