Vocational Decision-Making Models: A Review and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Vocational development has been described as the processes of preparation for and entry into a series of education and work roles over a lifetime. During the 1960's, a number of vocational theorists speculated that these processes could be understood better by employing concepts suggested by psychological decision theory. Indeed the promise that fundamental decision concepts have for enriching our understanding of vocational development received early acclaim (Blau, Gustad, Jesser, Parnes, & Wilcock, 1956; Brayfield, 1963, 1964; Super, 1961; Tyler, 1961). Recent reviews of vocational development theories have concluded that this promise remains largely unfulfilled (Crites, 1969; Kroll, Dinklage, Lee, Morley, & Wilson, 1970; Osipow, 1968.) One major problem in integrating this literature is that various theorists have not employed either the framework or the language of their predecessors. Several questions can be raised: Among the various theories, are there similarities in the basic concepts that are observed by the differences in language? Do the theories fit the same population of decision situations? Do certain theories better describe certain types of decisions? How do the theories vary in terms of assumptions about characteristics of decision-makers and their resources? The authors believe that psychological decision theory provides a useful framework for clarifying the relationships among various vocational decision-making theories and between these theories and the population of decision situations with which people are faced. This paper outlines psychological decision theory; summarizes eight prominent vocational decision-making (VDM) models; compares and contrasts VDM models on basic assumptions and fundamental concepts; and suggests applications of theory to theoretical decision types. Implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed.