The Influence of Personal Growth Initiative and Coping Styles on Career Exploration and Vocational Identity

Participants were college students, 107 women and 98 men. Path analysis provided moderate support for Harren's model of personal characteristics leading to vocational exploration, which in turn leads to vocational identity. Specifically, personal growth initiative predicted environmental exploration and vocational identity. Coping style predicted self-exploration. Support was found for the prediction of vocational identity by environmental exploration. The presence of both direct and indirect paths between personal characteristics and vocational identity highlights the importance of considering both career exploration processes and outcomes. Implications for practitioners are presented.