The present study focused on the impact of the System of Interactive Guidance Information (SIGI), a relatively new computer-assisted instructional system (CAI), on career decision-making processes of 72 volunteer undergraduate college students. The experimental treatment included pre-post testing, brief interviewing (15 minutes), and a 3-hour interaction, with SIGI scheduled in 1-hour time blocks within a 10-day period. Decision-making stage, as measured by Barren's Vocational Decision-Making Checklist, and locus of control of reinforcement, as measured by Rotter's scale, were the outcome variables investigated. Students were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n = 48) or to a wait/control group (n = 24). Results showed significant (p < .05) positive changes for the treatment group on pre-post measures of decision-making stage related to choice of college major. No significant changes (p < .05) were found in pre-post decision-making stage measures related to vocation or to locus of control of reinforcement. The results suggest that brief exposure to a CAI mode can have positive effects, particularly for improving skills related to choice of college major.
Behavior-oriented inventories need not be used in a static manner. This article presents a way of using John Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) as a n illustration of how such a n inxientory can be employed dynamically within a developmental career counseling framework. Use of the SDS is discussed in terms of environmental exploration, selfexploration, and integration of information. The breadth of individual behavior styles and t h e f i x ibility of work environments are the key concepts in the appoach to career counseling described here.
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