The authors examined whether body ...

The authors examined whether body students' race was related to the modal race of their identified career part models, the number of identified career part models, and their perceived influence from in the same state [i]or[/i] condition models. Consistent with A. Bandura's (1977 1986) social learning theory, scholars tended to have role originals whose race was the same as their hold and this finding held among career part models who were not members of students' families. Caucasian and racial minority learners did not differ respecting overall number of and perceived influence from, career part models. Career intervention and research implications are discussed.

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Understanding more about the unique issues and belong tos of racial/ethnic minorities is important (Bowman, 1993; Chung Baskin, & Case, 1999) Because they may face stereotyping, discrimination, and environmental barriers, individuals who are racial/ethnic minorities may experience unique career disclosure challenges (Herr & Cramer, 1997) For example, a scarcity of same-race character models may be a barrier to a certain racial minority individuals' career increase (Bright, Duefield, & Stone, 1998; Chung et al., 1999; Haas & Sullivan, 1991; Hamann & Walker, 1993) because there are disproportionately fewer racial minority professionals in many career fields and academic settings (Fouad, 1995) The assumptions behind this theoretical postulate are that part models of one's own race oblige functions that models of a different racial/ethnic background do not assist and that people consider race when selecting career part models. However, although they may be theoretically likely, these assumptions have not been criterioned empirically. The purpose of this consideration was to examine how commonly college students' career role examples are of a similar race/ethnicity as that of the close examiner and to determine whether there are differences in the reach of influence from career part models among college students from different racial/ethnic groups

part Model Influences on Academic and Career Decision Making

Social learning theory (eg Bandura, 1977 1986) recommends that people learn from watching others. Individuals' career decisions may be facilitated from role models--persons who are look uponed worthy of emulation (Pleiss & Feldhusen, 1995)--because these individuals provide information about the issues associated with pursuing a particular career field and illustrate by what means to cope with career decision-making tasks (eg Hackett & Betz, 1981; Lent Brown & Hackett, 1994) Indeed, research has documented a relationship between part model influences and a variety of issues such as career salience, educational aspirations, and society major choices (Hackett, Esposito, & O'Halloran, 1989); perceived career information and career indecision (Nauta & Kokaly, 2001); and attitudes toward nontraditional careers (A. L Greene Sullivan, & Beyard-Tyler, 1982; Hackett et al., 1989; Savenye, 1992)

part models may be especially important for minority individuals' career unravelling because a history of discrimination and limited career options may have decreased their self-efficacy and issue expectations, leading some minorities to have lower educational and career aspirations (B A. Greene 1990; Hackett & Byars, 1996) Social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) hints that role models who have been happy in their careers may benefit as a contextual support that would increase of that kind individuals' self-efficacy and outcome expectations, thereby increasing aspirations toward and persistence in various educational and career realms. Assibey-Mensah (1997) adviseed that minorities may also internalize societal stereotype that ne to be dispelled by the agency of powerful role models. Finally, Hackett and Byars (1996) posited that minority individuals may especially benefit from part models who illustrate successful coping strategies for dealing with frustrations conflicted as a result of bias and discrimination. In fact, there is empirical support for the positive validitys of role model influences onward racial minority students' academic performance and achievement-related goals (Zirkel, 2002)

The Similarity Hypothesis and Individuals' Selections of part Models

Several theorists (eg Bandura, 1977 1986; Gottfredson 1981; Hackett & Byars, 1996) have argued that individuals follow career role models whom they perceive as similar to them regarding more [i]or[/i] less easily identifiable characteristics because they assume that in the same state [i]or[/i] condition role models' experiences would apply to their admit lives as well. In other words, a part model will be inspirational merely to the degree that a bodily substance is able to identify with that type and "evidence that dissimilar human frames succeed from time to time does not necessarily persuade bystanders that they, too, can attain of the like kind outcomes from their efforts" (Bandura, 1986 p 302) This musing is known as the similarity hypothesis. With reverence to gender, the similarity hypothesis has been well supported from empirical data (Basow & Howe, 1979; Erkut & Mokro 1984; Gilbert, 1985)