College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Poster Presentations
Title
Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy among College Students with Symptoms of ADD
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
4-16-2012
Faculty Sponsor
R. Eric Landrum
Abstract
Young adulthood is a time when college students make crucial life and career decisions. An estimated 2% to 4% of young adults pursuing a post-secondary education struggle with symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD) such as inattention and impulsivity, which pose difficulties for these college students that encounter transitional challenges and have difficulty maintaining academic demands. Career-decision self-efficacy (CDSE) is an individual’s belief in their ability to engage in educational planning and make career decisions (Betz & Luzzo, 1996). College students with ADD may possess lower levels of confidence when compared to their non-diagnosed peers, thus leading to lower levels of CDSE. The goal of my study was to expand on previous research regarding college students with ADD and to assess how inattention and impulsivity affect college students’ future plans for careers and academic adjustment. This study consisted of 257 participants. A questionnaire was used to determine how symptoms of impulsivity and inattention affect the ability to make career decisions. A self-report symptoms of ADD scale was used to measure inattention, impulsivity, and potential for emotional problems. There is a significant negative correlation between inattention and career decision-making self-efficacy and a significant negative relationship resulted between impulsivity and career decision-making, thus signifying the increase in impulsivity is associated with decreased career decision-making. Assessing inattention and impulsivity in relation to career-decision making may assist academic institutions in treatment of college students with ADD to increase college retention and career commitment.