Validation of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) Using Chinese Technical College Students

Abstract

Developing a vocational identity is one of the most important tasks facing any adolescent, and vocational identity has become a focus of attention in career education and guidance for decades. However, few studies have been conducted on this topic in China due to a lack of relevant measures. The purpose of this study was to validate a Chinese version of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) using 1,650 Chinese technical college students. The 30-item VISA–Chinese Version was found to have sound reliability and validity and with measurement invariance across age groups. This study contributes to the vocational identity literature by demonstrating the usefulness of VISA–Chinese Version.

Factor Structure of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) in University, Liberal Arts, and Community College Students

“…This model was generally an adequate to good fit for the data, whereas the four alternative models (three factor, single factor, hierarchical, and bifactor) showed poor fit. This six-factor structure is aligned with the conceptualization and initial development of the VISA (Porfeli et al, 2011) and has been confirmed in samples outside of the United States (Kim et al, 2019;Lannegrand-Willems et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2019). Additionally, none of the other models showed adequate fit for the data.…”

“…The subscale scores have shown evidence of adequate to strong reliability and validity. For example, Cronbach’s α levels for the six subscales have consistently been above .70 (e.g., Fusco et al, 2019; Porfeli et al, 2011; Zhang et al, 2019). The six-factor structure has been shown to be invariant at the metric level across American high school and college students (Porfeli et al, 2011) and at the partial scalar level across American and Korean college students (Kim et al, 2019).…”

“…Finally, reconsideration is comprised of career commitment flexibility (sensitivity around career planning) and career self-doubt (anxiety or self-doubt around career planning; Porfeli & Savickas, 2012, p. 750). The six-factor structure of the VISA has been confirmed in samples of college students in different parts of the world (e.g., Kim et al, 2019;Lannegrand-Willems et al, 2016;Porfeli et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2019). However, to date, no studies have examined other potential factor structures, such as a three-factor structure comprising commitment, exploration, and reconsideration, or hierarchical or bifactor models that assess for the presence of a total score as well as subscales.…”

“…For example, many adolescents move from diffused vocational identity statuses to achieved and moratorium as they age and get closer to high school graduation (Skorikov & Vondracek, 1998). In college students, advanced vocational identity statuses (e.g., achieved, moratorium) have been consistently related to positive personal and professional outcomes in samples from around the world (e.g., Cox et al, 2016; Green, 2020; Hirschi & Hermann, 2012; Rhee et al, 2016; Wong & Kaur, 2018; Zhang et al, 2019). For instance, higher combined levels of commitment and exploration (representing an achieved status) was significantly and positively related to psychological well-being, satisfaction with life, general self-efficacy, and positive affect, as well as significantly and negatively related to negative affect, in Pakistani college students (Green, 2020).…”

“…One measure of vocational identity that has recently gained traction due to its psychometric properties, assessment of six identity statuses, and ability to be used with both high school and college students is the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA; Porfeli et al, 2011). Although the six-factor structure of the VISA has been confirmed in various student samples around the world (e.g., Kim et al, 2019; Porfeli et al, 2011; Zhang et al, 2019), plausible alternate factor structures have not been tested. Additionally, the VISA has not yet been examined in some major institutional settings in the United States, such as diverse liberal arts colleges and community colleges.…”