The role of future time perspective in career decision making

Abstract

The present study of two hundred and seven university students examined the structural relation of future-orientation (both valence and instrumentality), career decision-making self-effi cacy and career indecision (choice/commitment anxiety and lack of readiness) in a sample of 218 college students. Future time perspective was viewed as a key input to career decision making. Structural equation modeling results indicated that valence was not signifi cantly related to career decision-making self-effi cacy, choice/commitment anxiety and lack of readiness. However, instrumentality completely mediated the relation between valence and career decision-making self-effi cacy, choice/commitment anxiety and lack of readiness. Instrumentality was signifi cantly related to career decision-making selfeffi cacy and lack of readiness. Career decision-making self-effi cacy completely mediated the relation between instrumentality and choice/commitment anxiety; however, it only partially mediated the relation between instrumentality and lack of readiness. Although the proposed model was invariant across gender, the fi ndings indicated that women reported higher instrumentality and lower lack of readiness than did men. No differences were found for career decision-making self-effi cacy and choice/commitment anxiety across gender. The fi ndings suggest that psychologists, counselors, and teachers should consider the role future time perspective in university students’ career development.