The relationship among family differentiation, identity control theory, and the occupational identity status in late adolescents.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The present study examines the relationship between family dynamics and late adolescent occupational identity development by focusing on both the family emotional environment and the identity control processes that drive career decision making. A total of 232 college students completed a self-administered questionnaire that included demographic information and different measures that assessed parent-adolescent interpersonal feedback, family differentiation (in its two dimensions, family tolerance for intimacy and family tolerance for individuality), and occupational identity status. Results of multivariate analysis show no interaction effects between family tolerance for intimacy and family tolerance for individuality when explaining the present and transitional occupational identity status of college students. It is possible to conclude that each dimension of the family differentiation construct explains, separately, the occupational identity status of achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, and diffusion. Outcomes of this study also reveal that parental interpersonal feedback are more likely to happen in well differentiated families.
Results on transitional occupational identity statuses may be considered exploratory since an attempt to estimate the probability of a student being in a transition stage was performed by using the two highest scores obtained in the Occupational Identity Scale (OIS).
In addition, this study provides a foundation for career counseling intervention in which adolescents struggling with occupational issues may benefit from career interventions that respond not only to the nature of their decisions, as being evidenced by their current and transitional occupational identity status, but more importantly to the family dynamics present during their decision-making process. The significant role played by the family in career development constitutes one of the most important factors to focus on, mainly, because as a social support, parents have the highest level of influence on their children's occupational decisions.