Based on 164 undergraduate business majors, we examined the relationship between satisfaction with major and Holland’s vocational interests and with the Big Five and narrow personality traits. Contrary to our hypothesis, enterprising scores were unrelated to major satisfaction. As hypothesized, using ipsative and normative scores, investigative, artistic, and realistic interests were negatively related to major satisfaction. As hypothesized, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and optimism were positively related to major satisfaction, as were extra-version and assertiveness. A stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that 49% of the variance in major satisfaction could be accounted for by a combination of vocational interest themes and personality traits. Implications were drawn for theory and practice, including support for Holland’s continuity principle, adding personality traits to Holland’s vocational theory, and using vocational interest and normal personality trait measures in student advising and career counseling. Study limitations and implications for future research were noted.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the subjective experience of college students in leadership. Six participants, 4 females and 2 males, from a large, southeastern university were interviewed regarding their experiences; each response was transcribed and thematically analyzed to identify a perceptual background, as well as prominent figural themes through which the participants' experiences could be described. Three interrelated themes, people, action, and organization emerged from the ground of positive experience. Through examination of students' experiences in leadership roles, aspects of motivation, skills-building, and interacting personality variables may be more specifically targeted for future investigation.

Human papillomavirus (HPV), and the related, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), are common yet poorly understood physical conditions. The diagnosis of HPV often elicits shame and guilt, which in turn may undermine psychological and physical health. The current study compared shame and guilt responses to diagnosis among two groups: women diagnosed with HPV/CIN and women diagnosed with Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV/IM). Eighty women recently diagnosed with HPV/CIN or EBV/IM completed measures of shame- and guilt-proneness, shame and guilt following diagnosis, and disease knowledge including prevalence estimates (HPV and EBV, respectively). HPV/CIN (vs. EBV/IM) predicted more diagnosis-related shame and guilt. Estimates of high prevalence interacted with diagnosis and shame-proneness to predict diagnosis-related shame. Simple slope analyses indicated that in women with HPV/CIN reporting low-to-average shame-proneness, high prevalence estimates reduced diagnosis-related shame; however, women high in shame-proneness experienced high diagnosis-related shame regardless of more accurate prevalence estimates. Women high in shame-proneness appear to be particularly vulnerable to HPV-related shame even when they are aware that it is very common.

Many universities offer career exploration courses designed to assist students in making effective career choices; however, it remains unclear whether pre-existing resources have a significant influence on students’ ability to benefit. The purpose of this study was (a) to measure the efficacy of a career exploration course at an Appalachian institution in improving college and career decision self-efficacy and (b) to determine if the following pre-existing resources, academic readiness, academic achievement, and familial financial resources, were significant predictors of post-test college and career decision self-efficacy scores. Participants were 127 traditionally-aged, undergraduate students at a private, Appalachian university enrolled in a 15-week career exploration course. Paired samples t-tests revealed a significant positive change from pre to post-test for college and career decision self-efficacy; however, hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed no significant influence of the pre-existing resources on post-test scores for either construct.

No abstract